[5] [Lord Holland had been attacked for the part he took in opposition to the Treaty of July in the preceding year, and for his earnest endeavours to avert a rupture with France. The best answer to these aspersions on the conduct of a most excellent man and true patriot occurs in a letter from M. Guizot to Lady Holland of January 3, 1841, which has recently been published. I transcribe the following sentences:-- 'J'ai ressenti un vrai, un vif chagrin quand j'ai vu le nom qui vous est cher compromis d'une facon si inconvenante dans nos debats. J'aurais voulu raconter moi-meme, a tout le monde, sa bienveillance si sincere pour la France, son desir si perseverant de maintenir entre nos deux pays une amitie qu'il regardait comme excellente pour tous les deux, et en meme temps sa constante preoccupation pour son propre pays, son devouement si tendre pour la Reine, son attachement si fidele pour ses collegues. Je n'ai rencontre personne qui sut concilier a ce point tous les devoirs, tous les sentiments, toutes les idees. Dans la confiance de nos entretiens j'ai bien souvent regrette que tout le monde ne fut pas la pour l'entendre, tout le monde, Anglais, Francais, ceux dont il ne partageait pas les opinions comme ceux qui etaient de son avis. Il aurait exerce sur tout le monde une influence bien salutaire, et les absurdes propos qui out ete tenus, depuis qu'il n'est plus la, auraient ete completement impossibles.'] February 1st, 1841 {p.371} The Sheriffs' dinner at the Lord President's on Saturday.[6] It must be owned they decide very conscientiously. One man asked for exemption because he had, by keeping away Conservative votes, decided an election in favour of a Whig candidate, and, though otherwise disposed to let him off, they made him Sheriff directly on reading this excuse. I sat next to Palmerston. It was amusing to see how everything is blown over, and how success and the necessity of making common cause has reconciled all jarring sentiments; and it was amusing to hear Melbourne in one house and John Russell in the other vigorously defending and praising Palmerston's policy. It must be owned that Palmerston has conducted himself well under the circumstances, without any air of triumph or boasting either over his colleagues or his opponents or the French. He has deserved his success by the moderation with which he has taken it. I saw Bourqueney last night, delighted with all that was said in Parliament, especially, of course, by the Duke and Peel, but well satisfied with John Russell and Palmerston, and he owned the tone of the latter was unexceptionable.