"Of the obstinate effort to bring about an armed intervention, on the lines marked out by Russells letter to Palmerston from Gotha, 17 September, 1862, nothing could be said beyond Gladstones plea in excuse for his speech in pursuance of the same effort, that it was the most singular and palpable error, the least excusable, a mistake of incredible grossness, which passed defence; but while Gladstone threw himself on the mercy of the public for his speech, he attempted no excuse for Lord Russell who led him into the incredible grossness of announcing the Foreign Secretarys intent."