The Life of William Ewart Gladstone, Volume 2Macmillan and Company, limited, 1903 - 418 pages On May 20, after eight-and-forty years of strenuous public life, Mr. Gladstone met his twelfth parliament, and the second in which he had been chief minister of the crown. "At 4.15," he records, "I went down to the House with Herbert. There was a great and fervent crowd in Palace Yard, and much feeling in the House. It almost overpowered me, as I thought by what deep and hidden agencies I have been brought back into the midst of the vortex of political action and contention. It has not been in my power during these last six months to have made notes, as I would have wished, of my own thoughts and observations from time to time; of the new access of strength which in some important respects has been administered to me in my old age; and of the remarkable manner in which Holy Scripture has been applied to me for admonition and for comfort. Looking calmly on this course of experience, I do believe that the Almighty has employed me for His purposes in a manner larger or more special than before, and has strengthened me and led me on accordingly, though I must not forget the [pg 002] admirable saying of Hooker, that even ministers of good things are like torches, a light to others, waste and destruction to themselves." |
Other editions - View all
Common terms and phrases
affairs April archbishop Argyll asked believe Bishop BOOK British budget cabinet Cardwell chancellor CHAP Cobden colleagues course declaration Disraeli Duke Duke of Argyll Emperor England Europe exchequer expenditure favour feeling finance foreign France franchise French friends Garibaldi Glad Gladstone wrote Gladstone's Hawarden honour hope House of Commons House of Lords interest Ireland Irish church Italian Italy July leader letter liberal Lord Aberdeen Lord Derby Lord Granville Lord John Lord John Russell Lord Palmerston Lord Russell Majesty majority matter measure ment mind never night opinion paper duty parliament parliamentary party peace political popular prime minister Prince principle proceedings proposed Queen question replied resignation Russia seemed sense speech spirit spoke things thought tion to-day told tory treaty vote whigs whole Windsor words writes
Popular passages
Page 522 - It is easy in the world to live after the world's opinion ; it is easy in solitude to live after our own ; but the great man is he who in the midst of the crowd keeps with perfect sweetness the independence of solitude.
Page 401 - Alabama claims. And whereas Her Britannic Majesty has authorized her High Commissioners and Plenipotentiaries to express in a friendly spirit the regret felt by Her Majesty's Government for the escape, under whatever circumstances, of the Alabama and other vessels from British ports, and for the depredations committed by those vessels.
Page 143 - And they shall fight against thee; but they shall not prevail against thee ; for I am with thee, saith the LORD, to deliver thee.
Page 77 - We may have our own opinions about slavery; we may be for or against the South; but there is no doubt that Jefferson Davis and other leaders of the South have made an army; they are making, it appears, a navy; and they have made, what is more than either, they have made a nation.
Page 471 - For nearly five years," he wrote, "the present ministers have harassed every trade, worried every profession, and assailed or menaced every class, institution and species of property in the country. Occasionally they have varied this state of civil warfare by perpetrating some job which outraged public opinion or by stumbling into mistakes which have always been discreditable and sometimes ruinous.
Page 387 - Empire shall not be destroyed, and in my opinion no minister in this country will do his duty who neglects any opportunity of reconstructing as much as possible our Colonial Empire, and of responding to those distant sympathies which may become the source of incalculable strength and happiness to this land.
Page 387 - But self-government, in my opinion, when it was conceded, ought to have been conceded as part of a great policy of Imperial consolidation. It ought to have been accompanied by an Imperial tariff, by securities, for the people of England for the enjoyment of the unappropriated lands which belonged to the Sovereign as their trustee...
Page 75 - I agree with you that the time is come for offering mediation to the United States Government with a view to the recognition of the independence of the Confederates. I agree further that in case of failure, we ought ourselves to recognize the Southern States as an independent State.
Page 554 - She is not a country that, when she enters into a campaign has to ask herself whether she can support a second or a third campaign . She enters into a campaign which she will not terminate till right is done.
Page 329 - Success, however, essentially depends upon the impression which the origination of the war makes upon us and others ; it is important that we should be the party attacked...