red to be impartial. By many kinds of
detraction they sought to weaken his influence and damage his popularity;
detractions probably repeated in all sincerity by many who were honestly
incapable of understanding his real motives for forbearance. And as the
members of this party, though they had lost their monopoly of political
power, still remained the dominant class in society, the disparaging tone
which they set was taken up not only in the colony itself, but also by
travellers who visited it, and by them carried back to infect opinion in
England. The result was that persons at home, who had the highest
appreciation of Lord Elgin's capacity as a statesman, sincerely believed
him to be deficient in nerve and vigour; and as the misapprehension was one
which he could not have corrected, even if he had been aware how widely it
was spread, it continued to exist in many quarters until dispelled by the
singular energy and boldness, amounting almost to rashness, which he
displayed in China.

[Sidenote: Forbearance of Lord Elgin.]

The more we remember the vehemence with which these injurious reports were
circulated, the more remarkable appears the resolution not to yield to the
provocation they involved, and the determination to accept the whole
responsibility of the situation at whatever personal cost.

The following letters are among those which disclose the motives of his
resolute forbearance. The last of them, written to an intimate friend
nearly two years later, and summing up the feelings with which he looked
back on the struggles of 1849, may close the personal records of this
troubled year.

[Sidenote: Its motives.]

I do not at all wonder that you should be disposed to question the
wisdom of my course in respect to Montreal; I think it was the best I
could have taken under the circumstances; but I do not presume to say
that it may not be criticised--justly criticised. My choice was not
between a clearly right and a clearly wrong course: how easy is it to
deal with such cases, and how rare are they in life! But between
several difficulties, I think I chose the least. I think, too, that I
am beginning to reap the reward of my policy. I do not believe that
such enthusiasm was ever manifested towards anyone in my situation in
Canada, as has been exhibited during my recent tour. But more than
this. I do not believe that the function of the Governor-General under
constit