More forts were then bombarded and a number
of junks were sunk. The real motive of these aggressive proceedings lay in
the fact that the English traders had not yet been able to get a free
entrance into Canton, in spite of treaties permitting them to trade there.
Sir John Bowring made the refusal of apologies an excuse for forcing the
Chinese to admit them. Not unnaturally the Chinese retaliated by burning
foreign factories and cutting foreign throats. Meanwhile Palmerston at home
characteristically supported Sir John Bowring through thick and thin, and
the upshot was a long war with China.

Lord John detested aggressive and violent proceedings of this kind. His
speech on Cobden's motion was one of his finest. The following passage from
it expresses the spirit in which later on he conducted the foreign policy
of England himself:

We have heard much of late--a great deal too much, I think--of the
prestige of England. We used to hear of the character, of the
reputation, of the honour of England. I trust, sir, that the
character, the reputation, and the honour of this country are dear
to us all; but if the prestige of England is to be separated from
those qualities ... then I, for one, have no wish to maintain it.
To those who argue, as I have heard some argue, "It is true we have
a bad case; it is true we were in the wrong; it is true that we
have committed an injustice; but we must persevere in that wrong;
we must continue to act unjustly, or the Chinese will think we are
afraid," I say, as has been said before, "Be just and fear not."

Palmerston was defeated by sixteen votes, and went to the country on a
"Civis Romanus" policy, or, as we should say now, with a "Jingo" cry, which
was immensely popular. Its popularity was so great that there seemed no
chance that Lord John would retain his seat for the City. Even Cobden and
Bright were defeated in their constituencies, and the country returned
Palmerston with a majority of seventy-nine. Unpopular since his apparent
change of front regarding the Vienna treaty, it would have been small
wonder if Lord John had taken the advice of his committee and retired from
the contest; but he was bent on taking his one-to-hundred chance, and, as
it turned out, his courage won the seat.

LONDON, _March_ 7, 1857

J.A. Smith called on me to know whether John had determined what
to do. Said I thought he meant to fight the battle.