e sentiments of those who were advancing to the
predominance, and resort for support to those whose power was rapidly
waning, whose opinions were yielding to the newer intelligence? Would it
not be fatally inconsistent in a Liberal statesman to override every
Liberal maxim and belie every Liberal profession? Was not the popular
current too strong to be safely defied? There were Liberal statesmen
enough of conspicuous merit to take his place at the helm, should he
make the misstep: Gladstone, Gibson, Herbert, Granville, would fully
answer the popular demand: his downfall, if it came, would doubtless be
final. His private feelings, therefore, even his political wishes, must
yield to policy. His love of place is too strong to succumb either to
personal prejudice or national jealousy; and the long habit has made the
self-denial more easy.

The other reason why Lord Palmerston has withheld open comfort from the
Rebels is doubtless to be found in the steady adherence of our
Government to the position which it assumed at the beginning,--in the
promptness with which we have insisted upon our rights throughout the
world,--the grace with which we have disavowed the evident errors of
public servants,--the steadiness of our military progress,--the ease
with which we have borne the strain upon our resources in respect both
of men and money,--the possible, if not probable, success of the
war,--the certainty that that success would strengthen our system, and
render us capable of resenting foreign insult. For while Lord Palmerston
and Lord Russell are very apt to stalk about and threaten and talk very
loudly at nations whose weakness causes them not to be feared, and by
bullying whom some power or money may slide into British hands, they are
slow to provoke nations whose resentment either is or may become
formidable to British weal. The British lion roars over the impotence of
Brazil: he lies still and watches before the might of Napoleon. In the
one case he stands forth the lordly king of beasts; in the other he
seems metamorphosed into the fox. The hope that America would descend
incontinently to the rank of an inferior power was quickly dispelled; so
the lion crouched and the foxy head appeared. The everlasting caution
came in and said,--"Wait your chance; a hasty judgment is always a poor
judgment; let events take their course, and if occasion offers, strike
the right blow at the right time; but do not decree away the stability
of