Page:Encyclopædia Britannica, Ninth Edition, v. 18.djvu/475

PEEL 453 printer, vlio, appreciating the discovery of his townsman Har greaves, took to cotton-spinning with the spinning-jenny and grew a wealthy man. His father, Robert Peel, third son of the last-named, carried on the same business at Bury with still greater success, in partnership with Mr Yates, whose daughter Ellen he married. He made a princely fortune, became the owner of Drayton Manor and member of parliament for the neighbouring borough of Tamworth, was a trusted and honoured, as well as ardent, supporter of Pitt, contributed magnificently towards the support of that leader s war policy, was rewarded with a baronetcy, and founded a rich and powerful house, on whose arms he emblazoned, and in whose motto he commemorated, the prosperous industry from which it sprang. The example and precepts of the father took early effect upon his eldest son, whom from the first he destined and prepared to serve his country in public life. At Harrow, according to the accounts of his contemporaries, Peel was a steady industrious boy, the best scholar in the school, fonder of solitary walks than of the games of his companions, but ready to help those who were duller than himself, and not unpopular among his fellows. At Christ Church, where he entered as a gentleman commoner, he studied hard, and was the first who, under the new examination statutes, took a first class both in classics and in mathe matics. His examination for his B.A. degree in 1808 was an academical ovation in presence of a numerous audience, who came to hear the first man of the day ; and a relation who was at Oxford at the time has recorded that the triumph, like both the triumphs and reverses of after life, was calmly borne. From his classical studies Robert Peel derived not only the classical, though somewhat pompous, character of his speeches and the Latin quotations with which they were often happily interspersed, but something of his lofty ideal of political ambition. Nor did he ever cease to love these pursuits of his youth; and in 1837, when elected lord rector of Glasgow university, in his inaugural speech he passed a glowing eulogy on classical education. To his mathematical training, which was then not common among public men, he no doubt owed in part his method, his clearness, his great power of grasping steadily and working out difficult and complicated ques tions. His speeches show that, in addition to his academi cal knowledge, he was well versed in English literature, in history, and in the principles of law. While reading hard he did not neglect to develop his tall and vigorous frame, and fortify his strong constitution, by manly exer cises ; and, though he lost his life partly through his bad riding, he was always a good shot and an untiring walker after game. Sprung from the most religious class of English society, he grew up and remained through life a religious man, and from that source drew deep conscien tiousness and tranquillity under all difficulties and in all fortunes. His Oxford education confirmed his attachment to the Protestant Church of England. His practical mind remained satisfied with the doctrines of his youth ; and he never showed that he had studied the great religious con troversies, or that he understood the great religious move ments of his day. In 1809, being then in his twenty-second year, he was brought into parliament for the close borough of Cashel, which he afterwards exchanged for Chippenham, and commenced his parliamentary career under the eye of his father, then member for Tamworth, who fondly saw in him the future leader of the Tory party. Pitt, Fox, and Burke were gone. Sheridan shone with an expiring ray. But in that House of Commons sat Wilberforce, Windham, Tierney, Grattan, Perceval, Castlereagh, Plunkett, Romilly, Mackintosh, Burdett, Whitbread, Horner, Brougham, Par- nell, Huskisson, and, above all, George Canning. Lord Palmerston entered the house at the same time, and Lord John Russell a few years afterwards. Among these men young Peel had to rise. And he rose, not by splendid eloquence, by profound political philosophy, or by great originality of thought, but by the closest attention to all his parliamentary duties, by a study of all the business of parliament, which made him at length familiar with the whole range of public questions and public interests, and by a style of speaking which, owing its force not to high flights of oratory, but to knowledge of the subject in hand, clearness of exposition, close reasoning, and tact in dealing with a parliamentary audience, backed by the character and position of the speaker, improved with his information, practice, station, and experience till it gave him an unrivalled command over the House of Commons. The Tory party was then all-powerful at home ; while abroad Europe was at the feet of Napoleon. But Napoleon s for tune was about to turn ; and, with the close of the struggle against revolutionary France, political progress in England was soon to resume the march which that struggle had arrested. Young Peel s lot, however, was cast, through his father, with the Tory party. In his maiden speech in 1810, seconding the address, he defended the Walcheren expedition, which he again vindicated soon afterwards against the report of Lord Porchester s committee. It is said that even then Lord Liverpool discerned in him a dangerous tendency to think for himself, and told his father that he must be put at once into the harness of office. At all events he began official life as Lord Liver pool s private secretary, and shortly afterwards, in 1811, was made under -secretary for the colonies by Perceval. In 1812 he was transferred by Lord Liverpool to the more important but unhappy post of secretary for Ireland. There he was engaged till 1817 in maintaining, by insur rection Acts and other repressive measures, English and Protestant ascendency over a country heaving with dis content, teeming with conspiracy, and ever ready to burst into rebellion. A middle course between Irish parties was impossible. Peel became, by the necessity of his situa tion, " Orange Peel," and plied the established engines of coercion and patronage with a vigorous hand. At the same time, it was his frequent duty to combat Grattan, Plunkett, Canning, and the other movers and advocates of Catholic emancipation in the House of Commons. He, however, always spoke on this question with a command of temper wonderful in hot youth, with the utmost courtesy towards his opponents, and with warm expressions of sym pathy and even of admiration for the Irish people. Nor was the ground he took against the Catholics that of religious principle never to be abandoned, but that of political expediency, which political necessity might over come. He also, thus early, did his best to advocate and promote secular education in Ireland as a means of recon ciling sects and raising the character of the people. He materially improved the conduct of ordinary business in his office, and gave great satisfaction to merchants and others with whom he had to deal. But his greatest service to Ireland as secretary was the institution of the regular Irish constabulary, nicknamed after him " Peelers," for the protection of life and property in a country where both were insecure. His moderation of tone did not save him from the violent abuse of O Connell, whom he, young, hot-tempered (though his temper was generally under con trol), and sensitive on the point of honour, was ill advised enough to challenge, an affair which covered them both with ridicule. In 1817 he obtained the highest parlia mentary distinction of the Tory party by being elected member for the university of Oxford, an honour for which he was chosen in preference to Canning on account of his hostility to Catholic emancipation, Lord Eldon lending