NOT CONSISTENT BUT TRUE.

Ashburton Guardian, Volume VII, Issue 1781, 5 March 1888, Page 2

NOT CONSISTENT BUT TRUE.

One of the most distinguished very High Churchmen, aad an Archdeacon of England, tellfl the following prophocy made about Mr Gladstone when he was about entering public life : — " I left Eton, Christmas, 1819, some* four years, I think, before Mr Gladstone went to" Eion. In January, 1824, my t^vo brothers, Henry and Stephea Oharl s Dennison, went fo Eton, Stephen, the younger of the two, became a very near friend of Mv Gladstone, and, as will appear m the sequel of ths paper, knew all about him When m 1828 1 went fr >m Christ Ohurch as fellow of Uriel, one of the nearest and dearest friends I have had was Augustus Page Maunders, then cirate to the Bishop of Oxford at Guddesdon, and mathematical tutor at Cunsfc Church ; afterward head master of Charter* House, and finally Dean of Peterborough. Of all the men I have known very intimately he was the man of the largest intui iva power In respect of apprehending character and habit of mmd m other men, I us.d to come frequently to Baunders' rooms from Oriel m the evening. One night m November, 1832, I 'was there talking over his pupils. He hit them off •ne after the other m a way, as proved by aft.-r years 1 experience, very wonder ful. At last we came t » Gludstone, who had just got his double first- clasß -a man of unb.emished character gr>at scholar, showing high pro.uiae of oratorical power, s >id to be going into public life Many eyes and minds were fixed upon him, " I said to Saunders, ' Now, old man, there is one left I want to know something about— Gladstone ; and then I'll go to bed, fir I shall hare had from you aa mmh to digest ea will aorve me for some t me about all these men.' 11 He said : « I'll tell you about Gladstone m a minute.' I aaid : ' What ia it, then V He said ; ' Hla conscience is so tender he will never go straight.' It ia extremely interesting to get this key to the career of Mr Gladstone ; and it X jlains why the people of England love and trust him. He has not gone straight —politically. He began as a Tory, and he ends a Liberal. He began with exaggerated Ideas of the Stato Ohnrch ; be has disestablished it m Ireland, and if he livea long enough will do it m Wales, Saotland, ! and England, too. He began by ooerolng ' Ireland, *nd he ends by giving her Home ] Rule. He began with idtas of limited i suffrage ; he ends aa the ua»n who haa en- \ franohised the people of England. It la 1 only morally that snoh • man goea straight, , not politically.—" Independent." \