26 OCTOBER 1901, Page 2

Mr. Morley on Wednesday unveiled a statue of Mr. Glad-

stone at Manchester, and pronounced a magnificent eulogy on its original. Indeed, it was a little too magnificent. Opinion about Mr. Gladstone has, even with his admirers, reached the critical stage, and unbroken eulogy, though delivered with Mr. Morley's admirable literary power, has an effect of artificiality. Mr. Morley will allow of no failure in Mr. Gladstone's mind except his want of interest in science or the scientific, and did not dwell on, though he mentioned it, his want of sympathy for the North in its great struggle,— a want which we believe was due to a tolerance for negro slavery, of which he never got perfectly rid. For the rest, Mr. Morley did no more than justice to Mr. Glad- stone's marvellous power of persuading the House of Commons and the English people, to his untiring industry, to the depth of his insight into the true principles of finance, to his courage in applying them, often with the Cabinet as well as the interests struggling against him, and to the nobility of the aims which he always convinced himself he sought. The orator maintained that Mr. Gladstone always led instead of following opinion, that he possessed in the highest degree "driving power," and that be always acted up to that high Christian ideal which from the first had filled his souL