The late Earl of Aberdeen.
By the arrival at
Portland of the
Anglo Saxon, we are informed of the death of the
Earl of
Aberdeen.
George Gordon,
Earl of
Aberdeen, has occupied prominent positions in his life-time.
He was a conservative statesman, descended of an ancient Scottish house, was born in 1784, and educated at St. John's College,
Cambridge, where he took the degree of M. A. in 1804.
In that year, having resided some time in
Greece, he founded the
Athenian Society, of which no one might be a member who had not visited
Athens.
In 1813, he was sent to
Vienna, as
Ambassador of
England, and concluded at Toplitz, October 3d, 1813, the preliminary negotiations by which
Austria was detached from the
French alliance, and united with
England, against
Napoleon.
He subsequently brought about the alliance of
Murat,
King of
Naples, with
Austria; but in 1515 exerted himself vainly to prevent the rupture which took place between the courts of
Naples and
Vienna, and resulted in the restoration of the Bourbons to the throne of the former State.
Elected in 1814 a Scottish
representative Peer, he uniformly approved himself a decided Tory.
In 1828, he became minister of foreign affairs under
Wellington.
In this position he departed widely from the system of
Canning, inasmuch as he abetted the policy of
Austria, conducted then by Metternich, his intimate friend.
Thus he disapproved of the battle of Navarino, although he had signed with
France and
Russia the first protocol in favor of
Greece.
Upon the dissolution of the Wellington administration consequent upon the reform agitation, he went into the opposition, Jan. 16, 1830. He henceforward showed himself more than ever the irreconcilable enemy of every liberal proposition, and became the supporter of the pretensions of
Don Miguel, whom while in power he had ridiculed, and of
Don Carlos, whom he aided both in and out of Parliament.
The most important act of his administration had been the recognition of
Louis Philippe, saluted king of the
French, after the memorable days of July.
In the ministry formed by
Peel and
Wellington, which endured only for the vacation of 1834- '35,
Aberdeen held the appointment of colonial secretary.
When
Peel took office, in 1841,
Aberdeen received again the portfolio of foreign-affairs, and appeared to have learned that history tendencies were to be repressed rather than indulged.
He supported
Peel in repealing the corn laws, and retired with him on the ministerial changes which succeeded the enactment of that policy.
He has since occasionally spoken against the government, particularly in the affairs of
Greece.
During the
Cabinet crisis of 1851 he was sent for by the
Queen, with a view to undertake the government with
Sir John Graham, but declined that responsibility.
He had previously refused to co-operate with Lord Stanley.
In February, 1852, on the accession to power of the protectionist party, the
Earl of
Aberdeen took office as
Minister of Foreign Affairs, under the Premiership of the
Earl of
Derby.
The mismanagement of the
Crimean War however, drove that Ministry out of power, and since then, up to the time of his death, the
Earl of
Aberdeen has lived in comparative retirement.
