At Presteign, Radnorshire, on Saturday last the Duke of Devonshire
made a speech which, though devoted mainly to education, contained a personal passage of considerable interest. He began by a retrospect which he said could not but remind him "that he had already had a much longer political life than fell to the share of most men, and that the time must be very nearly approaching, if it had not already arrived, when it would be necessary for him to think of malrinz; room for younger and more active men." It was impossible, he went on, to indulge in such a retrospect without being struck by "the great and extraordinary forbear- ance and confidence which were manifested by the people of this country towards their public men." He had not always been on what had appeared to be, at the moment, the popular side. "But whether as a Liberal statesman advo- cating popular measures, or whether as a Minister putting the integrity of the Empire before all other considerations, he had met with, on the part of his fellow-countrymen, the same measure of forbearance, the same measure of appreciation of the sincerity and good faith of his action ; and for that con- fidence and forbearance he took that opportunity of ten- dering his warmest thanks." There is something very noble as well as very touching in these proudly simple words. We can only say we are sincerely glad to think the public were wrong in their first impression that the Duke of Devonshire meant to foreshadow his early retirement. His wise judgment, his high sense of public duty, his entire want of personal ambition, and his absolute inability to feel rancour are qualities which can ill be spared.
Previous page
