Lord Derby had, in fact, resigned, but of course immense
pressure was applied to recall a step which would have detached from the Tory Cabinet thousands of influential men, who regard the great Lancashire Peer as their security against the viewi- ness and rashness of his nominal chief. Lord Derby, in an evil hour for his reputation, yielded, and on Monday night announced that he had resigned, in conse- quence of a grave step taken by the Cabinet in the policy of which he did not concur, but which, had he remained, he would, as Foreign Secretary, have been obliged to defend. Under certain altered conditions his colleagues thought that the step should be retraced, and it was retraced, and in consequence he had no hesi- tation and no difficulty in withdrawing his resignation. He, however, expressly added that his colleagues had not changed their opinions, and it comes, therefore, to this,—that Lord Derby remains in a Cabinet with whose policy he materially disagrees, because the circumstances have not yet com- pelled them to give that policy full expression. This is not a very dignified line of conduct, though it may be temporarily useful to a Tory Ministry, and suggests either that Lord Derby has received pledges which are not avowed, or that he cannot bear to give up the excitement and occupation of his office at a time when it is the most important in the country. At any moment he may be compelled either to resign again, or to take steps contrary to his own announced beliefs as to the right policy for the country to pursue.
