e up to him. For the War Department
there were but two men--both very able, but both liable to objections:
the first was Lord Grey, who would do it admirably, but with whom he
disagreed in general politics, and in this instance on the propriety
of the war, which he himself was determined to carry on with the
utmost vigour; then came his peculiar views about the Amalgamation
of Offices, in which he did not at all agree. The other was Lord
Ellenborough, who was very able, and would certainly be very popular
with the Army, but was very unmanageable; yet he hoped he could keep
him in order. It might be doubtful whether Lord Hardinge could go on
with him at the Horse Guards. We agreed in the danger of Lord Grey's
Army proposal, and had to pronounce the opinion that Lord Ellenborough
was almost mad. This led us to a long discussion upon the merits of
the conduct of the war, upon which he seemed to share the general
prejudices, but on being told some of the real facts and difficulties
of the case, owned that these, from obvious reasons, could not be
stated by the Government in their defence, and said that he was aware
that the chief fault lay at headquarters in the Crimea. Lord Raglan
ought to be recalled, as well as his whole staff, and perhaps he could
render this less painful to him by asking him to join the Cabinet,
where his military advice would be of great value.

[Footnote 19: Lord Derby's judgment was not borne out by
subsequent events. Lord Palmerston was Prime Minister when
he died on the 18th of October 1865, ten years later. "The
half-opened cabinet-box on his table, and the unfinished
letter on his desk, testified that he was at his post to the
last,"--Ashley's _Life of Lord Palmerston_, vol. ii. p. 273.]

To be able to meet the House of Commons, however, Lord Derby said he
required the assistance of men like Mr Gladstone and Mr S. Herbert,
and he was anxious to know whether the Queen could tell him upon what
support he could reckon in that quarter. We told him we had reason to
believe the Peelites would oppose a Government of Lord John Russell,
but were inclined to support one of Lord Derby's; whether they were
inclined to join in office, however, appeared very doubtful. The Queen
having laid great stress on a good selection for the office of Foreign
Affairs, Lord Derby said he would have to return to Lord Malmesbury,
who, he thought, had done well before, and had now additional
experie