ur weeks ago," he wrote to Lady Derby on the 3rd of April, "the
Liberal Whip (Mr. Adam) asked me to stand for the Glasgow and
Aberdeen Universities on very easy terms to myself. I declined,
because I should have had to commit myself to the Liberal party,
which I did not choose to do. Lord Carnarvon afterwards spoke to me
with regret at my resolution. He had a conversation with Mr.
D'Israeli, and it was agreed that if possible I should be brought in
by a compromise without a contest. But it appeared doubtful
afterwards whether the Liberals would consent to this without fuller
pledges than I could consent to give. I was asked if I would stand
anyhow (contest or not), or whether I would allow myself to be
nominated in their interest for any other place when a vacancy
should occur. I said, No. (I would stand a contest on the
Conservative side, if on any.) I was neither Conservative nor
Liberal per se, but would not oppose Mr. D'Israeli. So there this
matter lies, unless your people have as good an opinion of me as the
others, and want a candidate of my lax description. But indeed I
have no wish to go into Parliament. I am too old to begin a
Parliamentary life, and infinitely prefer making myself of use to
the Conservative side in some other way .... I am at Lord
Carnarvon's service if he wishes me to go on with his Colonial
affairs. I came home from the Cape to be of use to him."

The Colonial policy of the Liberals Froude had always regarded with
suspicion. Even Lord Kimberley's grant of a constitution to the Cape
he interpreted as showing a centrifugal tendency, and Cardwell's
withdrawal of troops from Canada was all of a piece. Disraeli, on
the other hand, who never did anything for the Colonies, had been
making a speech about them at Manchester, wherein all manner of
Colonial possibilities were suggested. They did not go, if they were
ever intended to go, beyond suggestion, and in 1876 the sudden
crisis in Eastern affairs superseded all other topics of political
interest.

When the Eastern Question was first raised, Froude had taken the
side of the Government.

"I like Lord Derby's speech," he wrote to Lady Derby on the 19th of
September, 1876, "to the Working Men's Association. So I think the
country will when it recovers from its present intoxication. Violent
passions which rise suddenly generally sink as fast if there is no
real reason for them. It is impossible that the people can fail to
recollect in a little