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    330 THE LEADEE. [No. 315, Saturday.

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    A POLITICAL STUDENT. The European Revolu...

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    Hours With The Mystics. Hours With The M...

    "THE "P & TXTTCXL TjTFE OF 'SHI ^ ROBERT ppEEL . SHfc . Political Life qf Sir Robert Peel , Bart . Art AruUytical Biography . By Thomas © oubleday , author of The Financial History of England . 2 vols . Smitb , Elder , and Co 3 LtBT : all readers , before they take in band the personal memoirs of Sir Robert iPeel , announced by Mr . Murray , peruse the preparatory volumes of Mr . Doubleday . In these , the statesman ' s character and public acts are seriously Analysed , in the spirit nehrher of a detractor nor of a panegyrist . Mr . © oubleday does not exaggerate his own impartiality -when he avows tnat he fe beyond the reach of political passion . His work is a grave , critical review , tibt wee from theoretical bias , or from dogmatism , but altogether without ¦ harshness , violence , or illiberality . Its principal fault results from the

    mental habits of the writer , who has so far identified nimself with questions of political economy , currency , and finance , that his special subjects perpetually 'Crop out , obscuring others of proportionate interest . There is no doubt that Sir ^ Robert Peel ' s name is associated with great economical discussions ; but it was associated also with others , to some of which Mr . Doubleday does ¦ aot-attribute their legitimate importance . Entering largely into the history of ^ Catholic E ma ncipation , his narrative of the Reform Movement , like all other narratives that we have seen , is colourless and meagre . Even the Corn Law agitation suggests only a sketch and a summary , though , inasmuch as it concerned the political life of Sir Robert Peel , it is proba bly developed with all necessary amplitude and minuteness . We would by no means

    undervalue Mr . Doubleday ' s - work because it is not a history of the half century represented by Sir Robert Peel ' s career . The exigences of his plan , —and his plan , depended on his limits—forced him to introduce only in a passing way the names of other statesmen who also rose at the same period and acted in the same scene . His portraiture is strictly of & ir Robert Peel , mot of the group of statesmen among whom Peel held a foremost place , though , as they all operated more or less on the political events of the epoch , their characters and opinions are touched from time to time , and insome instances , with extraordinary sharpness and decision . But Mr . Doubleday never writes for -effect . His style is invariably cold , lucid , logical , as the style of a political ^ biographer should be * , The book , therefore , may be recommended as an admirable study for ow younger race of politicians .

    Sir Robert Peel is often quoted / by foreigners as an example of the democratic tendencies of the English nation . They see this son of a cotton-spinner sent for from Florence to be made Prime Minister of England , and the moral deduced is , that any man possessed of distinguished abilities may rise from whatever station to political rank and power . But the Peels were a fortunate family , and , without disparaging the talents of the man who made the Duke of Wellington his official subordinate , it is necessary to take into the account the prodigious facilities of his position . His father had been made a baronet toy Pitt , had been among the first to take advantage of the invention of Jniiachinery for cotton-manufactures , had acquired enormous influence in his ¦ county , sat in Parliament , and when his son , after an Eton and Oxford

    training , was twenty-One years of age , sent him into the House of Commons unpledged , uncompromised , to finish his education . There he took his place , heir to a baronetage and nearly a million of money , listening to orations on economy by-Horner , Huskisson , and Brougham ,, with Perceval as Premier , tie Tories in the ascendant , Canning labouring with ambition , Sheridan still flickering on the opposition benches , Tieraey voluble and audacious , Romillv j ^ v ho never debated , but advised , and . Burdett concentrating in himself the opinions of Home Tooke and William Cobbett . The elder Peel being a 5 Bory , the younger Peel , of course , was a Tory also , with the gloss of Oxford in . addition . His father , who understood better how to develope the faculties of children in cotton-mills , than to guide a young man to political distinction , made some injudicious displays of confidence in the talents of his son , andthetalents of his son were naturally suspected . Atthe same time ashowv

    young lord , intituled Palmerston , entered the House , with friendly prophesies offame about bim , and Mr . Peel began his career , doubted , but not unnoticed . Observe the rapidity of his successes ; how he found a position made for him by his father . He entered Parliament in 1809 ; in the session of 1810 he was marked as a rising new member on the ministerial side , by having to second the address to the Throne . Fortunately , the mover not only spoke badly , but broke down , so that the seconde / s elegant fluency secured the cheers of the House . He was not so happy when he next , of his own impulse , ventured into a political discussion . He undertook to defend the Walcheren expedition . But , in 1811 , Mr . Perceval gave him the postof Undersecretary for the Colonies , -which , at that time , could be filled by any man of ^ ound practical sense , for Great Britain was the only colonial power ; her aenendencies w ; ere contented , peaceable , and had been safe from the visitations £ * J « l « mu . a « . A * Ma * _ '• "J ^^ T "m ~ _ since iNeison

    *^ . **^ * yx , me . grenc Uiurupcan war ever hart swept the last French fleet off the seas at Trafalgar . One cause of the particular influence of the Peel fiftmdy was this :-r-that they represented the manufacturing interest which never till then had competed with that of , fche land . Mr . Perceval , anxious to Conciliate this new political power , availed himself of every opportunity to attach the elder Peel to his party , by promoting the younger . But his career d ^ ewto a close r Bellingham ' s pistol-shot in the lobby of the House of Commons struck down the minister nnd dissolved the ministry . The now admmistRation

    . under Lord Liverpool did not forget the young debater as conspicuous for his serious judgment as for family influence . He was appointed , in his twenty-fourth year , Chief Secretary for Ireland , then distracted J > y the collision of the Catholic national interest with the petty Protcstnnt sgjcendancy . The Irish punsters , of course , did not omit to call him Orange reel , andiuj was certainly as stubborn and bigotted as Lord Liverpool could desire . O'Connell was in the arena , with ruthless , almost brutal oratory , and feel retorted in that style of ponderous ridiculewith which he afterwards tried to confound the irrefutable Cobbott .

    Mr . © oubleday analyses minutely the circumstances which led to the imposition oi the Com Law of 1855 , confesses that Mr . Peel ' s Irish policy was ajmere doctoring of symptoms , and illustrates forcibly the ignorance of the IISK f Bt * t

    manufacturers over apprentices and parish children . Sometimesthese wretch ^ slaves of the loom were sent two or three hundred miles from their placeofbirth and separated for life from their parents . With a bankrupt ' s effects a « ew ' of them was frequently put up for sale . In one instance , a Lancashire mann facturer agreed with a London parish < to take one idiot with every twentv sound children . In another , a master , to punish the contumacy of a eiH employed in his works stifled her in a heated oven . Certainly , here were grounds for parliamentary interference ; but Sir Robert Peel ' s views have never been , to this hour , practically and systematically developed . His son ' s advancement , however , continued without interruption . In 1818 , he took advantage of the Eldon and Liverpool influence , to be returned as member for Oxford , after which , with equivocal gratitude , he deserted the administrafciori

    -The administration tottered , not because he had left it , for he left it be cause it tottered , and Mr . Peel , now " the Right Honourable , " was saluted by the independent members , and elected Chairman of the Second Bullion Committee , of which Mr . Ricardo was the master-spirit . At this point his financial policy assumed a distinct character , and here Mr . Doubleday diverges , not forgetting in his peroration to protest against the Cashpayments Act , attributable , he says , not to the late "Sir Robert Peel , but to Mr . David Ricardo . Peel , now thirty-one years of age , was no longer the supplement of his father , who opposed him on the gold debate . The

    resolutions and the act were carried : but whether salutary or pernicious , they could have no immediate effect on a country suffering in its industry , in its trade , in its harvests ; and the Manchester massacre came as a commentary on the fallacies of legislation . Peel was the political volunteer who addressed to the House of Commons the apology of this illegal and ferocious act . He was never moved by liberal sympathies ; he was cold , always thought himself cautious , invariably adopted the winning cause . In the quarrel between George the Fourth and Queen Caroline lie took no part , thereby offending both sides . He resisted the Catholic relief Bill until concession became a

    political necessity , and then took the lead of the party he had been opposing . When Canning , after a life of feverish political cupidity , became Premier , and induced the puke of Clarence to become his Lord High Admiral , as Lord Eldon induced the Duke of York to become his spokesman in the Peers . Hansard says : — " The House was crowded to excess ; and such of the members as could not find accommodation below , resorted to the galleries . To these were added several peers and reverend prelates , whose curiosity had induced them to be present at this opening aofc of the new administration . The Bishops of Bath , and Wella and of Lichfield a , nd Coventry sat in the right hand gallery , and near them the Duke of Norfolkthe Earl

    , Fitzwiiliam , a » d Lord Seaford , whilst in the opposite gallery were observed the Marquisses Aylesbury and Sligo , the Earls CWper , Hardwicke , Darnley , Caernarvon and Roden , and Lords Bexley , Farnham , and Ravensworth About five o ' clock Mr . Canning entered , and took the seat which , lie usually occupied . Immediately behind him sat Sir Francis Burdett and Mr . Tieruey . Mr . Brougham walked up the ministerial side , and took his seat on the third of that side . Near-him eat Mr . Calcraft , Sir John Newport , and Lord Stanley and Robers Wilsoia , and Mr . Spring Rice . Mr . Hobhouse retained his seat on the second opposition "bench , and Mr . Hume remained firm in that he has generally occupied . Mr . Peel and Mr . Goulbourn took up their stations on the second roTV of seats between the treasury bench and the bar /'

    It was the object of Sir Francis Burdett and the Whi gs to break up the Tory phalanx , of Peel to damage Canning and get his pi ace , of Canning to compel the support of the Tories , by taking up violenty all the principles of the Tory programme . As there have been one or two questions asked me , I trust the House will extend its indulgence to me whilst I briefly answer them . I am asked what I mean to do on the subject of Parliamentary Reform ? Why , I say to oppose it to the end of my life in this House , under whatever shape it may appear . ( Cheers . ) I am asked what I intend to do as to tlie Teat Act ? I say to oppose it . ( Cheers . ) Mr- Doubleday says that Mr . Canning's whole character partook of the selfish and the superficial . He does not say the same of Sir Robert Peel , because Peel , though he never became the champion of a half-deserted cause ,

    always gave way to an irresistible public opinion on public grounds , without reckoning the supporters he should lose , or the strength he should give his adversaries . It was not his practice to revile the advocates of Emancipation or Reform as Jacobites or Jacobins , as " a Papistical crew , " or as < 4 a revolutionary gang . " These terms were left to peers and sons of peers . It was only when he had to deal with an Irishman or Cobbett that lie became furious , insolent , and unmannerly . As his experience increased , he learned to modify his method of advocacy and of opposition , conscious , perhaps , that he might have to change sides , and expose himself to those charges of inconsistency which he once levelled so bitterly at Wellesley Pole . At one time , alarmed by a proposal to admit the Jews" Parliament , he afterwards taunted the

    bigots who " would visit the sins of the fathers on the children . " The question , of Reform once settled , lie refused to disturb it . . Emancipation once granted , ho never listened to any reactionary schemes . From iirst to last he was a watchful , rather than a reflective ! statesman ; it was at no time his fortune to maUc the dispositions of a political battle . He often led the victory j but lie never bore the heat and burden of the conflict . This analytical biography is a work of great merit , conscientiously propared , . plain , clear , and practically interesting . It is not Mr . Uoubledny ' a moat original production ; but . it is the one that exhibits , most prominently , his peculiar talents , which are those of a thoughtful , reasoning , . dispassionate narrator , qualified by large investigations to deal with the variations of ft statesman ' s policy .

    330 The Leadee. [No. 315, Saturday.

    330 THE LEADEE . [ No . 315 , Saturday .

    A Political Student. The European Revolu...

    A POLITICAL STUDENT . The European Revolutions of 1848 . By E . S . Onyloy . 2 Vols . Smith niul ICklor . Win . Caylic y ' s volumes consist of a loose compilation from a few historical fragments , pamphlets , and periodicals . He has so little confidence in hia authorities that , ho never cites them . Therefore , for purposes of reference , the book is worthless . As a summary it is confused , disjointed , bo seldom accurate , and so invariably partial , that it must be taken only ns » theme by a raw student , who is at once ignorant of historical method nml destitute of historical faculty . A genoral review of the events of 1848 might , in many

• Citation
  • Leader (1850-1860), April 5, 1856, page 18, in the Nineteenth-Century Serials Edition (2008; 2018) ncse-os.kdl.kcl.ac.uk/periodicals/l/issues/cld_05041856/page/18/