iate and separate grant of 30,000_l._ Few statesmen were more
sensitive than Peel, but, convinced of the justice of such a concession,
he spoke that day amid the angry opposition of the majority of his usual
supporters and the approving cheers of his ordinary opponents.

Peel was not the man to falter, although his party was in revolt. He had
gauged the forces which were arrayed in Ireland against the authority of
Parliament; he stated in his final words on the subject that there was
in that country a formidable confederacy, which was prepared to go any
lengths against a hard interpretation of the supremacy of England. 'I do
not believe that you can break it up by force; I believe you can do much
by acting in a spirit of kindness, forbearance, and generosity.' At once
a great storm of opposition arose in Parliament, on the platform, and in
the Press. The Carlton Club found itself brought into sudden and
unexpected agreement with many a little Bethel up and down the country,
for the champions of 'No Surrender' in Pall Mall were of one mind with
those of 'No Popery' in Exeter Hall. Society for the moment, according
to Harriet Martineau, seemed to be going mad, and she saw enough to
convince her that it was not the extent of the grant that was deprecated
so much as an advance in that direction at all. Public indignation ran
so high that in some instances members of Parliament were called upon to
resign their seats, whilst Dublin--so far at least as its sentiments
were represented by the Protestant Operative Association--was for
nothing less than the impeachment of the unhappy Prime Minister.
Sectarian animosity, whipped into fury by rhetorical appeals to its
prejudices, encouraged the paper trade by interminable petitions to
Parliament; and three nights were spent in debate in the Lords and six
in the Commons over the second reading of the bill.

[Sidenote: HOW PEEL TRIUMPHED]

Lord John Russell was assailed with threatening letters as soon as it
was known that he intended to help Peel to outweather the storm of
obloquy which he was called to encounter. Sir Robert's proposals were
welcomed by him as a new and worthy departure from the old repressive
policy. It was because he thought that such a measure would go far to
conciliate the Catholics of Ireland, as well as to prove to them that
any question which touched their interests and welfare was not a matter
of unconcern to the statesmen and people of England, that he ga