red this duty paramount to all other
considerations. He did not desire the dissolution of the
Government to which he belonged; on the contrary, he wished to
remain in office; but nevertheless he considered the promotion of
party objects and the retention of office subordinate to the
higher and more imperative duty of opposing principles fraught
with danger to the State, and to that end he would devote his
best energies.' (It is impossible to give the exact words, and
these are not _the words_, but it is the exact sense of what he
said.)

[12] [William Russell, afterwards eighth Duke of Bedford,
born 30th June 1809, died May 1872.]

April 22nd, 1839 {p.192}

[Page Head: THE RADICALS AND THE WHIGS.]

The moderate Radicals are now very anxious to come to some
amicable understanding with the Government, and, if possible, to
prop up the concern. They are very angry with their more violent
compeers (Grote, Leader, &c.), and Fonblanque told me last night
that they would take the slightest concessions, the least thing
that would satisfy their constituencies, but that _something_
they must have, and that something he appeared to think they
should get. I asked him what was the _minimum_ of concession that
would do, and he said the rate-paying clauses, which would be
merely working out the original principle, the demolition of the
boroughs under 300 electors, and Ballot an open question. I told
him that I was persuaded these things were impossible; that Lord
John Russell never would consent to begin again the work of
disfranchisement, nor to make Ballot an open question; that he
_is alarmed_, and determined to stop. Clarendon had told me much
the same thing in the morning on the authority of his brother
Charles,[13] who is a very leading man, and much looked to among
them, probably (besides that he really is very clever) on account
of that aristocratic origin and connexion which he himself
affects to despise, and to consider prejudicial to him. Of course
this anxiety on the part of the moderate Radicals to come to
terms will increase the eagerness of the violent Whigs to strike
a bargain; but Lord John will continue, I believe, to forbid the
banns. These things would only be wedges, no sooner conceded than
fresh demands would be raised upon them; besides, they never
could, without abandoning every principle of independence and
losing all sense of honour, yield to contumely, menace and the
most insulting la