it was my object to enforce, was manifested on
both sides, and nothing fell from John Russell offensive in a
constitutional or even in a party sense, and the Opposition
leader abstained from attacking him, with a forbearance which, if
calculated, was very consistently maintained. Satisfactorily,
however, as the whole thing appears to have terminated for the
Government, they do not consider it to have given them any
permanent strength, or the prospect of a longer tenure of office;
for the Radicals, while one and all supported them on this Irish
vote, were not sparing of menace and invective, and plainly
indicated that, unless concessions were speedily made for them,
the Government should lose their support; and consequently, there
are many who are hoping and expecting, and many more who are
desiring, that concessions should be made, and by these means
that the Government concern should be again bolstered up. Some of
the Cabinet, more of the subordinates and hangers-on, and many of
what are called the old Whigs, are earnestly pressing this, and
they are very angry and very sorrowful because John Russell is
inflexible on this point. He has to sustain the assaults, not
only of the violent of his party, and of Ellice and the out-of-
door advisers, monitors and critics, but of his own family, even
of his father, who, after announcing that he had given up
politics and quitted the stage, has been dragged forward and
induced to try his parental rhetoric upon the conservative
immobility of his son. To the letter which the Duke wrote him,
Lord John merely replied that 'he would shortly see his opinions
in print;' and to Ellice's warm remonstrances and entreaties he
only dryly said, 'I have made up my mind.' His nephew, Lord
Russell,[12] who, from some extraordinary crotchet, has thought
fit to embrace republican opinions, and is an ultra-movement man,
but restrained in the manifestation of his opinions from personal
deference to his father and his uncle, with whom he lives on
excellent terms--said the other day to Lord Tavistock, 'Lord John
has undertaken a great task; he is endeavouring to arrest the
progress of the movement, and if he succeeds he will be a very
great man. He may succeed, and if he does it will be a great
achievement.' This Lord Tavistock told Lord John, who replied
that 'he was convinced of the danger which threatened the country
from the movement, and of the necessity of opposing its progress;
that he conside