Lord Granville, the President of the City Liberal Club,. made
a remarkable little speech on Thursday, after the unveil- ing of the statue of Mr. Gladstone which has been pro- duced by Mr. E. Ouslow Ford, and presented to the club- by a number of its members :—" There is one point," said Lord Granville, "and one point only, on which I could speak with rather more authority than any one present._ I have served with several Prime Ministers, men for whom I have had the highest respect, and I may add, the greatest attachment; but I can say this, that I never knew one who" showed a finer temper, a greater patience, or more consider- ation for his colleagues than Mr. Gladstone, in all deliberations- upon any important subject. In his official position, with his- knowledge, with his ability, with the wonderful power of work which characterises him, he, of course, has immense influence- upon the deliberations of the Cabinet; but notwithstanding his. tenacity of purpose and his earnestness, it is quite extraordinary how he attends to the arguments of all, and how, except on any question of really vital importance, he is ready to yield his own opinion to the general sense of the colleagues over whom he- presides." That, coming from Lord Granville, is very remark- able testimony, though testimony which we should have abso- lutely anticipated. The Tory tradition of Mr. Gladstone as the- most arbitrary and imperious of statesmen is entirely over- thrown by Lord Granville ; but the Tory tradition will survive overthrowing, all the same. It is founded on that manifold root- of all popular error,—the wish to believe it.
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