adstone received an
important visitor and a fruitless visit.

At half-past two to-day Lord John Russell was announced; and sat
till three--his hat shaking in his hand. A communication had
reached him late last night from the Queen, charging him with the
formation of a government, and he had thought it his duty to make
the endeavour. I repeated to him what I had urged on Lord
Lansdowne, that a coalition with advantages has also weaknesses of
its own, that the late coalition was I thought fully justified by
the circumstances under which it took place, but at this juncture
it had broken down. This being so, I thought what is called a
homogeneous government would be best for the public, and most
likely to command approval; that Derby if he could get a good
foreign minister would have had immense advantages with respect to
the great questions of war and peace. Lord John agreed as to Derby;
thought that every one must have supported him, and that he ought
to have persevered.

I held to my point, adding that I did not think Lord Aberdeen and
Lord Palmerston represented opposite principles, but rather
different forms of the same principles connected with different
habits and temperaments. He said that Lord Palmerston had agreed to
lead the House of Commons for him, he going as first minister to
the Lords; but he did not mention any other alteration. Upon the
whole his tone was low and doubtful. He asked whether my answer was
to be considered as given, or whether I would take time. But I said
as there was no probability that my ideas would be modified by
reflection, it would not be fair to him to ask any delay.

With the single exception of Lord Palmerston, none of his colleagues
would have anything to do with Lord John, some even declining to go to
see him. Wood came to Mr. Gladstone, evidently in the sense of the
Palmerston premiership. He declared that Aberdeen was impossible, to
which, says Mr. Gladstone, 'I greatly demurred.'

IV

Thus the two regular party leaders had failed; Lord Aberdeen, the
coalition leader, was almost universally known to be out of the
question; the public was loudly clamouring for Lord Palmerston. A
Palmerston ministry was now seen to be inevitable. Were the Peelites,
then, having refused Lord Derby, having refused Lord John, having told