emed to the Government at
the time, was one of the most unfortunate circumstances of Lord John's
political career. It directly led to misunderstandings and to obloquy, such
as few public men have ever encountered."

LONDON, May 8, 1855

John given up thoughts of resignation. Glad of it, since he can
honourably remain. I know how his reputation would have
suffered--not as an honest man, but as a wise statesman.

This was the second time in Lord John's career that his loyalty to the Whig
party involved him in a false position. On May 24th Disraeli proposed a
vote of censure on the Government for their conduct of the war and
condemning their part in the negotiations at Vienna. Lord John made, in
reply to Gladstone and Disraeli, an extremely forcible speech, urging that
the limitation of the number of Russian ships in the Black Sea did not give
sufficient guarantee to the safety of Turkey. Shortly afterwards the
Austrian Chancellor, Count Buol, published the fact that Lord John had been
in favour of this very compromise, which Austria had proposed at the
Congress. He was at once asked whether this was true, and he admitted that
it was. He could not explain that he had taken a different line on his
return because, had he stuck to his opinion, the French alliance would have
been endangered. The Emperor was persuaded that the fall of Sevastopol was
necessary to the safety of his throne. Marshal Vaillant had said to him, "I
know the feelings of the Army. I am sure that if, after having spent months
in the siege of Sevastopol, we return unsuccessful, the Army will not be
satisfied." [47] Since this was the case, Lord John had had to choose
between resigning on the strength of his own opinion that the Austrian
terms were good enough, thus bringing about the fall of the Ministry and a
possible breach with France, or relinquishing his own opinion and defending
the view of the Government and the Emperor in order to preserve a good
understanding with the French. Of course, to all the world it looked as
though, for the sake of office, he had belied his own convictions. Seldom
has any Minister of the Crown been placed in a more painful position. The
Cabinet knew the true circumstances of the case, and the reason why he
could give no explanation for his inconsistency: but many of his friends
did not. A motion of censure was proposed against him, and now that his
presence in the Ministry had ceased to be a support, and h