Getting into a funk
It was even said that the Colonel himself, in view of his rapidly increasing popularity, was beginning to be apprehensive that he was actually to be elected—a result he neither expected nor greatly wished. 'I am getting into a funk,' he remarked—whether seriously or not we cannot tell—when his agents told him he was likely to win the seat from Mr. Gladstone. 'You know, I don't want to go into Parliament; I want to be Commander of the Black Watch.' He had stood forward when asked as the champion of his party. He had opposed what he considered the errors of the Liberals. He would have none of Mr. Gladstone's Home Rule policy. He was opposed to the Disestablishment of the Church of Scotland. He was against the enforcement of an eight hours limit of labour as an infringement of individual liberty, while he held that the foreign policy of the country under Liberal Governments had not always commanded public confidence. For three years he had earnestly and well enunciated the principles for which he contended, but as to turning Mr. Gladstone out of his seat at last, we can well believe that he shrank from the bare possibility of it as the day of the poll approached.
The Midlothian election took place on the 12th July. Out of a constituency of 13,134, no less than 11,000 tendered their votes—or 84 per cent. of the total. It must be borne in mind that a large number of the returns throughout the country had already been made, and these in many cases showed in favour of the Liberal cause. Indeed, Lord Salisbury's majority in the House of Commons had disappeared, and each day brought additions to the Liberal majority. The party was naturally elated, and so far as Midlothian was concerned it was confidently predicted that Mr. Gladstone's majority would not be less than 2500. The result of the poll was made known next day at the Edinburgh County Buildings before an immense concourse of people. It was one of the biggest surprises Mr. Gladstone's supporters encountered during the General Election, so far certainly as Scotland was concerned. The counting of the votes was completed about a quarter to one o'clock, and an unofficial intimation of the result soon found its way outside. It put Mr. Gladstone's majority at 673. There was a crowd of some thousands in number on the street in front of the court-house, and the announcement that Mr. Gladstone's majority had been reduced below 700 gave rise to a scene of extraordinary excitement. The crowd surged up to the door to hear the figures, and as the cry 'Gladstone in by 700' was passed from one to another, a roar of astonishment, we are told, went up from a thousand throats. The noise brought hundreds of more excited politicians flocking to the scene. Town Council committee men and young men from the adjoining Parliament House of every shade of politics hurried up to join the excited throng. Blank dismay took hold of every Gladstonian countenance. Some of them could nor restrain themselves, and the most convenient object on which to vent their indignation was apparently the Church of Scotland, which came in for no little share of abuse as the cause of it all.
Result of the poll
When it is recalled that in 1885 Mr. Gladstone had been elected by a majority of 4631, and that in the following year his return was not opposed, the figures of 1892 very well justified Colonel Wauchope's daring. These were, for Mr. Gladstone 5845, and for the Colonel 5150—a majority for the former of 690. In other words, Mr. Gladstone had lost 2000 votes, and Colonel Wauchope had polled nearly 2000 more than had been recorded for Sir Charles Dalrymple in 1885. Neither of the candidates happened to be at the County Buildings when the declaration of the poll was made, so that after the first surprise was over the crowd dispersed. It had been the intention to have at once sent a telegram to Mr. Gladstone, who was residing with Lord Rosebery at Dalmeny, but it is said that so great was the perplexity among his supporters, that the telegram though made out was not despatched till later on, for, like the crowd outside, the people in the corridors refused for a time to credit the figures. Colonel Wauchope had a most enthusiastic reception accorded to him at his committee rooms in Princes Street, and on being called upon for a speech, said he would not make a speech, because he felt it to be true that it was the committee of Midlothian that had won this victory. It was, he repeated, the committee; it was the men who had stood by their guns at the committee rooms, the men who had assiduously and earnestly worked for the cause—a duty he feared not always of the most agreeable kind. But they had done their work well, and it was to them that they owed this great victory—because it was a victory—that would resound throughout the length and breadth of the land. 'It is true, I have been the standard-bearer in this fight, and I hope I have borne the standard not without discredit to myself. But it is very little that a standard-bearer can do if he is not supported by an army on the right and an army on the left of him, and I am here to acknowledge that I have been supported, and well supported, by a noble army both on my right and on my left. We have fought a good fight, and a straight fight, and we have proved that the heart of Midlothian beats sound enough.'
The result of this Midlothian election was admitted on all hands, and by none more so than the Liberals themselves, as 'a grievous surprise,' 'an eye-opener,' 'a severe lesson.' It was realised now that after all Colonel Wauchope's candidature had not been quite the 'forlorn hope' they had at first predicted it to be. As one of the party papers afterwards remarked, 'They had been taught the lesson that it does not do to depend too much upon the individuality of any one, however eminent, to carry a seat.... The advanced party was caught napping.' ... 'It is,' they said, 'most astonishing to find how well Colonel Wauchope is respected in the constituency now, and how much he has improved in his treatment of political questions. The outspoken and transparent honesty of his character has made him troops of friends in all quarters, and the attention with which he was received both by friends and opponents at the various polling-booths must have been gratifying to the gallant Colonel himself in no ordinary degree, as well as encouraging alike to him and his supporters to try conclusions again.'
Seldom has a defeat been reckoned so much of a victory. Those of the 'forlorn hope' were amazed, for what at first appeared so hopeless had come within the region of possibility. Wauchope's name was on every lip and at the point of every pen. The Midlothian election startled the political world, and sobered the joy of Liberals; for even the return of a majority of members to Parliament, sufficient with the aid of the Irish Nationalists to turn out the Conservative Government of Lord Salisbury and to place Mr. Gladstone in office, was, in the estimation of many of that great statesman's admirers, scarcely compensation enough for such a downcome.
Corn Exchange banquet
Immediately after the election, on the 18th July, Colonel Wauchope was entertained to a house dinner by the Scottish Conservative Club, at which Sir Charles Dalrymple presided. The Unionists of Midlothian also recognised Colonel Wauchope's efforts and the sacrifices he had made in the contest by a grand banquet given in his honour in the Corn Exchange, one of the largest halls in Edinburgh, on the 20th August. Beautifully decorated for the occasion, and filled as it was by over a thousand of the leading men of the party, and a large number of ladies in the galleries, the banquet was a spectacle of remarkable brilliancy and beauty.
The meeting was presided over by the Duke of Buccleuch, who, in proposing their guest's health, congratulated the company upon the occasion which had brought so many of them together as representatives of every parish in the county, after a fight in which the interest of the whole country had been centred—a fight which was looked upon a short time ago as a forlorn hope—a fight with one of the most powerful men in the kingdom—one who came down here, you may say, as the idol of the people. 'It is unusual,' said his Grace, 'to celebrate a defeat; I will not call it that. I cannot call it a victory, but I will call it a very great success. It has been a success that has astonished ourselves, but it has done more than that—it has created consternation among our opponents. A few more, or, I would say, one more success of this kind, will not only be a victory, but a very great one. For a majority of 4631 to have been reduced on this last occasion to 690 is no small thing to have been accomplished. It has been accomplished by two causes, or, I might say, three perhaps. One was a first-class candidate; the second was hard-working constituents; the third—a very important one—was a good cause.' His Grace then referred to the Colonel's family as holding an honoured place in the history of Midlothian for nearly six hundred years, and to his own good qualities as a soldier who had fought hard for his country's honour, and faithfully served his Queen.