Blackwood's Edinburgh Magazine, Volume 71, No. 436, February 1852Various
History
Blackwood's Edinburgh Magazine, Volume 71, No. 436, February 1852
Various
England -- Periodicals; Scotland -- Periodicals
To complete the perils of Great Britain, arising out of the very
magnitude of its former triumphs and extent of its empire, while
so many causes were conspiring to weaken its internal strength,
and disqualify it for withstanding the assault of a formidable
enemy, others, perhaps more pressing, were alienating foreign
nations, breaking up old alliances, and tending more and more to
isolate England in the midst of European hostility. The triumph
of the democratic principle, by the Revolution of 1830 in France,
was the cause of this; for it at once induced an entire change
of government and foreign policy in England, and substituted new
revolutionary for the old conservative alliances. Great Britain
no longer appeared as the champion of order, but as the friend of
rebellion; revolutionary dynasties were, by her influence, joined
with that of France, established in Belgium, Spain, and Portugal;
and the policy of our Cabinet avowedly was to establish an alliance
of constitutional sovereigns in Western, which might counter
balance the coalition of despots in Eastern, Europe. This system
has been constantly pursued, and for long with ability and success
by our Government. Strong in the support of France, whether under
a "throne, surrounded by republican institutions," or under those
institutions themselves, England became indifferent to the jealousy
of the other continental powers; and in the attempt to extend the
spread of liberal institutions, or the sympathy openly expressed
for foreign rebels, irritated beyond forgiveness the cabinets of St
Petersburg, Vienna, and Berlin. While the French alliance continued,
these powers were constrained to devour their indignation in
silence; they did not venture, with the embers of revolt slumbering
in their own dominions, to brave the combined hostility of France
and England. But all alliances formed on identity of feeling, not
interest, are ephemeral in their duration. A single day destroyed
the whole fabric on which we rested for our security. Revolutionary
violence everywhere worked out its natural and unavoidable result in
the principal continental states. A military despotism was, after
a sanguinary struggle, established in Austria and Prussia; the 2d
December arrived in France, and that power in an instant was turned
over to the side of the absolute governments on the Continent. Our
efforts to revolutionise Europe have ended in the establishment
of military despotisms in all its principal states, supported by
fifteen hundred thousand armed men--our boasted alliance with
France, in the placing of it in the very front rank of what may
eventually become the league of our enemies.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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