ty, not only my
sense of the public interest, but my personal feeling towards them,
would make me think that no means ought to be left untried for that
purpose. I am, however, obliged to confess to myself that I see no
possibility of this. The publicity which has been given to the
whole business seems to render it utterly impracticable. The
assurances which have been given are well known, and the breach or
performance of them must be discreditable to one of the _two_
parties, for such, unfortunately, they now are again.

I never can enough regret your absence from this country while this
has been going on. I am sure if you had been here the whole thing
would have been avoided. As it is, what determination you will take
respecting your own line I know not, and I feel myself too deeply
interested in it to think myself a fair or competent adviser.

Nothing can be more unfortunate to the public interest than this
incident; but the sense of it would certainly be very much
aggravated to me if it were to lead, which I still hope it may not,
to the placing us two again on different lines, and in opposite
systems. Whatever you decide in that respect, I cannot help
flattering myself that you will do justice to our conduct; and
without calling upon you to condemn others, I cannot help
entertaining the belief that you will think no part of this great
misfortune imputable to us. With respect to my own personal
opinions of the importance of forming and maintaining the union,
you were, I am sure, enough a witness to them to make it very
unnecessary for me, in writing to you, to dwell much on that point.

I have written this to you, though the thing has not yet taken its
final turn, because any delay might possibly prevent your receiving
it before your arrival here, for which I now look with increased
impatience and anxiety.

God bless you, my dearest brother.

The weak point of the Government was its combination of opposite
parties; and the consideration which finally determined the course of
Ministers, was the necessity of preventing their differences from coming
to an open rupture--a result that would have jeopardized the very
existence of the Administration. With that paramount object in view,
Lord Grenville, writing again to his brother, analyses the difficulties
of the situatio