PEMBROKE LODGE, February 26, 1855

Mr. West called yesterday, and was full of admiration of the magnanimity of your conduct, but not of its wisdom.  J.A.  Smith writes me a kind letter telling me of the delight of your late calumniators at Brooks’s.  Frederick Romilly says London society is charmed.  He touched me very much.  He spoke with tears in his eyes of the generosity of your motives, and of the irreparable blow to yourself and the country from your abandonment of an honourable and independent position for a renewal of official ties....  Papa is very grave and unhappy, doing justice of course to your motives, but fearing that in sacrificing yourself you sacrifice the best interests of the country.

    Lord John to Lady John Russell

    BERLIN, March 1, 1855

It was necessary in order to have any effect to decide at once on my acceptance or refusal of office.  I considered the situation of affairs to be a very serious one.  I had hoped that Lord Palmerston, with the assistance of the Peelites, might go through the session.  Suddenly the secession took place, producing a state of affairs such as no man ever remembered.  Confidence in the Government was shaken to a very great extent by the mortality and misery of our Army in the Crimea.  I could not resist inquiry; but having yielded that point, it seemed dastardly to leave men, who had nothing to do with sending the expedition to the Crimea, charged with the duty of getting the Army out of the difficulty.  Yet it was clear that Lord Palmerston’s Government without my help could hardly stand, and thus the Government of 1854 would have been convicted of deserting the task they had undertaken to perform.  There remained the personal difficulty of my serving under Palmerston in the House of Commons; for my going to the House of Lords would have been only a personal distinction to me and would not have helped Palmerston in his difficulty.  In the circumstances of the case I thought it right to throw aside every consideration of ease, dignity, and comfort.  If I had not been responsible for the original expedition to the Crimea, I would certainly not have taken the office I have now accepted.  Still, it brings the scattered remnants of the Liberal party together and enables them to try once more whether they can govern with success....  Lord Minto is now satisfied that I have followed a public call; for public men must sacrifice themselves in a great emergency.  It was not a time to think of self....  We had an account of the serious illness of the Emperor of Russia.  If he should die, I should have good hopes of peace....

March 2nd.  News come of the Emperor’s death.  I hope it may be a good event for Europe, but it makes me sad at present.  “What shadows we are and what shadows we pursue” constantly occurs to my mind....  My mission may perhaps be more successful in consequence, but no one can say.  At all events you will come to Vienna....

    Poor little boys and poor little Agatha!  I should feel more
    responsible with those children on a journey than with my mission
    and the Colonies to boot.