his means of defence
and of the force of the antagonist power with which he had to
contend. The leading principles of his political conduct have
been constantly erroneous, and his dexterity and ability in
supporting them have only made the consequences of his errors
more extensively pernicious. If we look back through the long
course of Peel's life, and enquire what have been the great
political measures with which his name is particularly connected,
we shall find, first, the return to cash payments, which almost
everybody now agrees was a fatal mistake, though it would not be
fair to visit him with extraordinary censure for a measure which
was sanctioned by almost all the great financial authorities;
secondly, opposition to Reform in Parliament and to religious
emancipation of every kind, the maintenance of the exclusive
system, and support, untouched and unconnected, of the Church,
both English and Irish. His resistance to alterations on these
heads was conducted with great ability, and for a long time with
success; but he was endeavouring to uphold a system which was no
longer supportable, and having imbibed in his career much of the
liberal spirit of the age, he found himself in a state of no
small perplexity between his old connections and his more
enlarged propensities. Still he was chained down by the former,
and consequently being beaten from all his positions, he was
continually obliged to give way, but never did so till rather too
late for his own credit and much too late for the interest at
stake. Notwithstanding, therefore, the reputation he has
acquired, the hold he has had of office, and is probably destined
to have again, his political life has been a considerable
failure, though not such an one as to render it more probable
than not that his future life will be a failure too. He has
hitherto been encumbered with embarrassing questions and an
unmanageable party. Time has disposed of the first, and he is
divorced from the last; if his great experience and talents have
a fair field to act upon, he may yet, in spite of his selfish and
unamiable character, be a distinguished and successful Minister.

CHAPTER XX.

Appointment of Sir Stratford Canning to the Russian Embassy--
Cause of the Refusal--Slavery in the West Indies--The Reformed
Parliament--Duke of Wellington's View of Affairs--The Coercion
Bill--The Privy Council Bill--Lord Durham made an Earl--Mr.
Stanley