Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1913-11-07
asaiseellanrons 8raaing.
DUKE OF WELLINGTON
Career of Famous Warrior Continued
After Waterloo.

duke De1OrS anu dllSf tho -oe@sSAS N
Waterloo, they do not know at ALL
He sticks in history as 'the man VINO
beet Napoleon" And that, OF course
was his greatest single exploit. Yet
it is interesting to remember that for
almost forty years after the battle OF
Waterloo, Wellington, the Iron
Duke" was one of the principal hg-
ures in England. Sometimes he was
a popular idol, and again he was the
central object of fierce public hatred,
but always he was in the forefront
The Duke Of wellington wasn't
born Duke Of Wellington at all. He
is entered on the baptismal registry
as Arthur wellesley, fourth son OF
the Earl Of Mornington. 1t was not
in the natural course Of things that
he, a young son, should have any title
at all, and the story goes that MS
mother sent him to military schooi
because she decided that her ugly
boy, Arthur" was eft food for powder
and nothing else" But the ugly boy
Arthur, turned out to be of vastly
more Importance than any other
member Of his family before or since.
His Military Rise Rapid.
He rose rapidly in the army-he
was a colonel at 27-and fought with
distinction in Holland and afterward
in India. Nine years OF his lie were
spent in India, and his work In SUD
DUNG native tribes would in itself
have entitled him to some small meas
ure of fame had he not done so many
more important things afterward.
In 1903 he returned to England
and held various minor military OF
fees, was a member Of parliament,
and seemed in fair way to settle
down to the life Of moderate and USE
full domestic activity that many re-
turned Indian army officers lead. 1t
Is interesting to notice that Yelling
toms really important life work did
not begin until he was 80 years old.
In 1908, he landed in Portugal, and
began his work in the peninsular
campaigns. And Wellington's success
in Portugal and Spain would have
place in history, too, were 1t not Tor
the oyershadowing success that was
to come.
wellington practically broke the
power Of Napoleon in Spain and Port
ugal. And then, close upon the heels
of those successes. came the battle OF
Waterloo in 1915. wellington was
hailed as the savior OF England, nay,
the savior of Europe, the greatest mil
itary genius since Hannibal. Britain
was at his feet; no laurels were too
luxuriant for his brow.
Was in Danger Of Assassination.
And so it Is something Of a shock
to find, four years later, that there
were scores Of men in England who
were eager to assassinate this same
Duke of Wellington, and that he was
at the beginning Of a phase OF his
life that made him for while the
best hated man in England.
Wellington-he had received his
title during the Portuguese wars-was
made a member Of the cabinet after
the battle Of Waterloo. Though the
French revolution was apparently
stamped out in France and Bour-
bon once more sat on that hopelessly
battered throne, the effects Of the re-
volution were still felt strongly in
England. There was an unwhole-
some leaven of men In the island
kingdom who were eager to do for
England the thing that Robespierre
and Marat had done for France, and
licked their lips hungrily at the
thought of an English reign Of terror.
1t was men Of this stamp who were
involved in the Cato street conspiracy
of 1919. The object Of this conspira-
cy was to kill all the members Of the
British cabinet and overthrow the
government. And the Duke Of We'll
lington was among those slated to-
fall.
The duke received a letter one day
telling him that he walked up Cock
spur street the evening before with
a one-armed friend, that he had paus-
ed at such and such shop windows,
and It was only because, In addition
to the one-armed friend. he seemed
to be followed by police officer in
disguise, that two hired assassins who
had followed him failed to kill. AS a
matter Of fact, there was no police
officer. The loiterer who had fright
ened away the assassins was chance
passerby who had probably recogniz-
ed the duke and fingered to overhear
his conversation, for Wellington, like
some deaf people, had a habit OF
speaking unusually loud.
Fortunately, the government was
able to suppress the Cato street con-
spiracy, for a man named Edwards,
who was ION the inside" kept the Of
ficials posted.
But that was not the end Of the
dukes unpopularity by any means.
Indeed, it was only the beginning.
For the Duke of Wellington was an
instructive aristocrat. He distrusted
popular movements, hated the thought
of home rule for Ireland and regard
ed the reform bill as anathema. And
he fought that same reform bill with
a stubborn courage that commands
our admiration, even though we dis
agree entirely with his beliefs.
Was Mobbed in the Street.
The reform bill, of course, was inev-
table; after a few years of agitation
all England was demanding it. Yet
for a year the Duke of Wellington
stood out defantly against the Eng
lish nation, and calmly let it be known
that he would do his utmost to de-
feat the reform bill. AS far as any
personal effect such an attitude might
have upon himself the duke didn't
care a snap of his fingers. And so
when his carriage was mobbed in the
streets of London, and and bricks
were hurled at his proud old white
head, and daily threats of death came