his death, and of course long before O'Meara's book
appeared, though the doctor's advent in Europe was made the occasion
of a vigorous exposure of the progress of the great assassination.

A wave of public opinion was gathering force; the Government, stupid
and treacherous as they were, saw it rising, and renewed their silly
efforts to stem it by causing atrocious duplicity to be instituted at
home and on the martyr rock. Indeed, nothing was beneath their
dignity so long as they succeeded in deceiving an agitated populace
and accomplishing their own evil ends.

But notwithstanding the tactics and the deplorable use made of the
traitor Gourgaud, sympathetic feeling increases. Questions are
frequently asked in the House of Commons, to which evasive answers are
given, but reaction is so obviously gaining ground that Lords
Liverpool, Castlereagh, and the immortal Bathurst become perturbed.
They saw in the accession to power of Lord Holland's party a complete
exposure of their maladministration, and a reversing of their policy
(if it be not a libel to distinguish it as a "policy"). They knew,
too, that once the public is fairly seized with the idea of a great
wrong being perpetrated, no Government, however strong numerically or
in personality, can withstand its opposition. Had the Emperor lived
but a little longer, the vindictive men who tormented him to death
would have been compelled to give way before not only British, but
European, indignation. Public opinion would have enforced the
Administration to deal out better treatment to their captive, have
demanded his removal from the island of sorrow, and probably his
freedom. The public may be capricious, but once it makes up its mind
to do anything no power on earth can stop it, because it has a greater
power behind it. Luckily, or unluckily, for Bathurst & Co., the
spirit of the great captive had passed beyond the portal before
serious public action could be taken.

Three years previous to this the Colonial Secretary in writing to Lowe
says:--"We must expect that the removal of Mr. O'Meara will occasion a
great sensation, and an attempt will be made to give a bad impression
on the subject. You had better let the substance of my instructions be
generally known as soon as you have executed it, that it may not be
represented that Mr. O'Meara has been removed in consequence of any
quarrel with you, but in consequence of the information furnished by
General Gourgaud in Engla