d.

You say that you are in a great difficulty as to the course you ought
to take. I am in none whatever.

I gave you my decided opinion yesterday that you ought to continue in
Palmerston's Administration; and I endeavoured to support this opinion
by the very arguments which you repeat in your letter to me. Surely
this letter ought to have been addressed to Gladstone and Graham,
and not to me. I fully concur in thinking that you came to a wrong
conclusion yesterday, and I would fain hope that it would still be
reversed.

When you sent to me yesterday to attend your meeting, I certainly
hoped it was with the intention of following my advice.

Your reluctance to continue in Palmerston's Cabinet is chiefly founded
on the apprehension that he will pursue a warlike policy beyond
reasonable bounds. I have already told you that I have had some
explanations with him on the terms of peace, with which I am
satisfied. But whatever may be his inclinations, you ought to rely
on the weight of your own character and opinions in the Cabinet. I am
persuaded that the sentiments of the great majority of the Members of
the Cabinet are similar to your own, and that you may fairly expect
reason and sound policy to prevail in the question of peace and war.

But above all I have recently had some very full conversations
with Clarendon on the subject, and I am entirely satisfied with his
disposition and intentions. I am sanguine in the belief that he will
give effect to his present views.

A perseverance in the refusal to join Palmerston will produce very
serious effects, and will never be attributed to its true cause. The
public feeling will be strongly pronounced against you, and you will
greatly suffer in reputation, if you persevere at such a moment as
this in refusing to continue in the Cabinet.

In addition to the public necessity, I think you owe much to our late
Whig colleagues, who behaved so nobly and generously towards us
after Lord John's resignation. They have some right to expect this
sacrifice.

Although your arguments do not apply to me, for I yesterday adopted
them all, you conclude your letter by pressing me to enter the
Cabinet. Now there is really no sense in this, and I cannot imagine
how you can seriously propose it. You would expose me to a gratuitous
indignity, to which no one ought to expect me to submit. I say
_gratuitous_, because I could not be of the slightest use in such a
situation for the purpose you r