william ewart gladstone-第2章

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specialization；　was　defective　in　omitting　the　experimental　sciences；
and　in　laying　undue　stress　upon　the　study　of　language。　　A　proneness
to　dwell　on　verbal　distinctions　and　to　trust　overmuch　to　the
analysis　of　terms　as　a　means　of　reaching　the　truth　of　things　is
noticeable　in　many　eminent　Oxford　writers　of　that　and　the　next
succeeding　generationsome　of　them；　like　the　illustrious　F。　D。
Maurice；　far　removed　from　Dr。　Newman　and　Mr。　Gladstone　in
theological　opinion。

When　the　brilliant　young　Oxonian　entered　the　House　of　Commons　at　the
age　of　twenty…three；　Sir　Robert　Peel　was　leading　the　Tory　party　with
an　authority　and　ability　rarely　surpassed　in　parliamentary　annals。
Within　two　years　the　young　man　was　admitted　into　the　short…lived
Tory　ministry　of　1834；　and　soon　proved　himself　an　active　and
promising　lieutenant　of　the　experienced　chief。　　Peel　was　an
eminently　wary　and　cautious　man；　alive　to　the　necessity　of　watching
the　signs　of　the　times；　of　studying　and　interpreting　the　changeful
phases　of　public　opinion。　　His　habit　was　to　keep　his　own　counsel；
and　even　when　he　perceived　that　the　policy　he　had　hitherto　followed
would　need　to　be　modified；　to　continue　to　use　guarded　language　and
refuse　to　commit　himself　to　change　till　he　perceived　that　the
fitting　moment　had　arrived。　　He　was；　moreover；　a　master　of　detail；
slow　to　propound　a　plan　until　he　had　seen　how　its　outlines　were　to
be　filled　up　by　appropriate　devices　for　carrying　it　out　in　practice。
These　qualities　and　habits　of　the　minister　profoundly　affected　his
gifted　disciple。　　They　became　part　of　the　texture　of　his　own
political　character；　and　in　his　case；　as　in　that　of　Peel；　they
sometimes　brought　censure　upon　him；　as　having　withheld　too　long　from
the　public　views　or　purposes　which　he　thought　it　unwise　to　disclose
till　effect　could　promptly　be　given　to　them。　　Such　reserve；　such　a
guarded　attitude　and　conservative　attachment　to　existing
institutions；　were　not　altogether　natural　to　Mr。　Gladstone's　mind；
and　the　contrast　between　them　and　some　of　his　other　qualities；　like
the　contrast　which　ultimately　appeared　between　his　sacerdotal
tendencies　and　his　political　liberalism；　contributed　to　make　his
character　perplexing　and　to　expose　his　conduct　to　the　charge　of
inconsistency。　　Inconsistent；　in　the　ordinary　sense　of　the　word；　he
was　not；　much　less　changeable。　　He　was　really；　in　the　main　features
of　his　political　convictions　and　the　main　habits　of　his　mind；　one　of
the　most　tenacious　and　persistent　of　men。　　But　there　were　always　at
work　in　him　two　tendencies。　　One　was　the　speculative　desire　to　probe
everything　to　the　bottom；　to　try　it　by　the　light　of　general
principles　and　logic；　and　where　it　failed　to　stand　this　test；　to
reject　it。　　The　other　was　the　sense　of　the　complexity　of　existing
social　and　political　arrangements；　and　of　the　risk　of　disturbing　any
one　part　of　them　unless　the　time　had　arrived　for　resettling　other
parts　also。　　Every　statesman　feels　both　these　sides　to　every
concrete　question　of　reform。　　No　one　has　set　them　forth　more
cogently；　and　in　particular　no　one　has　more　earnestly　dwelt　on　the
necessity　for　the　latter；　than　the　most　profound　thinker　among
English　statesmen；　Edmund　Burke。　　Mr。　Gladstone；　however；　felt　and
stated　them　with　quite　unusual　force；　and　when　he　stated　the　one
side；　people　forgot　that　there　was　another　which　would　be　no　less
vividly　present　to　him　at　some　other　moment。　　He　was　not　only；　like
all　successful　parliamentarians；　necessarily　something　of　an
opportunist；　though　perhaps　less　so　than　his　master　Peel；　but　was
moved　by　emotion　more　than　most　statesmen；　and　certainly　more　than
Peel。　　The　relative　strength　with　which　the　need　for　comprehensive
reform　or　the　need　for　watchful　conservatism　presented　itself　to　his
mind　depended　largely　upon　the　weight　which　his　emotions　cast　into
one　or　the　other　scale；　and　this　element　made　it　difficult　to
forecast　his　probable　action。　　Thus　his　political　character　was　the
result　of　influences　differing　widely　in　their　origininfluences；
moreover；　which　it　was　hard　for　ordinary　observers　to　appreciate。



CHAPTER　III：　　PARLIAMENTARIAN



Mr。　Gladstone　sat　for　sixty…three　years　in　Parliament；　and　for　more
than　twenty…six　years　was　the　leader　of　his　party；　and　therefore　the
central　figure　of　English　politics。　　As　has　been　said；　he　began　as　a
high　Tory；　remained　about　fifteen　years　in　that　camp；　was　then　led
by　the　split　between　Peel　and　the　protectionists　to　take　up　an
intermediate　position；　and　finally　was　forced　to　cast　in　his　lot
with　the　Liberals；　for　in　England；　as　in　America；　third　parties
seldom　endure。　　No　parliamentary　career　in　English　annals　is
comparable　to　his　for　its　length　and　variety；　and　of　those　who　saw
its　close　in　the　House　of　Commons；　there　was　only　one　man；　Mr。
Villiers　（who　died　in　January；　1898）；　who　could　remember　its
beginning。　　He　had　been　opposed　in　1833　to　men　who　might　have　been
his　grandfathers；　he　was　opposed　in　1893　to　men　who　might　have　been
his　grandchildren。　　In　a　sketch　like　this；　it　is　impossible　to
describe　or　comment　on　the　events　of　such　a　life。　　All　that　can　be
done　is　to　indicate　the　more　salient　characteristics　which　a　study
of　his　career　as　a　statesman　and　a　parliamentarian　sets　before　us。

The　most　remarkable　of　these　characteristics　is　the　sustained
freshness；　openness；　eagerness　of　mind；　which　he　preserved　down　to
the　end　of　his　life。　　Most　of　us；　just　as　we　make　few　intimate
friends；　so　we　form　few　new　opinions　after　thirty…five。
Intellectual　curiosity　may　remain　fresh　and　strong　even　after　fifty；
but　its　range　steadily　narrows　as　one　abandons　the　hope　of　attaining
any　thorough　knowledge　of　subjects　other　than　those　which　make　the
main　business　of　one's　life。　　One　cannot　follow　the　progress　of　all
the　new　ideas　that　are　set　afloat　in　the　world。　　One　cannot　be
always　examining　the　foundations　of　one's　political　or　religious
beliefs。　　Repeated　disappointments　and　disillusionments　make　a　man
expect　less　from　changes　the　older　he　grows；　and　mere　indolence　adds
its　influence　in　deterring　us　from　entering　upon　new　enterprises。
None　of　these　causes　seemed　to　affect　Mr。　Gladstone。　　He　was　as　much
excited　over　a　new　book　（such　as　Cardinal　Manning's　Life）　at　eighty…
six　as　when　at　fourteen　he　insisted　on　compelling　little　Arthur
Stanley　（afterward　Dean　of　Westminster；　and　then　aged　nine）　to
procure　Gray's　poems；　which　he　had　just　perused　himself。　　His
reading　covered　almost　the　whole　field　of　literature；　except
physical　and　mathematical　science。　　While　frequently　declaring　that
he　must　confine　his　political　thinking　and　leadership　to　a　few
subjects；　he　was　so　observant　of　the　movements　of　opinion　that　the
course　of　talk　brought　up　scarcely　any　topic　in　which　he　did　not
seem　to　know　what　was　the　latest　thing　that　had　been　said　or　done。
Neither　the　lassitude　nor　the　prejudices　common　in　old　age　prevented
him　from　giving　a　fair　consideration　to　any　new　doctrines。　　But
though　his　intellect　was　restlessly　at　work；　and　though　his　eager
curiosity　disposed　him　to　relish　novelties；　except　in　theology；　that
bottom　rock　in　his　mind　of　caution　and　reserve；　which　has　already
been　referred　to；　made　him　refuse　to　part　with　old　views　even　when
he　was　beginning　to　accept　new　ones。　　He　allowed　both　to　〃lie　on　the
table〃　together；　and　while　declaring　his　mind　to　be　open　to
conviction；　he　felt　it　safer　to　speak　and　act　on　the　old　lines　till
the　process　of　conviction　had　been　completed。　　It　took　fourteen
years；　from　1846　to　1860；　to　carry　him　from　the　Conservative　into
the　Liberal　camp。　　It　took　five　stormy　years　to　bring　him　round　to
Irish　home　rule；　though　his　mind　was　constantly　occupied　with　the
subject　from　1880　to　1885；　and　those　who　watched　him　closely　saw
that　the　process　had　advanced　some　considerable　way　even　in　1881。
And　as　regards　ecclesiastical　establishments；　having　written　a　book
in　1838　as　a　warm　advocate　of　state　churches；　it　was　not　till　1867
that　he　adopted　the　policy　of　disestablishment　for　Ireland；　not　till
1890　that　he　declared　himself　ready　to　apply　it　in　Wales　and
Scotland　also。

Both　these　qualitieshis　disposition　to　revise　his　opinions　in　the
light　of　new　arguments　and　changing　conditions；　and　the　reticence　he
maintained　till　the　process　of　revision　had　been　completedexposed
him　to　misconstruction。　　Commonplace　men；　unwont　to　give　serious
scrutiny　to　their　opinions；　ascribed　his　changes　to　self…interest；
or　at　best　regarded　them　as　the　index　of　an　unstable　mind。　　Dull　men
could　not　understand　why　he　should　have　forborne　to　set　forth　all
that　was　passing　in　his　mind；　and　saw　little　difference　between
reticence　and　dishonesty。　　Much　of　the　suspicion　and　even　fear　with
which　he　was　regarded；　especially　after　1885；　arose　from　the　idea
that　it　was　impossible　to　predict　what　he　would　do　next；　and　how　far
his　openness　of　mind　would　carry　him。　　In　so　far　as　they　tended　to
shake　public　confidence；　these　characteristics　injured　him　in　his
statesman's　work；　but　the　loss　was　far　outweighed　by　the　gain。　　In　a
country　where　opinion　is　active　and　changeful；　where　the　economic
conditions　that　legislation　has　to　deal　with　are　in　a　state　of
perpetual　flux；　where　the　balance　of　power　between　the　upper　and
middle　and　poorer　classes　has　been　swiftly　altering　during　the　last
sixty　years；　no　statesman　can　continue　to　serve　the　public　if　he
adheres　obstinately　to　the　views　with　which　he　started　in　life。　　He
mustunless；　of　course；　he　stands　aloof　in　permanent　opposition
either　submit　to　advocate　measures　he　secretly　mislikes；　or　else
must　keep　himself　always　ready　to　learn　from　events；　and　to
reconsider　his　opinions　in　the　light　of　emergent　tendencies　and
insistent　facts。　　Mr。　Gladstone's　pride　as　well　as　his　conscience
forbade　the　former　alternative；　it　was　fortunate　that　the
inexhaustible　activity　of　his　intellect　made　the　latter　natural　to
him。　　He　was　accustomed　to　say　that　the　great　mistake　of　his　earlier
views　had　been　in　not　sufficiently　recognizing　the　worth　and　power
of　liberty；　and　the　tendency　which　things　have　to　work　out　for　good
when　left　to　themselves。　　The　application　of　this　principle　gave
room　for　many　developments；　and　many　developments　there　were。　　He
may　have　wanted　that　prescience　which　is；　after　integrity；　the
highest　gift　of　a　statesman；　but　which　is　almost　impossible　to　a　man
so　pressed　by　the　constant　and　engrossing　occupations　of　an　English
minister　that　he　cannot　find　time　for　the　patient　study　and　thought
from　which　alone　sound　forecasts　can　issue。　　But　he　had　the　next
best　quality；　that　of　always　learning　from　the　events　which　passed
under　his　eyes。

With　this　singular　openness　and　flexibility　of　mind；　there　went　a
not　less　remarkable　ingenuity　and　resourcefulness。　　His　mind　was
fertile　in　expedients；　and　still　more　fertile　in　reasonings　by　which
to　recommend　the　expedients。　　This　gift　was　often　dangerous；　for　he
was　apt　to　be　carried　away　by　the　dexterity　of　his　own　dialectic；
and　to　think　schemes　substantially　good　in　whose　support　he　could
muster　so　formidable　an　array　of　arguments。　　He　never　seemed　to　be
at　a　loss；　in　public　or　private；　for　a　criticism；　or　for　an　answer
to　the　criticisms　of　others。　　If　his　power　of