Page:History of the Radical Party in Parliament.djvu/479

( 465 ) CHAPTER XIX. FROM THE DEATH OF PALMERSTON TO THE PASSING OF THE REFORM ACT ( 1 865-1867) CONCLUSION. IT was generally felt that the death of Palmerston closed the truce which had existed between Conservatism and Radicalism during his tenure of office. Both parties hesitated to attack the minister, in whom neither believed, and who, in fact, seemed to have no deep political convictions of any sort. It was a pause before battle, which both sides had been willing to prolong, but which now came to an end. Those timid politicians who called themselves Liberals, but dreaded reform, had to decide upon a definite course of action, and many of them chose to go over to the Tories in the struggle which was now commenced. In this they were as foolish as they were cowardly, and what they succeeded in doing was to defeat the moderate measure of reform which the Ministry offered, and which the Radicals were willing to accept, and by so doing to arouse a spirit of determination in the country, before which their temporary combinations were scattered, and on the strength of which the popular wishes were more thoroughly carried out. The new Ministry, which was now formed by Russell, con- sisted mainly of the same men who had composed the last, but it was known that there was a great difference in its spirit and intentions. Some indication of the change of feeling was given by the appointment of Mr. Stansfeld and Mr. Forster to office. The great alteration, however, was the substitution of Mr. Gladstone for Lord Palmerston as leader of the House of 2 H