Mr. Hirst's Life of Morley

BY K. CHADRASEKHARAN, M.A., B.L.

It is a singular feature of the Englishman's character that if he loves or admires another for his higher traits or for a life of ceaseless and varied activities, he scarcely fails to write his biography. The biography swells into volumes, when it is fortunately within the power of the author to avail himself of a store-house of information, such as carefully preserved epistles. But the dearth of materials of a very helpful kind, never seems to stagger the mind which is bent upon producing at least a collection of impressions. Hence, Mr. Hirst, whose allegiance to the great man assumed that of a political disciple, has not stinted in his efforts at creating a true picture of one who lived to a ripe age after strenuous toil in the fields of journalism and politics, despite the lack of full information of the early years, when the aspirations of youth could have amply shown us the true inwardness of the future statesman and litterateur. It is the admiration that the writer of these two volumes felt for Lord Morley, that proved the incentive for the publication of the life of a man who has left an equally brilliant name in literature as well as in politics. For, he says in the introduction, "he struck me as the greatest man I had ever met, most inspiring of politicians, most fascinating of talkers. I never changed my opinion."

To write the life of one whose favourite form of composition was the biography, appears to us to be the most appropriate tribute paid to his memory. Indeed, it is but strange that Lord Morley with an excellent record of achievements in different spheres and ranging over a period of many years, should have delicately cautioned against a ‘superfluous memoir’ of himself. The author of the ‘Life of Gladstone’ in three corpulent volumes, deserves no less a treatment at the hands of his own biographer. But realizing, as we do, the difficulties of Mr. Hirst's task, we consider it praiseworthy that he should have given us in the present form, the life of his political preceptor, quite engrossing, and gratifying to a great extent our avidity to peer into the lives of the great. "The satisfactory form of biography is a well-edited correspondence," was ever the contention of Morley himself, and his biographer has properly taken upon himself the task of publishing some of his letters. Hence our pleasure at reading the letters–most of which found here are addressed to his sister Miss Grace Morley and his life-long friend Mr. Frederick Harrison, who were both kind enough to hand over these interesting records–the memorials of a fine penman and an admirable and attractive character.

Of Morley's boyhood, nothing very interesting is known except that he had been a pet with Mr. Hoole, the headmaster of a school at Cheltenham, and that his relish for the classics was such that it even stimulated him on one occasion to indulge in a harangue to an audience in Greek. The chapter on Oxford only discloses to us his association with some names, which figure later on in Parliament and elsewhere as the most eminent personages. The future author and Parliamentarian was not at all conspicuous in the ‘Varsity’ records. His emergence from the portals of college heralded the beginning of the career of a journalist, no mean vocation, especially as it was deemed so at the time in England. From a regular contributor to The Saturday Review, which received many a flashy article from his pen on the works of eminent novelists like Victor Hugo and George Eliot, he soon achieved the rare distinction of being appointed editor of The Fortnightly Review. Hereafter his style of composition received the higher quality which distinguishes him and places him in a class apart from the prose-writers of the nineteenth century. His peculiar leaning to the study of the lives of great thinkers and writers, with an equally strong desire to cultivate the art of biography, enthused him to give to the reading public a series of biographical sketches, starting with that of Burke. His philosophy of Government and his own individual views on life and the State found prominent expression, when he dealt with that statesman of the eighteenth century.

The chapter on his first candidature brings home to us vividly, how such an uncompromising idealist had to modify his aspirations in the course of the political and party warfare. The Franco-German War found Morley enjoying a brief respite from his political activities and devoting his time to writing books. It was his phenomenal equipment that was actuating him to utilize his leisure hours to the noblest of endeavours, that of immortalizing men of honour and distinction. The lives of Condorcet and Turgot as well as of Carlyle and Byron were published about this time. The post-war period is full of letters written to his friend Frederick Harrison and they abound in criticisms of his friend's favourite theories on Communism. His Voltaire was published much to the excitement and admiration of his friend who broke out, "I pronounce it our best modern biography". Again letters are the connecting links between the years 1870 anti 1873 and we find in them many traces of his critical faculty and enlivening discussion. His book on Rousseau which receives the encomium from his friend again as "a consummate piece of biography" was published during this time. Morley's prepossessions against revolutionary doctrines had not warped his mind so as to disable it from exercising a proper judgment on the work of Rousseau both "as a political speculator and as a motive force in revolutionary thought."

The times were very momentous in the history of parliamentary legislation. The education of the masses was the prime object of reformers, and The Fortnightly Review was vigorous in voicing forth its opinion on national education, with a trenchant criticism of that section of the House, whose vision was blurred with the prospects of Empire expansion. Morley's letters to Frederick Harrison, stating his personal views on a topic of such national import, convey to us the enormous capacity in him to pursue a subject to its furthest limits. The chapter on Morley's religion, shows us how he has been logical in his conclusion to remain a Rationalist while bestowing careful attention on the prevalent controversies. We feel that Mr. Hirst, with a conviction that was founded upon his intimate knowledge of the true workings of Morley's mind, exalts him almost to the skies when he says "true, for him, Faith was not anticipation of a future and a better world after death, but a belief in human progress and in the perfectibility of mankind . . . on this Faith in human destiny, allied with Faith in democracy, he built Hope. And above all hopes he worshipped Truth". What higher aim or end can any religion preach to wavering minds? It sums up, how "in his permanent moods, Morley's thoughts moved in a loftier and rarified air, above the smoke and stir of vulgar controversy." The vicissitudes of party supremacy at that time caused no little perturbation to the members of the House of Commons, and Morley, a true Liberal of the Gladstonian fold, does not cause us any surprise, when he calls the regime of Disraeli "a square-toed humdrum, disguised by blazes of indiscretion". The pungency of this remark reveals.to us the extraordinary vigour of the editorial pen, especially when it sides with a party or a policy. As a partisan, Morley's entire want of sympathy with the Royal Titles Bill, his inveterate attack on Mr. Bartle Frere for the "Forward Policy" though he spared here a friend of his, Lord Lytton, his complete disagreement with Imperialism, and his hearty contempt for Jingoism, all bear strong testimony to his consistency of thought and action and his preparedness for healthy combats in the chosen arena of politics. With the change in Government, when Gladstone regained power, Morley found himself also editor of The Pall Mall Gazette. It was that then his Life of Cobden found its way to the hearts of the Liberals, particularly in Lancashire and Yorkshire, where Richard Cobden and John Bright were "house-hold gods of Political Non-conformity".

Now, begins a period of ambition and parliamentary successes. It sealed his journalistic career since he felt it impossible to share together the responsibilities of an editor and a politician. His candidature for Newcastle and his election by a clear majority, were much rejoiced over in political groups, and, if a leading journal said that Newcastle would thereafter have as its representative one ‘of candour and character,’ it is no little praise bestowed upon the man, who was to be its spokesman at Westminster. As a speaker, Morley was attractive for his ‘choiceness of phraseology’ and ‘gift of evoking moral enthusiasm for good causes’. Why, as a Liberal he was second to none in his integrity and fervour for the cause he espoused. His enthusiasm to imbibe any healthy principle and his readiness to do propaganda for any good cause are his chief traits which claim our admiration. His acceptance of Radicalism, though a fresh-born creed, was justified by him when he describes it as "Liberalism only made more alive".

Mr. Hirst depicts in a short compass almost all the incidents connected with his hero, but they hardly satisfy our desire to know intimately the man Morley as he was. We are disappointed with the mere narration of the history of the House of Commons, where most of his part was played. Instead of a critical examination of the professions and actions of Lord Morley, which is legitimately expected of his biographer, it is a mere placid survey of his work that has been given us.

These two volumes draw us to the irresistible conclusion that Morley was one of those few men, who have distinguished themselves in two of the highest spheres, namely Politics and Letters. Lucidity of expression and freedom from confusion in narrating the details of a life crowded with incidents, mark every page of these volumes. It is not quite so easy, as it may appear on a superficial estimate, to collect materials and furnish them in a manner which would infuse into us the same devotion and sympathy that the biographer felt towards his object of adoration. True, the greater the emotional note the biography strikes, the more interesting it becomes. The minor incidents of the private life of a man bear always a distinct charm for us, since they alone reveal to us something of the personality. There is very little of Morley's home in these pages. We are not admitted into his domestic circle and permitted to know more of Morley the husband, and the eldest living member of a family bound together by the most affectionate ties. But, none the less, Mr. Hirst by his publication of Morley's own letters has compensated for this to a great extent. We have hardly any other feeling than one of extreme respect for the author, who has so nobly and successfully accomplished his task.