The Evening Star THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 13, 1902.

Evening Star, Issue 11681, 13 February 1902, Page 4

The Evening Star THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 13, 1902.

The Christmas number of that interesting America it publication 'MunTho Death sey's Magazine' contains a of well-written and weH-iflns-Jx>rd Dnffprin. t.rated article on 'The Strong Men of Great Britain': the strong men, that is, of the present and the future—Chamberlain, Milner, Curzon, Cromer, etc. By the death of Lord Dufferin and Ava, which the cable announces today, the Empire has lost one of the- strong men of the past. Lord Dnfferin was a man of so many accomplish men ts, and had so much of the diplomatist's easy grace of style and address, that many people at one lime were not prompt to recognise the strength which was bis main characteristic —strength of enlightened will ami Imperial purpose. He wore the velvet glove on the iron hand, as Tennyson happily said of him in one of his latest dedications. It is six years since he retired from the public service, at the age, of seventy, after serving the Empire in mastoly fashion in a remarkable number of great offices. Indeed, we arc inclined to think that the varied importance of Lord Dufferin's public and diplomatic employment outside England must have been unique. ITe was a member of Lord John Russell's special mission to Vienna at the time of the Crimean War, and five years later ho went to Syria as British Commissioner in connection with the massacre of Christians in that country. The following decade was devoted to ordinary politics, and he held more than one parliamentary Under-Secretaryship in the Administrations of Lord Pahnerston and Lord Russell; and in 1872, while holding office as Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster in the first Gladstone Government, lie was appointed Governor-General of Canada. After staying at Ottawa for six years he went as Imperial Ambassador to St. Petersburg in 1879, and three years later to Constantinople, He was next sent on a special mission to Egypt, and in 1884 he succeeded Lord Ilipon as Viceroy of India. In that high and arduous position he wa", admittedly successful to a very high degree. He left his mark upon India for good, and his political energy and wisdom were admirably supplemented by the btrmanitarkn zeal of bis accomplished wife, whose work on behalf of the suffering women of India was of great and abiding value. Finally, Lord Dufferin served as Ambassador both at Rome and at Paris, retiring to well-earned rest in 1896. It is difficult to estimate, the value of such a life of public service. To a large extent it is a hidden value, and certainly it receives no adequate representation in general fame and popularity. The Empire, however, has good cause to bo grateful for the ■work done by strong, trained, accomplished public servants of the Dufferin type. To quote the words of the writer in ' Munscy's Magazine' in reference to Lord Cureon: "So long as Great Britain sends men in- " spired with such healthy patriotism to " the lordship of her outlying demesnes,' "she need fear little effective disputation "of her place among tho nations. They "are men prepared by a special education "for tho positions thoy occupy, tested in "the eyes of all men by service in the "House of Commons, and trained in the

" traditions of their office. By such means "Great Britain is attaining to a continuity "of policy which, once established, will "greatly lessen the difficulties of colonial " government, and will, within the limits "•of human foresight, ensure the stability *of the Empire." By the way, one remark in the passago just quoted is inapplicable to Lord Dnfferin. He never sat in the Hccse of Commons, having succeeded his father >n the peerage as far back as 1841, when he was only fifteen years of age. We may just add that Lord Dufferm was a lineal descendant of Richard Brinsley Sheridan, and—as regards literary, political, cud social accomplishment—not an unworthy descendant; while in point of stability of character he had none of the weakness of his brilliant ancestor.