New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1910-11-20

reit himself obliged To refuse Political
reasons We're all against it. no doubt.
DasraeH was the leader of the Tory
party and Lord Rosebery had all his
life been Liberal: and still is: one Of
the few survivors of a once great party.
His relations TO Mr.. Gladstone. both po-
Ltlcal and personal. were of a kind which
would have added something to the diff
ficulty of the task But the difficulty OF
the task itself was perhaps reason
enough A man in Lord Rosebery's po-
sition though 'out Of politics. IS still
too much in them and by far too great
figure in public life to give up years Of
his time TO biography; and less than
that would not have sufaced
Lord Morley was asked. But Lord
Morley had just finished his Life of Mr.
Gladstone Even supposing he was ready
to embark again on piece Of work not
less but more arduous. how could he. a
lifelong Radical. do justice to the great
est Tory statesman Of modern times? He
would not deal with the religious or
ecclesiastical side Of Mr. Gladstone-s
character because he felt himself too
completely out Of sympathy with it TO
treat il in an adequate way. With per-
haDs no part Of DisraeIi's political career
vas he more in sympathy than with Mr.
Gladstone's theology. At any rate, Lord
Morley refused. Then, in one of those
moods Of compromise which are alien 10
his character. he writes for The Times
a review Of 0Ir. Monypenny's perform
ance, describing It as "excellently we'll
done" and then proceeding to give rea-
sons why it is not
Many other men Of many varying rep
urauons and capacities were asked. 1
have seen a list; more than twenty
names in all: some Of them only sug-
gestions. but all of them regarded as
possibilities. At least one Of them was
an American. though the objections to
any American are sufficiently obvious.
t would have been said:
Was there. then no EngIishr1an who
could or would write the life Of almost
or perhaps quite-the greatest Eng
Iishnan OF the last century. that you
had to go 70 America for biogra pher?"
So finally We come 10 Mr.. Monypenry.
I suppose I may assume that his name is
unknown in the United States. or was
unknown till this first volume appeared.
I was as I said, unknown IN England,
to the general English public, till very
recently. Il was known. however. in
journalism. which is q world by itself,
Mr. NIonypenny was formerly a leader
writer on The Times" II the sos he
went 10 South Africa. I do not know.
! that his going had anything TO do with
the Jameson Raid. in which he took no
: part, but he became editor Of The Jo-
hannesburg Star" within a measurable
. distance Of the time at which that IN
happy enterprise took place. He
edited that paper with courage and sig
nal ability until forced 70 fly for his life.
/ Kruger tolerating no such thing as op-
+ position or freedom Of speech within the
purely despotic state over which he
ruled When the Boer War came NJ
Monypenny took service in I forget what
body OF irregulars, and fought 7 dare
say, as We'll as he wrote Finally. he
came back to London and to Printing
House Square, and resumed his relations
with The Tines; relations which. per
haps, had never been broken. since he
acted in South Africa as correspondent
10 The Times" He bore some part in
The recent struggle, the checkered strug-
gle. for the possession and control Of this
paper. which has left its mark-a very
broad nlark-on the columns Of the great
Journal the traditions Of which were
cnce supposed TO be unchanged bic.
IN all these occupations the present
hiographer Of Lord Beaconsfeld has
shown himself a competent writer; but
no one Of them bears any relation to the
occupation Of a biographer. He is han
dicarped by the total lack of any per-
sunaI acquaintance with Lord Beacons-
field. whom he had never seen. \ writer
of genius, able to make an imaginative
use OF his genius and Of his materials.
might survive even this grave disability.
Whether Mr.. Monypenny has that
kind Of genius remains TO be seen. All
that can be said is that heretofore and
il the various circumstances Of his en-
Payments It has not been required and
has not been seen. It may be enough
TO say that the reception Of his first
volume has been friendly and good and
that he has achieved a measure Of sue
cess in what seemed an impossible en-
teTDrise. @. ". s