On Easter Monday Mr. Goschen dined with the Lord Mayor
at the Mansion House, and in answer to the toast of Her Majesty's 'Ministers made a remarkable speech, terse, weighty, and couched in that peculiar tone of dignity and self-reliance which Englishmen love to hear from their only political mouthpiece, the British Government. He expressed the regret of the Ministers that after two sessions and a half of hard work they had achieved so little. The truth was that the stupendous events happening abroad had arrested the attention of the Government and the country. "And what had we to do now ? We had to buy back our Army, which be- longed at this moment to the officers, and not to the nation." It would cost much, but the result would be adequate to the expense. He did not think the foreign policy of the Government had been I' other than honourable " to the country. They had pursued a policy which had been called a policy of isolation, but which was at 'least one of unselfishness, and he believed there were many countries in Europe which would prefer "the disinterested neu- trality of England to the sinister policy of some Continental States." England was never credited abroad with simple honesty in her foreign policy. Some Machiavellian design was always imputed to her. Europe would have it that we abolished the slave trade because we were jealous of the competition of the French and Spanish colonies, and that we sided with Denmark because we feared the result of the harbour of -Kiel falling into German hands. But he held we were more single-minded in our foreign policy than any other nation, and thought Europe foolish to be taken in by our habit of self-depreciation. Public opinion in this country was like a good strong horse rather out of condition with being led only on green-meat. Recent events in Europe should teach us to rely not on treaties or alliances, which often fail when the pinch comes, not on the word of statesmen,—for Secret Treaties shake confidence in that,—but upon ourselves. We ought to take measure of ourselves and, if necessary, to hold every man to his duty of maintaining the honour and glory of England " at the same height at which it had been held through many generations."
That has the true ring about it of a Minister who understands England, and who may one day help to make her again great.
