Lord John Russell

CHAPTER I. Early Years, Education, and Travel

EARLY YEARS, EDUCATION, AND TRAVEL

1792-1813 PAGE Rise of the Russells under the Tudors--Childhood and early surroundings of Lord John--Schooldays at Westminster--First journey abroad with Lord Holland--Wellington and the Peninsular campaign--Student days in Edinburgh and speeches at the Speculative Society--Early leanings in politics and literature--Enters the House of Commons as member for Tavistock 1

CHAPTER II. In Parliament and for the People

IN PARLIAMENT AND FOR THE PEOPLE

1813-1826

The political outlook when Lord John entered the House of Commons--The 'Condition of England' question--The struggle for Parliamentary Reform--Side-lights on Napoleon Bonaparte--The Liverpool Administration in a panic--Lord John comes to the aid of Sir Francis Burdett--Foreign travel--First motion in favour of Reform--Making headway 21

CHAPTER III. Winning His Spurs

WINNING HIS SPURS

1826-1830

Defeated and out of harness--Journey to Italy--Back in Parliament--Canning's accession to power--Bribery and corruption--The repeal of the Test and Corporation Acts--The struggle between the Court and the Cabinet over Catholic Emancipation--Defeat of Wellington at the polls--Lord John appointed Paymaster-General 47

CHAPTER IV. A Fight for Liberty

A FIGHT FOR LIBERTY

1830-1832

Lord Grey and the cause of Reform--Lord Durham's share in the Reform Bill--The voice of the people--Lord John introduces the bill and explains its provisions--The surprise of the Tories--Reform, 'Aye' or 'No'--Lord John in the Cabinet--The bill thrown out--The indignation of the country--Proposed creation of Peers--Wellington and Sidmouth in despair--The bill carried--Lord John's tribute to Althorp 63

CHAPTER V. The Dawn of a New Era

THE DAWN OF A NEW ERA

1833-1838

The turn of the tide with the Whigs--The two voices in the Cabinet--Lord John and Ireland--Althorp and the Poor Law--The Melbourne Administration on the rocks--Peel in power--The question of Irish tithes--Marriage of Lord John--Grievances of Nonconformists--Lord Melbourne's influence over the Queen--Lord Durham's mission to Canada--Personal sorrow 88

CHAPTER VI. The Two Front Benches

THE TWO FRONT BENCHES

1840-1845

Lord John's position in the Cabinet and in the Commons--His services to Education--Joseph Lancaster--Lord John's Colonial Policy--Mr. Gladstone's opinion--Lord Stanmore's recollections--The mistakes of the Melbourne Cabinet--The Duke of Wellington's opinion of Lord John--The agitation against the Corn Laws--Lord John's view of Sir Robert Peel--The Edinburgh letter--Peel's dilemma--Lord John's comment on the situation 113

CHAPTER VII. Faction and Famine

FACTION AND FAMINE

1846-1847

Peel and Free Trade--Disraeli and Lord George Bentinck lead the attack--Russell to the rescue--Fall of Peel--Lord John summoned to power--Lord John's position in the Commons and in the country--The Condition of Ireland question--Famine and its deadly work--The Russell Government and measures of relief--Crime and coercion--The Whigs and Education--Factory Bill--The case of Dr. Hampden 136

CHAPTER VIII. In Rough Waters

IN ROUGH WATERS

1848-1852

The People's Charter--Feargus O'Connor and the crowd--Lord Palmerston strikes from his own bat--Lord John's view of the political situation--Death of Peel--Palmerston and the Court--'No Popery'--The Durham Letter--The invasion scare--Lord John's remark about Palmerston--Fall of the Russell Administration 163

CHAPTER IX. Coalition but Not Union

COALITION BUT NOT UNION

1852-1853

The Aberdeen Ministry--Warring elements--Mr. Gladstone's position--Lord John at the Foreign Office and Leader of the House--Lady Russell's criticisms of Lord Macaulay's statement--A small cloud in the East--Lord Shaftesbury has his doubts 199

CHAPTER X. Downing Street and Constantinople

DOWNING STREET AND CONSTANTINOPLE

1853

Causes of the Crimean War--Nicholas seizes his opportunity--The Secret Memorandum--Napoleon and the susceptibilities of the Vatican--Lord Stratford de Redcliffe and the Porte--Prince Menschikoff shows his hand--Lord Aberdeen hopes against hope--Lord Palmerston's opinion of the crisis--The Vienna Note--Lord John grows restive--Sinope arouses England--The deadlock in the Cabinet 213

CHAPTER XI. War Hinders Reform

WAR HINDERS REFORM

1854-1855

A Scheme of Reform--Palmerston's attitude--Lord John sore let and hindered--Lord Stratford's diplomatic triumph--The Duke of Newcastle and the War Office--The dash for Sebastopol--Procrastination and its deadly work--The Alma--Inkerman--The Duke's blunder--Famine and frost in the trenches 236

CHAPTER XII. The Vienna Difficulty

THE VIENNA DIFFICULTY

1855

Blunders at home and abroad--Roebuck's motion--'General Février' turns traitor--France and the Crimea--Lord John at Vienna--The pride of the nation is touched--Napoleon's visit to Windsor--Lord John's retirement--The fall of Sebastopol--The treaty of Paris 254

CHAPTER XIII. Literature and Education

LITERATURE AND EDUCATION

Lord John's position in 1855--His constituency in the City--Survey of his work in literature--As man of letters--His historical writings--Hero-worship of Fox--Friendship with Moore--Writes the biography of the poet--'Don Carlos'--A book wrongly attributed to him--Publishes his 'Recollections and Suggestions'--An opinion of Kinglake's--Lord John on his own career--Lord John and National Schools--Joseph Lancaster's tentative efforts--The formation of the Council of Education--Prejudice blocks the way--Mr. Forster's tribute 270

CHAPTER XIV. Coming Back to Power

COMING BACK TO POWER

1857-1861

Lord John as an Independent Member--His chance in the City--The Indian Mutiny--Orsini's attempt on the life of Napoleon--The Conspiracy Bill--Lord John and the Jewish Relief Act--Palmerston in power--Lord John at the Foreign Office--Cobden and Bright--Quits the Commons with a Peerage 286

CHAPTER XV. United Italy and the Dis-United States

UNITED ITALY AND THE DIS-UNITED STATES

1861-1865

Lord John at the Foreign Office--Austria and Italy--Victor Emmanuel and Mazzini--Cavour and Napoleon III.--Lord John's energetic protest--His sympathy with Garibaldi and the struggle for freedom--The gratitude of the Italians--Death of the Prince Consort--The 'Trent' affair--Lord John's remonstrance--The 'Alabama' difficulty--Lord Selborne's statement--The Cotton Famine 299

CHAPTER XVI. Second Premiership

SECOND PREMIERSHIP

1865-1866

The Polish Revolt--Bismarck's bid for power--The Schleswig-Holstein difficulty--Death of Lord Palmerston--The Queen summons Lord John--The second Russell Administration--Lord John's tribute to Palmerston--Mr. Gladstone introduces Reform--The 'Cave of Adullam'--Defeat of the Russell Government--The people accept Lowe's challenge--The feeling in the country 320

CHAPTER XVII. Out of Harness

OUT OF HARNESS

1867-1874

Speeches in the House of Lords--Leisured years--Mr. Lecky's reminiscences--The question of the Irish Church--The Independence of Belgium--Lord John on the claims of the Vatican--Letters to Mr. Chichester Fortescue--His scheme for the better government of Ireland--Lord Selborne's estimate of Lord John's public career--Frank admissions--As his private secretaries saw him 334

CHAPTER XVIII. Pembroke Lodge

PEMBROKE LODGE

1847-1878

Looking back--Society at Pembroke Lodge--Home life--The house and its memories--Charles Dickens's speech at Liverpool--Literary friendships--Lady Russell's description of her husband--A packet of letters--His children's recollections--A glimpse of Carlyle--A witty impromptu--Closing days--Mr. and Mrs. Gladstone--The jubilee of the Repeal of the Test and Corporation Acts--'Punch' on the 'Golden Wedding'--Death--The Queen's letter--Lord Shaftesbury's estimate of Lord John's career--His great qualities 349

INDEX 371

LORD JOHN RUSSELL

CHAPTER I. Early Years, Education, and Travel

EARLY YEARS, EDUCATION, AND TRAVEL

1792-1813

Rise of the Russells under the Tudors--Childhood and early surroundings of Lord John--Schooldays at Westminster--First journey abroad with Lord Holland--Wellington and the Peninsular campaign--Student days in Edinburgh and speeches at the Speculative Society--Early leanings in Politics and Literature--Enters the House of Commons as member for Tavistock.

GOVERNMENT by great families was once a reality in England, and when Lord John Russell's long career began the old tradition had not yet lost its ascendency. The ranks of privilege can at least claim to have given at more than one great crisis in the national annals leaders to the cause of progress. It is not necessary in this connection to seek examples outside the House of Bedford, since the name of Lord William Russell in the seventeenth century and that of Lord John in the nineteenth stand foremost amongst the champions of civil and religious liberty. Hugh du Rozel, according to the Battle Roll, crossed from Normandy in the train of the Conqueror. In the reign of Henry III. the first John Russell of note was a small landed proprietor in Dorset, and held the post of Constable of Corfe Castle. William Russell, in the year of Edward II.'s accession, was returned to Parliament, and his lineal descendant, Sir John Russell, was Speaker of the House of Commons in the days of Henry VI. The real founder, however, of the fortunes of the family was the third John Russell who is known to history. He was the son of the Speaker, and came to honour and affluence by a happy chance. Stress of weather drove Philip, Archduke of Austria and, in right of his wife, King of Castile, during a voyage from Flanders to Spain in the year 1506, to take refuge at Weymouth. Sir Thomas Trenchard, Sheriff of Dorset, entertained the unexpected guest, but he knew no Spanish, and Philip of Castile knew no English. In this emergency Sir Thomas sent in hot haste for his cousin, Squire Russell, of Barwick, who had travelled abroad and was able to talk Spanish fluently. The Archduke, greatly pleased with the sense and sensibility of his interpreter, insisted that John Russell must accompany him to the English Court, and Henry VII., no mean judge of men, was in turn impressed with his ability. The result was that, after many important services to the Crown, John Russell became first Earl of Bedford, and, under grants from Henry VIII. and Edward VI., the rich monastic lands of Tavistock and Woburn passed into his possession. The part which the Russells as a family have played in history of course lies outside the province of this volume, which is exclusively concerned with the character and career in recent times of one of the most distinguished statesmen of the present century.

Lord John Russell was born on August 18, 1792, at Hertford Street, Mayfair. His father, who was second son of Lord Tavistock, and grandson of the fourth Duke of Bedford, succeeded his brother Francis, as sixth Duke, in 1802, at the age of thirty-six, when his youngest and most famous son was ten years old. Long before his accession to the title, which was, indeed, quite unexpected, the sixth Duke had married the Hon. Georgiana Byng, daughter of Viscount Torrington, and the statesman with whose career these pages are concerned was the third son of this union. He spent his early childhood at Stratton Park, Hampshire. When he was a child of eight, Stratton Park was sold by the Duke of Bedford, and Oakley House, which he never liked so well, became the residence of his father. Although a shy, delicate child, he was sent in the spring of 1800, when only eight, to a private school at Sunbury--only a mile or two away from Richmond, where nearly eighty years later he died. In the autumn of 1801 he lost his mother, to whom he was deeply attached, and almost before the bewildered child had time to realise his loss, his uncle Francis also died, and his father, in consequence, became Duke of Bedford.

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