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Show MR. GLADSTONE. "We have not seen Morley's "Gladstone," but there is an extended review of it in the current Review of Reviews. We think it will be of great use to those who wish to obtain a just estimate of Mr. Gladstone's character, especially in comparison compari-son with his great rival, Disraeli. Mr. Gladstone was a man who meant to be sincere. Mr. Disraeli was a man who was determined-to make a deathless death-less name with such material as was at hand. Mr. Gladstone was, so to speak, born in the purple. Mr. Disraeli was born in obscurity. The former had only to be respectable to win place if not honor, the latter had to fight his way to eminence, and it was not only his obscurity to emerge from, but he had to make his way against the immemor- H ial prejudice of the most stubborn race on earth. H Both are gone, but the best way to get a proper H estimate of both men Is to read what they said. H No man can understand by reading anything that H Mr. Gladstone ever said how ho nad such a hold H on the English people. No man can read anything H Disraeli ever said or wrote without feeling the ' H charm of the masterful Intellect behind the words. ? H The marvelous feature of Mr. Gladstone's career was that he changed his ideas on almost every H subject, and still held tho confidence of hla coun- 'H trymen. He must have possessed a bearing and H magnetism that were irresistible, and Mr. Morloy M speaks of the music of his voice, and holds that M in every sense he was a consummate orator. But $ I his real hold upon the people must have- been ' M his character. He impressed the people as did M George Washington, that he would have nothing M that ho could not obtain holily, and that M the welfare of his fellow countryman was M his very greatest concernment. He was, M moreover, a brave man, morally brave, for M when he changed his opinion he never 5 M sought to claim that his course was consistent; ' M he freely admitted that he had been altogether j ' M wrong. In our great war he was a cabinet mln- jjj ; M 1st jut declared that Jefferson Davis had made H H on. Twenty-four years later, referring to It, ' he said: "My offense was, Inde'ed, only a mis- f fl take, but one of incredible grossness." The most ' curious feature of the man was his change of estl- b H mates of the men around him. He would have i nothing to do with Mr. Cobden when he began ' H his agiatatlon for the repeal of the corn laws. u J H Whenlater h6 became a free trader and Mr. Cob- s? H den died he wrote: "I do not know that I have u H ever seen in public life a character more truly j s fl simple, noble and unselfish." V- fl But after all wo do not believe that as the K ' fl years go by the statue of Gladstone will, in Eng- 1 1 g, , if lish eyes, be aureoled in so bright a light as H' I Im will Disraeli's. The former was jealous of Great BbV I IB Britain's glory and sought its progress, but Si 'i ! & llG wante(1 tue advancement to be according to p J ) fig certain set Christian rules, which he wanted to Bj , H ! make. Disraeli wanted Great Britain made more BBT if IB and more glorious under his hand, and believed B . ' B that a part of the glory would be reflected back H '' B upon himself." Turning to the record and judging B l ,i f I : by the speeches both delivered, Mr. Disraeli bears Hj , i J away the palm. Mr. Gladstone's 'speeches are like B 'I Henry Clay's. To read Mr. Clay's speeches one B j I 1 cannot understand how he kept his countrymen ! ; Jff J captive to his genius for fifty years. It must jii ! A have been the splendor of his manner, his voice m j i J and the life and light of his face the hypnotism B' ' ' : f of his eloquence. |
