STRANGE REPORT ABOUT MR. GLADSTONE.

Waikato Times, Volume X, Issue 156, 21 April 1877, Page 2

STRANGE REPORT ABOUT MR. GLADSTONE.

The Paris correspondent'-of the /New York Times.' writing on the 26 th January, says .:—"A story appeared here yesterday in the 'Eepublique Francaise/ ! the organ of M Gambetta and the Republican Left. Its correspondent gives a scandal in which the reputation of Mr Gladstone is involved, and pretends to account for the position that he . has" taken on the Eastern difficulty by saying that.he\ is amoureux.. / The eminent statesman is'represented to be in the hands of a Russian Princess b£ M great beaitty, who was charged with the delicate task of weaving her toils about.a statesman of 60 years.. The journal in question states that Mr Gladstone is iiow the object of public gdssip, the grande dame Russe in question having boasted of. .her success and stated that she had a .number of compromising letters. It is certain that the lady, who is separated from her husband, an aide-de-camp of the Grand Duke Nicholas, has been for a year or more past one of the diplomatic agents of Prince Gprt- > schakoff in London, Mr Gladstone has been extremely assiduous in his j attentions to her, and it is now said that it is owing. ,to her influence that he turned against the Turks after having fought for them in 1854. Betweeu the two there have certainly been frequent exchanges of letters, and the report is that .the lady has some which do-more honor to his heart than his prudence. The report first appeared in a journal of Sheffield, and the reply to it was not a little embarrassed, but contained a sort of denial. Whether or not there has been an indiscretion on the part of Mr Gladstone is more than one can learn from the correspondence. It is insinuated but not directly affirmed. But now that the story has appeared, the enemies of .Mr Gladstone to believe that he wanted to drive the Turks out of Europe at the instigation of this Russian Circe, and thit his remarkable change of policy was due to her sweet influence. Let me say here that the lady is as spirit-, uelle as she is beautiful, and is one of those strange beings who seem born to profit by the weakness, of men. ' Aux grands hommes les grandes foiblesses,' says Prudhomme, and it is upon this principle that the wily Gortschakoff works when he sends out the ; most beautiful women of his country as diplomatic agents."