New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1910-08-28

those whose interest II is 10 relieve
themselves OF suspicion But I will give
you single sentence of Lady Spencer.
VINO remained by her husbands side and
desired TO share. and did share. the perils
that environed him. Said LADY Snencer.
/, I don't think 1 ever quite realized
"hat the condition of things was till
in driving out I found that the aide-de-
camp on the seat opposite me had his
hand always on his revolver
This although there was always a
mounted escort. beside police and detec-
tlves in front and in rear of the car
i rage. Such was the life they lived:
such was the methods employed. The
Irish, with their natural quick wit and
gallantry. had named the Viceroy's wife
Spencers Faery Queen. But politics-it
was always called politics-rnade no al
loWance for poetry.
All this did not prevent Lord Spencer
from following Mr.. Gladstone into the
Home Rule camp in 1886 It has been
said that if Lord Spencer had held out
Mr. Gladstone would have been forced
/ TO abandon or greatly modify his Home
u
SpenCer's decision was a great surprise
TO the Unionists and great blow. and
they resented it with no common bitter
ness They denounced him as a traitor.
| They resented it socially as well as DO
liticaly. I met Lord Spencer one night
at q house which. though Of great i'm
portanCe and splendor. was house
where a year or two before he and Lady
Spencer might or might not have been
seen. A friend said to me.
DO you see the SpenCers?''
Yes. why not?"
You know as We'll as I do that It is
the first time they have crossed this
threshold"
I know nothing of the kind, and II
you ask Lord Spencer he Will tell you
you are wrong.
He did not ask nor did l. but after
a while I said to Lord Spencer:
We'll. it seems you do go out some
times
Half laughingly, but rather grimly, he
answered:
I go when 1 am asked"
And after a pause:
You know very well how angry the
Unionists are. but would you suppose
that We don't receive one invitation
where We used TO get twenty"
That's a rhetorical way of putting
il"
1t is literally true.
I did not say so to Lord Spencer. but
I thought il almost as discreditable %
the Unionists as 1 thought the Irish
attacks OF a different trend on Lord
Spencer discreditabIe to the Irish
record one as I record the other, and
in that spirit of impartiality at which 1
always aim. and to which 7 do not al
ways attain. But this is 4 fine example
Between cancelled dinner card and a
shot from behind a hedge there is GER
tain difference: but there need not be
much difference between the spirit which
inspires the one and the other. If there
were in all England two people who stood
as near the summit Of things as subjects
can stand they were Lord and La dy
Spencer Lady Spencer was 4 Seymour.
granddaughter 10 the seventh Mar
Guess Of Hartford. The first Earl Spen- /
Ger was grandson to the third Earl of
Sunderland. who married the daughter
Of the first Duke Of Marlborough. and |
comes down through : line Of ancestors
distinguished in public and in private
life He was grandson to that Lord Al |
thorn who. as Chancellor Of the Excheq-
Ter. led the House of Commons, 1890 |
1894. and the two were sing7Ilarly alike in !
u-1
country confer upon the possessor of
them an authority which mere talents |
never confer. The late Duke of Devon |
shire was another example, and perhaps
the most iIlustrious of all Side by side |
with him in point of character, absolute |
integrity unselfish devotion to the state, |
and courage. whether personal or polit- !
icaI. Of the highest order. stands that |
eth Earl Spencer who died yesterday. |
Yet that was the man whom other men, /
Of nosition not less than his and of char |
ac,er heretofore spotlees, set themselves |
to prosecute.
7 will take the late Duke Of Westmin- |
ser. the first Duke. an illustration of |
the temper which ar that time pervaded |
the I-nior1ist ranks. He had been Mar |
o7,iE Of Westminster till 1874. when Mr. /
Gladstone made him a Duke. He was q |
liberal 2 GIadstonian Liberal. In testi- |
ronv of his respect and friendly ad- |
r,i-ariou for his creator he commissioned |
sir John MiIlais to paint Mr.. Gladstones |
norrrait: the finest of the four which |
came from Millais's brush In 1886 or |
1887 the Duke caused il TO be known |
that ne no longer wished to keep the |
nortrait. and he sold it, at a large profit, |
IN Sir Charles Tenant. in whose house |
in Crosvenor Square IL hung till Sir |
Charles died. and is now, | think, TO be |
seer in Sir Edward Tenants house in |
Queen Anne's Gate, with other canVases
of distinction.
The Dukes next act produced an eA- |
citernent even greater than the selling |
of Mr.. Gladstone's picture. In 1881 he |
had asked MI and Mrs Robert Spencer
to dinner Nj Robert Spencer had late
Iv married the Hon. Margaret Barring.
second daughter to Lord and Lady Rev |
alstoke. Then II came to the Duke |
knowledge that Mr. Robert Spencer hao
beeu present at the dinner given by the |
Eighty Club TO Mr.. Parnell. and ne |
withdrew his invitation He was not