Evening star., 1921-10-23
SOME POLITICAL REFLECTIONS

IS exciting as war. ana quite as dan
gerous.''
Even with the new rifie?'
well, in war" he answered. you
can only be killed once, but in poll
tics many times
r -NHAPPILY for himself, and per-
haps for the nation, since he has
many of the qualities of real greatness.
Mr.. Churchill lacks the unifying spirit
of character which alone can master the
dtscrepant OF even antagonistic ele-
ments in a single mind. giving them not
merely force. which is something, but
direction, which is much more. He is a
man of truly brilliant gifts, but you
cannot depend upon HIM. His love for
danger runs away with his discretion;
his passion for adventure makes him
forget the Importance of the goal
Politics may be as exciting and as dam
gerous aS war. but in politics there Is
no Victoria cross.
| am not enamored of the logic of
consistency. Most Of us. l think. will
agree that a man who never changes
his opinion is stupid person. and that
one who boasts in grave and hoary age
of his lifelong political consistency is
merely confessing that he has learned
nothing iii the school of experience.
consistency may appear. amounting in
truth to nothing more than either in
ability to see the other side of an argu-
ment or deliberate. refusal to ac-
knowledge an intellectual mistake, who
can doubt that this quality Of mind
creates confidence? On the other hand,
who can doubt that one who appears at
this moment fighting on the left hand,
and at the next moment fighting just as
onvincingly on the right, creates dis
lst in both armies?
There is only one region in which con-
,istency has the great sanction of an
indubitable virtue-it is the region of
moral character. Goodness has an ef-
feet on mems minds which can hardly
be exaggerated. Conduct is the one
solute merit. A man whose whole life
is governed by moral principle has
constituence in the judgment of all hon
est people and may be said to represent
; cynical opportunist like Lord Beacons-
! field had to confess. so much more
than the world imagines is done by per-
Sonal influence"
Mr.. Churchill has not convinced the
world of this possession He carries
tain. and the flag he flies is not SYM
boil which stirs the blood. His effect on
men is one of interest and curiosity. not
of admiration and loyalty. His power
is the power of gifts. not character.
Men watch him, but do not follow him.
He beguiles the reason. but never warns
the emotions. You may see in him the
wonderful and lightning movements OF
the brain, but never the beating OF
steadfast heart. He has almost every
gift of craftsmanship. and yet. lacking
the central force of the mind which
gives strength and power to character.
these gifts are forever at the sport OF
circumstance. His inconsistencies as.
sumo the appearance of shifts and
lodges.
There is one particular way in which
think his Inconsistencies have been
dangerous to his. career. They nave
brought him too often into inferior COM
pany.
ORD NoRTHcLIFFE. with all his
- faults, is a man to whom states
men may speak their minds without loss
of influence, but there are. other news
paper proprietors, financiers of CONNER
cialized Journalism, with whom a man
of Mr.. ChurchiiIs power and position
should hold no personal relations:
His is a mind which stands in need OF
constant communion with men OF cul-
ture and refinement. He knows the
world by this time well enough Wnat
he does not know are the heignts.
association with second-rate people.
He is too needless Of his MS, good nsanire name;
strength of character? His faults are
chiefly the effects Of a forcible and
impetuous temperament; they may be
expected to diminish as age increases
and experience molds. But character
does not emerge out of the ashes OF
Temperament. It Is not to be thought
that Mr.. Churchill is growing a char.
acter which will presently emerge and
create devotion in his countrymen.
Character for him must lie in those
very qualities which are now chiefly
responsible for his defects-his ar
dor, his affectability. his vehemencs.
his impetuous rashness. his unques-
toned courage. One thing only can
convert those qualities into terms or
character, it is a new direction.
All Mr.. Churchill needs is the direc-
ton in his life Of a great idea. He is
Saul on the way to Damascus. Let
him swing clean away from that road
of destruction and he might well be-
come Paul on his way to immortalttX