peaking of the Tories at the epoch of
Reform. He had been leader of his party for a long term of difficult
years, and Prime Minister for the space of six, and in that capacity had
left on the statute book an impressive record of his zeal on behalf of
civil and religious liberty. No statesman of the period had won more
distinction in spite of 'gross blunders,' which he himself in so many
words admitted. He was certainly entitled to rest on his laurels; but
it was nonsense for anyone to suppose that the animosity of the Irish,
or the indignation of the Ritualists, or the general chagrin at the
collapse--under circumstances for which Lord John was by no means alone
responsible--of the Vienna Conference, could condemn a man of so much
energy and courage, as well as political prescience, to perpetual
banishment from Downing Street.

There were people who thought that Lord John was played out in 1855, and
there were many more who wished to think so, for he was feared by the
incompetent and apathetic of his own party, as well as by those who had
occasion to reckon with him in honourable but strenuous political
conflict. The great mistake of his life was not the Durham Letter, which
has been justified, in spite of its needless bitterness of tone, by the
inexorable logic of accomplished events. It was not his attitude towards
Ireland in the dark years of famine, which was in reality far more
temperate and generous than is commonly supposed. It was not his action
over the Vienna Conference, for, now that the facts are known, his
reticence in self-defence, under the railing accusations which were
brought against him, was magnanimous and patriotic. The truth is, Lord
John Russell placed himself in a false position when he yielded to the
importunity of the Court and the Peelites by consenting to accept office
under Lord Aberdeen. The Crimean War, which he did his best to prevent,
only threw into the relief of red letters against a dark sky the radical
divergence of opinion which existed in the Coalition Government.

[Sidenote: OUT OF OFFICE]

For nearly four years after his retirement from office Lord John held an
independent political position, and there is evidence enough that he
enjoyed to the full this respite from the cares of responsibility. He
gave up his house in town, and the quidnuncs thought that they had seen
the last of him as a Minister of the Crown, whilst the merchants and the
stockbrokers of the City were suppos