New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1914-01-11
roo,ush, 1873. ny cco-se W smsH,'1

+ YOU the Holy Spirit. or even the spirit
OF The LawgiVcr. il will burst into flame
from the most arid soil. as VIII the
spring from the impenetrable rock.
To define such phenomena as these |
should not think OF using so coarse a
word as hypocrisy Nor would it be
descriptive The orator, borne on a
many things he would not and could
not say in mere conversation. But he
is sincere. His eloluence is sincere.
While he is pouring out metaphors he
never doubts they are realities. He is
the first 10 be deceived by his own iilu-
+ sionS. They impose on him whether
they impose on his hearers or not Let
IL therefore be understood that Sir Ed
ward Grey, like Mr.. AsQuith. is pro-
+ foundry convinced that while he is
. pleading the cause OF party he is really
advocating Imperial interests. Be
tween the welfare Of the Kingdom and
the prosperity OF their party neither OF
them can distinguish.
one other point; Sir Edward Grey is
not only the loyal servant OF his mas
ter in the Cabinet. but his understudy.
should Mr.. Asquth retire-such q ny
pothesis is Conceivabe--w while his party
had still a majority. Sir Edward Grey
would succeed him. Such is the belief
Of the well informed. IL has not al
ways been their belief. but it is their
belief to-day. | do not say that it is -
, belief which Mr.. Lloyd George shares;
or that in such transfer Of power he
would acquiesCe without struggle or
that his friends would acquiesce. Pos
sibly in the House Of Commons itself
Mr.. George has even now more nu-
merous following than Sir Edward.
But England is still country in which
the people count for something
Mr.. George himself would probably
admit. and his friends would certainly
admit. that with the country his col
league has gained what he himself has
lost. Not even the hem Of Sir Edward
Crews garme Is has been scorched by
the Marconi scandals. He has gone far
as a colleague i'm exculpating COL
league. but no one thinks Of Grey as a
Minister who would have taken nut
ter in the City on a tip coming oriGi-
nally from a dealer enjoying contract
ual relations with the Government.
From that reproach he is free. In
every relation Of public and private
life he is an honorable man. and not
only honorable hut beyond the sus-
picion Of dishonor or even of indiscrc-
tion. Such position. such an immu-
nifty. is still in this country tower Of
strength.
In these days. as in others. the
worlds stage, and all the men are
players. Upon what is said from he
platform across the footlights which in
teryene between the actor-orator and
the public every thing depends. or d.
perds for the moment. There are cir
cumstances in which sir Edward Gree
necessarily plays to the gallery. | dc
not mean that he Is consciously ar
actor Nor is he an orator. He has
never made and never will make. D
great speech. His genius his useful
, ness. lie in other directions. He has
the power Of making plain effective.
persuasive statement. His greatest
successes have been achieved 10y that;
and by one other thing: by character.
Nothing counts for so much. His
great influence with the public is based
on their belief in him. They think lie
is straight: as he is. They expect the
truth from him and they get it; or get
as much as political eXigencies will AL
low a politician TO divulge. If he had
said the reform Of the House of Lords
was an obligation Of honor which
would brook no delay he would not
have waited three years TO redeem that
obligation: and still be waiting.
1t is This intellectual integrity which
gives weight to his words. He said
yesterday at Alnwick, speaking about
Ulster:
4 believe that the real root Of the
difficulty is the difference Of religion. d"
It is the real root Of most difficulties.
or has been. which a certain class OF
leaders have tried 10 think merely po-
/ litcal II is an admission which puts
Ulster i'm place by itself. Sir Edward
| Grey j. convinced that there is no use
! in trying to solve the Ulster problem
and leave the religious difficulty un-
touched There is no use-there is no
: longer any use-in pretending there is
no such difficulty.
Conference and compromise must
& turn on that. He insists that the
, Prime Minister has always been ready
to consider. to discuss, even 10 concede
what is necessary 10 dispose OF that
difriculty: even though the remedy be
Home Rule within Home Rule" which
/ &c what Mr. Redmond hates most OF all.
Rut clearly the doctrine of NO hurry
viii not answer. His most powerful
sunporter in the Press warns him to-
day there is none too much time for
negotiation;
A subject so vast in it's implications
iso grave I'm it's consequences. so hedged
about with pitfalls OF old antagonism
4 and decpenod mistrust. cannot be post
ncned for consideration until the last
]