



Produced by Robert J. Hall




PRIME MINISTERS

AND SOME OTHERS


A BOOK OF REMINISCENCES BY THE RIGHT HONOURABLE

GEORGE W. E. RUSSELL




TO
THE EARL CURZON OF KEDLESTON,
K.G.,

I INSCRIBE THIS BOOK,
NOT SHARING HIS OPINIONS BUT
PRIZING HIS FRIENDSHIP




NOTE

My cordial thanks for leave to reproduce papers already published
are due to my friend Mr. John Murray, and to the Editors of the
_Cornhill Magazine_, the _Spectator_, the _Daily News_, the _Manchester
Guardian_, the _Church Family Newspaper_, and the _Red Triangle_.

G. W. E. R.

_July_, 1918.




CONTENTS

I.--PRIME MINISTERS

    I. LORD PALMERSTON
   II. LORD RUSSELL
  III. LORD DERBY
   IV. BENJAMIN DISRAELI
    V. WILLIAM EWART GLADSTONE
   VI. LORD SALISBURY
 VIII. ARTHUR JAMES BALFOUR
   IX. HENRY CAMPBELL-BANNERMAN

II.--IN HONOUR OF FRIENDSHIP

    I. GLADSTONE--AFTER TWENTY YEARS
   II. HENRY SCOTT HOLLAND
  III. LORD HALLIFAX
   IV. LORD AND LADY RIPON
    V. "FREDDY LEVESON"
   VI. SAMUEL WHITBREAD
  VII. HENRY MONTAGU BUTLER
 VIII. BASIL WILBERFORCE
   IX. EDITH SICHEL
    X. "WILL" GLADSTONE
   XI. LORD CHARLES RUSSELL

III.--RELIGION AND THE CHURCH

    I. A STRANGE EPIPHANY
   II. THE ROMANCE OF RENUNCIATION
  III. PAN-ANGLICANISM
   IV. LIFE AND LIBERTY
    V. LOVE AND PUNISHMENT
   VI. HATRED AND LOVE
  VII. THE TRIUMPHS OF ENDURANCE
 VIII. A SOLEMN FARCE

IV.--POLITICS

    I. MIRAGE
   II. MIST
  III. "DISSOLVING THROES"
   IV. INSTITUTIONS AND CHARACTER
    V. REVOLUTION--AND RATIONS
   VI. "THE INCOMPATIBLES"
  VII. FREEDOM'S NEW FRIENDS

V.--EDUCATION

    I. EDUCATION AND THE JUDGE
   II. THE GOLDEN LADDER
  III. OASES
   IV. LIFE, LIBERTY, AND JUSTICE
    V. THE STATE AND THE BOY
   VI. A PLEA FOR INNOCENTS

VI.--MISCELLANEA

    I. THE "HUMOROUS STAGE"
   II. THE JEWISH REGIMENT
  III. INDURATION
   IV. FLACCIDITY
    V. THE PROMISE OF MAY
   VI. PAGEANTRY AND PATRIOTISM

VII.--FACT AND FICTION

    I. A FORGOTTEN PANIC
   II. A CRIMEAN EPISODE




I

PRIME MINISTERS




PRIME MINISTERS AND SOME OTHERS


I

_LORD PALMERSTON_

I remember ten Prime Ministers, and I know an eleventh. Some have
passed beyond earshot of our criticism; but some remain, pale and
ineffectual ghosts of former greatness, yet still touched by that
human infirmity which prefers praise to blame. It will behove me
to walk warily when I reach the present day; but, in dealing with
figures which are already historical, one's judgments may be
comparatively untrammelled.

I trace my paternal ancestry direct to a Russell who entered the
House of Commons at the General Election of 1441, and since 1538
some of us have always sat in one or other of the two Houses of
Parliament; so I may be fairly said to have the Parliamentary tradition
in my blood. But I cannot profess to have taken any intelligent
interest in political persons or doings before I was six years
old; my retrospect, therefore, shall begin with Lord Palmerston,
whom I can recall in his last Administration, 1859-1865.

I must confess that I chiefly remember his outward characteristics--his
large, dyed, carefully brushed whiskers; his broad-shouldered figure,
which always seemed struggling to be upright; his huge and rather
distorted feet--"each foot,