william ewart gladstone-第4节

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he　was　too　excitable；　too　impulsive；　too　much　absorbed　in　his　own
ideas；　too　unversed　in　the　arts　by　which　individuals　are
conciliated。　　But　when；　after　twenty…five　years　of　his　unquestioned
reign；　the　time　for　his　own　departure　drew　nigh；　men　asked　how　the
Liberal　party　in　the　House　of　Commons　would　ever　hold　together　after
it　had　lost　a　leader　of　such　consummate　capacity。　　Seldom　has　a
prediction　been　more　utterly　falsified　than　that　of　the　Whig　critics
of　1864。　　They　had　grown　so　accustomed　to　Palmerston's　way　of
handling　the　House　as　to　forget　that　a　man　might　succeed　by　quite
different　methods。　　And　they　forgot　also　that　a　man　may　have　many
defects　and　yet　in　spite　of　them　be　incomparably　the　fittest　for　a
great　place。

Mr。　Gladstone　had　the　defects　that　were　ascribed　to　him。　　His
impulsiveness　sometimes　betrayed　him　into　declarations　which　a
cooler　man　would　have　abstained　from。　　The　second　reading　of　the
Irish　Home…Rule　Bill　of　1886　would　probably　have　been　carried　had　he
not　been　goaded　by　his　opponents　into　words　which　seemed　to　recall
or　modify　the　concessions　he　had　announced　at　a　meeting　of　the
Liberal　party　held　just　before。　　More　than　once　precious　time　was
wasted　in　useless　debates　because　his　antagonists；　knowing　his
excitable　temper；　brought　on　discussions　with　the　sole　object　of
annoying　him　and　drawing　from　him　some　hasty　deliverance。　　Nor　was
he　an　adept；　like　Disraeli　and　Sir　John　A。　Macdonald；　in　the
management　of　individuals。　　He　had　a　contempt　for　the　meaner　side　of
human　nature　which　made　him　refuse　to　play　upon　it。　　He　had
comparatively　little　sympathy　with　many　of　the　pursuits　which
attract　ordinary　men；　and　he　was　too　constantly　engrossed　by　the
subjects　of　enterprises　which　specially　appealed　to　him　to　have
leisure　for　the　lighter　but　often　very　important　devices　of
political　strategy。　　A　trifling　anecdote；　which　was　told　in　London
about　twenty…five　years　ago；　may　illustrate　this　characteristic。
Mr。　Delane；　then　editor　of　the　〃Times；〃　had　been　invited　to　meet　the
prime　minister　at　a　moment　when　the　support　of　the　〃Times〃　would
have　been　specially　valuable　to　the　Liberal　government。　　Instead　of
using　the　opportunity　to　set　forth　his　policy　and　invite　an　opinion
on　it；　Mr。　Gladstone　talked　the　whole　time　of　dinner　upon　the
question　of　the　exhaustion　of　the　English　coal…beds；　to　the　surprise
of　the　company　and　the　unconcealed　annoyance　of　the　powerful　guest。
It　was　the　subject　then　uppermost　in　his　mind；　and　he　either　did　not
think　of　winning　Mr。　Delane　or　disdained　to　do　so。　　In　the　House　of
Commons　he　was　entirely　free　from　airs；　or；　indeed；　from　any　sort　of
assumption　of　superiority。　　The　youngest　member　might　accost　him　in
the　lobby　and　be　listened　to　with　perfect　courtesy。　　But　he　seldom
addressed　any　one　outside　his　own　very　small　group　of　friends；　and
more　than　once　made　enemies　by　omitting　to　notice　and　show　some
attention　to　members　of　his　party　who；　having　been　eminent　in　their
own　towns；　expected　to　be　made　much　of　when　they　entered　Parliament。
Having　himself　plenty　of　pride　and　comparatively　little　vanity；　he
never　realized　the　extent　to　which；　and　the　cheapness　with　which；
men　can　be　captured　and　used　through　their　vanity。　　And　his　mind；
flexible　as　it　was　in　seizing　new　points　of　view　and　devising
expedients　to　meet　new　circumstances；　did　not　easily　enter　into　the
characters　of　other　men。　　Ideas　and　causes　interested　him　more　than
personal　traits　did；　his　sympathy　was　keener　and　stronger　for　the
sufferings　of　nations　or　masses　of　men　than　with　the　fortunes　of　a
particular　person。　　With　all　his　accessibility　and　immensely　wide
circle　of　acquaintances；　he　was　at　bottom　a　man　chary　of　real
friendship；　while　the　circle　of　his　intimates　became　constantly
smaller　with　advancing　years。

So　it　befell　that　though　his　popularity　among　the　general　body　of
his　adherents　went　on　increasing；　and　the　admiration　of　his
parliamentary　followers　remained　undiminished；　he　had　few　intimate
friends；　few　men　in　the　House　of　Commons　who　linked　him　to　the　party
at　large　and　rendered　to　him　those　confidential　personal　services
which　count　for　much　in　keeping　a　party　in　hearty　accord　and
enabling　the　commander　to　gage　the　sentiment　of　his　troops。　　Thus
adherents　were　lost　who　turned　into　dangerous　foeslost　for　the
want　not　so　much　of　tact　as　of　a　sense　for　the　need　and　use　of　tact
in　humoring　and　managing　men。

If；　however；　we　speak　of　parliamentary　strategy　in　its　larger　sense；
as　covering　familiarity　with　parliamentary　forms　and　usages；　the
powers　of　seizing　a　parliamentary　situation　and　knowing　how　to　deal
with　it；　the　art　of　guiding　a　debate　and　choosing　the　right　moment
for　reserve　and　for　openness；　for　a　dignified　retreat；　for　a
watchful　defense；　for　a　sudden　rattling　charge　upon　the　enemy；　no
one　had　a　fuller　mastery　of　it。　　His　recollection　of　precedents　was
unrivaled；　for　it　began　in　1833　with　the　first　reformed　Parliament；
and　it　seemed　as　fresh　for　those　remote　days　as　for　last　month。　　He
enjoyed　combat　for　its　own　sake；　not　so　much　from　any　inborn
pugnacity；　for　he　was　not　disputatious　in　ordinary　conversation；　as
because　it　called　out　his　fighting　force　and　stimulated　his　whole
nature。　　〃I　am　never　nervous　in　reply；〃　he　once　said；　〃though　I　am
sometimes　nervous　in　opening　a　debate。〃　　And　although　his
impetuosity　sometimes　betrayed　him　into　imprudence　when　he　was　taken
unawares；　no　one　could　be　more　wary　or　guarded　when　a　crisis　arrived
whose　gravity　he　had　foreseen。　　In　the　summer　of　1881　the　House　of
Lords　made　some　amendments　to　the　Irish　Land　Bill　which　were　deemed
ruinous　to　the　working　of　the　measure；　and　therewith　to　the
prospects　of　the　pacification　of　Ireland。　　A　conflict　was　expected
which　might　have　strained　the　fabric　of　the　constitution。　　The
excitement　which　quickly　arose　in　Parliament　spread　to　the　whole
nation。　　Mr。　Gladstone　alone　remained　calm　and　confident。　　He
devised　a　series　of　compromises；　which　he　advocated　in　conciliatory
speeches。　　He　so　played　his　game　that　by　a　few　minor　concessions　he
secured　nearly　all　of　the　points　he　cared　for；　and；　while　sparing
the　dignity　of　the　Lords；　steered　his　bill　triumphantly　out　of　the
breakers　which　had　threatened　to　engulf　it。　　Very　different　was　his
ordinary　demeanor　in　debate　when　he　was　off　his　guard。　　Observers
have　often　described　how　his　face　and　gestures　while　he　sat　in　the
House　of　Commons　listening　to　an　opponent　would　express　all　the
emotions　that　crossed　his　mind；　with　what　eagerness　he　would　follow
every　sentence；　sometimes　contradicting　half　aloud；　sometimes
turning　to　his　next　neighbor　to　express　his　displeasure　at　the
groundless　allegations　or　fallacious　arguments　he　was　listening　to；
till　at　last　he　would　spring　to　his　feet　and　deliver　a　passionate
reply。　　His　warmth　would　often　be　in　excess　of　what　the　occasion
required；　and　quite　disproportioned　to　the　importance　of　his
antagonist。　　It　was　in　fact　the　unimportance　of　the　occasion　that
made　him　thus　yield　to　his　feeling。　　As　soon　as　he　saw　that　bad
weather　was　coming；　and　that　careful　seamanship　was　wanted；　his
coolness　returned；　his　language　became　guarded　and　careful；　and
passion；　though　it　might　increase　the　force　of　his　oratory；　never
made　him　deviate　a　hand's　breadth　from　the　course　he　had　chosen。



CHAPTER　IV：　　ORATOR



Of　that　oratory；　something　must　now　be　said。　　By　it　he　rose　to　fame
and　power；　as；　indeed；　by　it　most　English　statesmen　have　risen；　save
those　to　whom　wealth　and　rank　and　family　connections　have　given　a
sort　of　presumptive　claim　to　high　office；　like　the　Cavendishes　and
the　Russells；　the　Cecils　and　the　Bentincks。　　And　for　many　years；
during　which　Mr。　Gladstone　was　distrusted　as　a　statesman　because；
while　he　had　ceased　to　be　a　Tory；　he　had　not　fully　become　a　Liberal；
his　eloquence　was　the　main；　one　might　almost　say　the　sole；　source　of
his　influence。　　Oratory　was　a　power　in　English　politics　even　a
century　and　a　half　ago；　as　the　career　of　the　elder　Pitt　shows。　　But
within　the　last　fifty　years；　years　which　have　seen　the　power　of　rank
and　family　connections　decline；　it　has　continued　to　be　essential　to
the　highest　success　although　much　less　cultivated　as　a　fine　art；　and
brings　a　man　quickly　to　the　front；　though　it　will　not　keep　him　there
should　he　prove　to　want　the　other　branches　of　statesmanlike
capacity。

The　permanent　reputation　of　an　orator　depends　upon　two　things；　the
witness　of　contemporaries　to　the　impression　produced　upon　them；　and
the　written　or　printedwe　may；　perhaps；　be　soon　able　to　say　the
phonographedrecord　of　his　speeches。　　Few　are　the　famous　speakers
who　would　be　famous　if　they　were　tried　by　this　latter　test　alone；
and　Mr。　Gladstone　was　not　one　of　them。　　It　is　only　by　a　rare
combination　of　gifts　that　one　who　speaks　with　so　much　readiness；
force；　and　brilliance　as　to　charm　his　listeners　is　also　able　to
deliver　such　valuable　thoughts　in　such　choice　words　that　posterity
will　read　them　as　literature。　　Some　few　of　the　ancient　orators　did
this；　but　we　seldom　know　how　far　those　of　their　speeches　which　have
been　preserved　are　the　speeches　which　they　actually　delivered。
Among　moderns；　some　French　preachers；　Edmund　B