which would drive Sir Robert Peel’s Government from office would immediately and inevitably supply their places by a Government which must act upon destructive principles.  This will not be believed by many of those who, moving in the circumscribed sphere of intense party feeling, can contemplate only one object, namely—­a return to power, and disregard the intentions of the fierce auxiliaries of whose services they would avail themselves.  To the country at large, however, who breathe a freer air, the true nature of the struggle is plain as the sun at noonday.  The number of those who only nominally belong to parties, but have a very deep stake in the preservation of our national institutions, and see distinctly the advantages of a Minister acting firmly on moderate principles, and who will consequently give him a silent but steady support in moments of danger, is infinitely larger than is supposed by the opponents of the Conservative party.  Such a Minister, however, must make up his account with receiving often only a cold and jealous support from those of his adherents who incline to extreme opinions; while his opponents will increase their zeal and animosity in proportion to their perception of the unobjectionableness of his measures, the practical working of his moderation, viz.—­his continuance in power, and their own exclusion from it.  Such a Minister must possess a large share of fortitude, careless of its exhibition, and often exposing him to the charge of insensibility, as he moves steadily on amongst disaffected supporters and desperate opponents, mindless equally of taunts, threats, reproaches, and misrepresentations.  He must resolve to bide his time, while his well-matured measures are slowly developing themselves, relying on the conscious purity of his motives.  Such a man as this the country will prize and support, and such a man we sincerely believe that the country possesses in the present Prime Minister.  He may view, therefore, with perfect equanimity, a degree of methodized clamour and violence, which would overthrow a Minister of a different stamp.  Such are the inconveniences—­such the consolations and advantages—­attending that course of moderation which alone can be adopted with permanent success, by a Conservative Minister governing with a reformed House of Commons.

Another observation we would offer, has for its object to abate the pique and vexation under which the ablest volunteer advisers of the Minister are apt to suffer, on his disregard of their counsels, and sometimes to revenge themselves by bitter and indiscriminate censure of his general policy.  They should remember, that while they are irresponsible volunteers, he acts under a tremendous responsibility; to sustain which, however, he has advantages which none but those in his situation can possibly possess—­the co-operation of able brother Ministers, with all those sources and means of universal information which the constitution