Year: 1871

Fhe Personal characteristics of the
English Premier.


London Correspondence of the N. Y. World ]


Mr.. Gladstone, from the time when he
completed his education up to the pres
ent hour, has been a man of mark. he
left Eton and Oxford promising man;


from the very moment he entered Parlia-
menth he was admitted to be a rising man;
and by the time he had been a member
of the House of Commons for ten years
he was universally acknowledged to be a
leading man. All this he accomplished
by adding to eminent abilities an amaz-
ing amount of industry and persever-
ance. At Eton he neither welded cricket
bat nor handled an oar in the summer;


nor had hockey or football charms for
him in the winter. He was not even
addicted to the pitiful pursuit-as the
young Etonians deem it-of fishing, OBJ
viously suggested, although it was by the
vicinity of the silvery Thames He oc-
cupied himself at Eton solely with his
studies, and indeed had almost qualified
himself for degree at the Uni
versity, ere he had quilted the
school deemed simply preparatory to
Alma Mater. Even at Elton he dis
played the germ Of the two leading
characteristics of his after life-a love
of politics and oratory. He early
Joined at Eton the debating club insti-
tuted among the boys, and called some
what ambitiously the "Literati;" and
those leisure hours assigned by most of
his school-fellows to outdoor amuse-
ments were by him devoted to the mas
terry of abstruse political questions and
the development of that logical dexteri-
ty and the use of language which have
since distinguished him. He quilted
Eton well-informed and accomplished
debater At Oxford his career was the
SAFE. He took double first the
only one of his year-and established a
reputation no less for the abilities in
suring mark in public life than for cru
dition. Public life was from the COM
mencement his aim, and an opportunity
for entering it was found for him by the
then Duke of Newcastle, who, desirous
of securing to the party so promising a
recruit, returned him for his then virtu-
ally rotten borough, Newark. AS it was
from that duke and that borough COM
bined arose the astounding political
dogma of doing what one likes with
ones own '-an axiom that contributed
almost as much as anything TO the first
reform bill--it will be seen that Mr..
Gladstone, the present radical premier,
entered the House of Commons as
red-hot Tory. Since that day his political
career has been a sliding scale of de-
parture from his original tenets, each
phase of which inconsistency led him
nearer and nearer to the prize for which
he was struggling = imperial power.
Whether that result or the sincere
promptings of conscience conduced to
this persistent abandonment of prin-
ciples once ardently advocated it would
be impossible to decide. But the coin
cidence is at least remarkable that each
change saw Mr.. Gladstone nearer and
nearer to his grand goal the leader
ship" of party and the position of
premier. To this, of course, eminently
contributed his deep political knowledge,
his matchless skill as a debater, and his
transcendant powers of oratory. His
oratorical style is essentially Demos
thenic. In propounding great mea-
sure or in winding up a comprehensive
debate he is unsurpassed; and either in
lucid statement of facts, logical array of
arguments, sweeping denunciation of
opponents, or eloquent advocacy of his |
own cause, he is perfect master of his |
great art But with all this he is
crotchety," and even his own party
that is, the serious portion of them-to |
q certain degree regret and resist the |
"hberality which seems prepared to
20 to any political lengths whatever.


In private life Mr.. Gladstone is most
exemplary. Indeed, he is so absorbed |
in public life and literary pursuits that |
he might say with Prince Eugene, Il
have really no time for frailties He is
held in immense respect by the creme
de Ia creme of the Liberal party, and
there are FIVE or six of our great families
who are understood to seek his advice
in almost every matter Of importance
concerning them. Personally, no fault
can be found with him; and yet there is
a reserve about him, arising perhaps
from his absorption in weightier matters,
that to a certain degree prevents him in
spring any expansive or enthusiastic
friendship. This characteristic was
happily hit off once by his great rival,
the late Earl of Derby, who summarized
a long eulogy on his foe by saying,
Yes, yes, it is quite true; Mr.. Glad
stone is a most exemplary man, and one
without single redeeming vicel


OF purely personal attributes perhaps
less is known, generally, concerning Mr..