The imposing demonstration which closed the official career of Lord
Aberdeen in Ireland was doubtless more than a personal tribute; it had a political aspect as well. Bat a personal tribute it unquestionably was, of a very genuine and unusual character. Whatever may have been the chief motive of its original promoters, it is undeniable that it owed a large, pro- bably the largest, part of its enthusiasm to the extraordinary impression which Lord and Lady Aberdeen have made upon the imaginations and affections of the Irish people, quite irrespective of creed or party. Many of the crowd, for example, wore ivy, the badge of the Gordons. The Tory Irish Times has frankly acknow- ledged Lord Aberdeen's successful endeavour "to dwell more upon his duties as the representative of her Majesty than upon the indirect connection of the Viceroy with a political party ;" and it rightly attributes the extraordinary display of popular feeling at the Viceroy's departure to the personal qualities by means of which "the Earl of Aberdeen has acquired a title to the permanent esteem of many Irishmen who hold the strongest opinions in opposition to Mr. Glad- stone and his scheme." The truth is, the Irish are quick judges of character, and they saw in Lord and Lady Aberdeen genuine friends of Ireland who went about doing goocl without ostentation, and with unwearied sympathy for all who, needed help. "Come back to Erin ;" "The hope of return takes the sting out of adieu ;" "God bless the Countess,"—these were the most frequent mottoes and cries in Tuesday's pageant,. —a pageant in which staunch Tories joined by farewell greetings, from many a window along the route to the station. Even the- Tory Kildare Street Club could not resist the contagion. Lord Aberdeen has more than justified our prediction of his success in Ireland ; and he would be the first to acknowledge that no. small part of that success is due to the ability, tact, and personal influence with which Lady Aberdeen helped him to make so many friends and to avoid making a single enemy.
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