Lord Londonderry, and for some time not without hope, to induce Sir
James Graham to accept the post of leader of the conservative
party, which I thought would remove all difficulties.

When he finally declined this office, I endeavoured to throw the
game into your hands, and your conduct then, however unintentional,
assisted me in my views.

The precipitate ministry of 1852 baffled all this. Could we have
postponed it another year, all might have been right.

Nevertheless, notwithstanding my having been forced publicly into
the chief place in the Commons, and all that occurred in
consequence, I was still constant to my purpose, and in 1855
suggested that the leadership of the House should be offered to
Lord Palmerston, entirely with the view of consulting your feelings
and facilitating your position.

Some short time back, when the power of dissolution was certain,
and the consequences of it such as, in my opinion, would be highly
favourable to the conservative party, I again confidentially sought
Sir James Graham, and implored him to avail himself of the
favourable conjuncture, accept the post of leader in the H. of C,
and allow both of us to serve under him.

He was more than kind to me, and fully entered into the state of
affairs, but he told me his course was run, and that he had not
strength or spirit for such an enterprise.

Thus you see, for more than eight years, instead of thrusting
myself into the foremost place, I have been, at all times, actively
prepared to make every sacrifice of self for the public good,
which I have ever thought identical with your accepting office in
a conservative government.

Don't you think the time has come when you might deign to be
magnanimous?

Mr. Canning was superior to Lord Castlereagh in capacity, in
acquirements, in eloquence, but he joined Lord C. when Lord C. was
Lord Liverpool's lieutenant, when the state of the tory party
rendered it necessary. That was an enduring, and, on the whole, not
an unsatisfactory connection, and it certainly terminated very
gloriously for Mr. Canning.

I may be removed from the scene, or I may wish to be removed from
the scene.

Every man performs his office, and there is a Power, greater than
ourselves, that disposes of all this.