New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1913-06-29

.,sn Mr. Brights: few which
VIZ" need writing in these days
,.,ost all the lessons Of his po-
p'sn S we have been unlearned by the
aii'Al ~, call themselves his success
n'n "" still use. and misuse, the
cs' S-'T neral The statement of that
a,'@ act is sufficient criticism S on the
a a.. .' Just produced by MIR. George
oI's'1r ,.,. Trevelyan. He writes as
A''a-, a Radical a Home Ruler
' - svmpathy. therefore with Mr.
os' o. "a therefore incapable Of doing
BlS4~ SIC 10 what there was nobiest
i'- .. Brichts career. Il speak not
y ,.,uage Of party ! am above the
ne @ 1svcl" said Mr.. Bright Mr..
I..n cannot say it. Nor has he
Nv ,,.d n gifts which would enable
.l' rsin, a life portrait OF this great
''" -, s,stesman. He has not the sense
.,.,ure without which a book of
81 ,l,d canno. be properly put to-
| His material overloads his
- use Emersons phrase. Nor
VS. b.. seem really 10 appreciate the
-, Greatness Of Mr.. Bright's posi-
~. A., rnblic life. nor quite TO under
- what il was that made him
- -. srj made his influence beyond
M ..,srs salutary Least of all has
made his hero Ineligible TO the
...r,,an reader Of this generation.
"a .hsrc is no one who has a deeper
..,-ss, than the American i'm reading
a.. .rebt. if only from the gratitude
10 owe him
u,s friendship % us when We needed
....,5sbip most needs no testimony. If
. did Lincoln could be put on the
...,d and Lincoln's reading to his
c.,,rst Of Brights letters TO Sumner
nous what Lincoln thought. Another
~, ~ the great President shows IT, l
4, m, know a more pathetic incident
han his release Of a justly condemned
,,,, because Mr.. Bright asked for IT;
.,s HE nutting into the order Of re-
lace statement that IL was made
9, the request of John Bright he
cause no had been a friend 20 our coun-
,rr Nor 90 ] know an act more un-
,atriotic and contemplate than the re-
msal Of the United States Senate TO
pass resolution Of regret at the great
rnglishman's death. That august
,o3v forgot his immense. his un-
,suslled services 10 the United States.
and remembered only its craven fear OF
n. Irish-Amcricans and Of their po-
mioal tyranny in the United States.
lrish Fenians. it is true hated Mr..
Bright. great as were his services TO
Ireland. and because Of his services.
one OF the later crises in his life. most
vital most illustrative Of the man. was
he Home Rule crisis in 1856. II was
an epitome Of his whole career. Mr.
Treyelyan slurs il, prints letters and
Documents. and leaves them TO tell
their own story. lis like reprinting so
many extracts from old newspapers.
The reader has 90 construct nara
tive from this material The great
Liberal never rose higher above party.
His biographer being Home Ruler
and ike his father. party man, can
~, follow him. You must conceive Of
Nr Bright as the spiritual author #
modern Liberalism, and as bound to
Mr Gladstone by personal affection.
He had 10 sacrifice both. His letter
read to the Liberal Unionists at their
final meeting in Committee Room II
tells Of what struggle il was, and
how he strovc To avert complete
breach He hoped Mr. amberlain
and his friends would be content with
10, voting on the Home Rule bill, and
80 leave Mr. Gladstone a majority too
narrow 10 90 on with long; but not
force him 10 dissolve The letter had
he contrary effect. II convinced the
insurgent Liberals that they must op-
pose the bin. and when the day came
Nr Bright himself was Of the majority
q 80 b. which the bill was thrown out.
Never was the irony Of Fate more in
rincible.
For a generation and more Mr.. Bright
ass the conscience Of Great Britain.
me basis OF every speech he ever made
Pas an appeal % the conscience. There
Isre lesser men who valued morals
IN politics. but the distinction Of Mr..
brisht vas that ne knew how TO make
MS appeal successful. lie brought
morals inside politics; for he under
stood both Morals with him included
justice, and fair dealing. and some
"her essential things which make no
psrt Of the equipment OF the ordinary
politician. His love of justice ard his
hatred Of injustice were alike pas
sonate nor do 7 think nc often dis
uhguished between the two. Nor did
ne Disguise his hatreds The spirit Of
me Old Testament was his. except that
'ne sword he welded was rhetorical.
elt the force Of the sentences in which
Ne denounced privilege and oppression
vas elemental He laid the foundations
W new party and laid them broad
ana oeep. His new party was the ma
ton.
I commend his political history 10
americans for that one reason. and
Oeeause with that one aim of making
vac nation master in its own house ne
as never demagogue. He had moth