I hope to be able to see Lord Russell alone to-morrow.
He used to pay some little attention to any opinions I ventured to express to him, and I am _not_ without hope.

I may add that I was as frank with Lord Palmerston as he has been pleased to be with me, and I told him at parting to-day, that my present intention was not to proceed with the Motion at least for 10 days or a fortnight, unless he was prepared to support me.

He highly commended this course, and seemed much gratified with what I said.

The fact is, _sub rosa_, it is clear to me that _no_ motion will be carried unless it is supported by the Government for it is clear that Lord Derby is resolved to leave the responsibility with the Executive, and therefore, _in the present state of matters_, it would seriously injure the cause of the South to bring forward any motion which would not be carried." Lindsay then urges Mason to come at once to London.
"Now apart altogether from you seeing Lord Palmerston, I must earnestly entreat you to come here.

Unless you are much wanted in Paris, your visit here, as a private gentleman, can do no harm, and _may, at the present moment, be of great service to your country_[1180]." Palmerston's willingness to listen to suggestions of what would have amounted to a complete face-about of British policy on America, his "gratification" that Lindsay intended to postpone the parliamentary motion, his friendly courtesy to a man whom he had but recently rebuked for a meddlesome "amateur diplomacy," can be interpreted in no other light than an evidence of a desire to prevent Southern friends from joining in the attack, daily becoming more dangerous, on the Government's Danish policy.