IN THE AVAR AGAINST EUSSIA. 31 imicli i)over as would iiiiikc his labours efleclivr, chap. II he yet was so free from all jealous, all 'vaulting' . ambition, as to be proof against the rniglity temp- tation which seemed to be dangled before him by his sudden exclusion from office ; * and being moreover quite capable — perhaps almost scorn- fully capable — of forgiving personal injuries, he goodnaturedly consented to withdraw his resig- nation, returning thus to the Home Office and the Cabinet as though little or nothing had hap- pened to var}"- his political life.f How the course of events might have run, if no enmity, whether righteous or otherwise, had chanced to be assailing the strongest member of the Government at the critical time of Sinopc — this, of course, is a question which can only be approached by conjecture ; but those who best knew Lord Palmerston will incline to believe that a proposal for bringing England into a state of virtual war with Russia would have been dealt with by him in the Cabinet upon its own merits, without a suggestion of any such motive as the
- If proposing vigorous measures ngaiust Eussia whilst out
of office, Lord Palmerston would have had the advantage of acting in virtual concert with the French Emperor, and of being at the same time supported, with great force, by our vehement people at home. It is probable that in such circum- stances, and armed with the public favour, acquired by his exclusion from office, he could hardly have helped becoming Prime Minister in the first month of the then approaching session t If the operation was effected en rajJe, the acceptance of the resignation, I suppose, must have been first withdrawn, or treated as incomplete, and tlicn the Minister could withdrav/ his resignation.
