Mr. Gladstone did not agree with Lord Palmerston in reference to the Crimean war.  Like Lord Aberdeen, his policy was pacific, avoiding war except in cases of urgent necessity; but in this matter he was not only in the minority in the cabinet but not on the popular side,—­the Press and the people and the Commons being clamorous for war.  As already shown, it was one of the most unsatisfactory wars in English history,—­conducted to a successful close, indeed, but with an immense expenditure of blood and money, and with such an amount of blundering in management as to bring disgrace rather than glory on the government and the country.  But it was not for Mr. Gladstone to take a conspicuous part in the management of that unfortunate war.  His business was with the finances,—­to raise money for the public exigencies; and in this business he never had a superior.  He not only selected with admirable wisdom the articles to be taxed, but in his budgets he made the minutest details interesting.  He infused eloquence into figures; his audiences would listen to his financial statements for five continuous hours without wearying.  But his greatest triumph as finance minister was in making the country accept without grumbling an enormous income tax because he made plain its necessity.

The mistakes of the coalition ministry in the management of the war led to its dissolution, and Lord Palmerston became prime minister, Lord Clarendon foreign minister, while Mr. Gladstone retained his post as chancellor of the exchequer, yet only for a short time.  On the appointment of a committee to examine into the conduct of the war he resigned his post, and was succeeded by Sir G.C.  Lewis.  At this crisis the Emperor Nicholas of Russia died, and the cabinet, with a large preponderance of Whigs, having everything their own way, determined to prosecute the war to the bitter end.

Yet the great services and abilities of Gladstone as finance minister were everywhere conceded, not only for his skill in figures but for his wisdom in selecting and imposing duties that were acceptable to the country and did not press heavily upon the poor, thus following out the policy which Sir Robert Peel bequeathed.  Ever since, this has been the aim as well as the duty of a chancellor of the exchequer whatever party has been in the ascendent.

From this time onward Mr. Gladstone was a pronounced free-trader of the Manchester school.  His conscientious studies into the mutual relations of taxation, production, and commerce had convinced him that national prosperity lay along the line of freedom of endeavor.  He had taken a great departure from the principles he had originally advocated, which of course provoked a bitter opposition from his former friends and allies.  He was no longer the standard-bearer of the conservative party, but swung more and more by degrees from his old policy as light dawned upon his mind and experience taught him wisdom.  Perhaps the most remarkable