l that as we had had
no meeting yet, it would seem ungracious and unkind to an old friend to
hold one by way of ovation over his departure. It was therefore agreed
that I should acquaint Young it was their wish that he should tell any
one who might come, that we, who were there present, looked upon our
political connection with Graham as dissolved by the Carlisle
speech.'[267]

ATTITUDE OF GRAHAM

The temporary parting from Graham was conducted with a degree of good
feeling that is a pattern for such occasions in politics. In writing to
Mr. Gladstone (Mar. 29, 1852), and speaking of his colleagues in Peel's
government, Graham says, 'I have always felt that my age and position
were different from theirs: that the habits and connections of my early
political life, though broken, gave to me a bias, which to them was not
congenial; and since the death of our great master and friend, I have
always feared that the time might arrive when we must separate. You
intimate the decision that party connection must no longer subsist
between us. I submit to your decision with regret; but at parting I hope
that you will retain towards me some feelings of esteem and regard, such
as I can never cease to entertain towards you; and though political
friendships are often short-lived, having known each other well, we
shall continue, I trust, to maintain kindly relations. It is a pleasure
to me to remember that we have no cause of complaint against each
other.' 'I have to thank you,' Mr. Gladstone replies, 'for the unvarying
kindness of many years, to acknowledge all the advantages I have derived
from communication with you, to accept and re-echo cordially your
expressions of good will, and to convey the fervent hope that no act or
word of mine may ever tend to impair these sentiments in my own mind or
yours.'

When the others had withdrawn, Aberdeen told Mr. Gladstone that Lord
John had been to call upon him the day before for the first time, and he
believed that the visit had special reference to Mr. Gladstone himself.
'The tenor of his conversation,' Mr. Gladstone reports, 'was that my
opinions were quite as liberal as his; that in regard to the colonies I
went beyond him; that my Naples pamphlets could have been called
revolutionary if he had written them; and in regard to church matters he
saw no reason why there should not be joint action, for he was cordially
disposed to maintain the church of England, and so,