Maxims and Opinions of Field-Marshal His Grace the Duke of Wellington, Selected From His Writings and Speeches During a Public Life of More Than Half a CenturyWellington, Arthur Wellesley, Duke of
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Maxims and Opinions of Field-Marshal His Grace the Duke of Wellington, Selected From His Writings and Speeches During a Public Life of More Than Half a Century
Wellington, Arthur Wellesley, Duke of
Great Britain -- Politics and government -- 19th century; Wellington, Arthur Wellesley, Duke of, 1769-1852
No noble lord nor any other man that I know has done half so much for
the preservation of peace, and above all, for the pacification and the
maintenance of the honour of France and for the settlement of all
questions in which the interests of France were involved, as the
individual who is addressing your lordships. From the period of the year
1814, down to the last month of my remaining in the service of the king,
I did everything in my power for the strengthening and preservation of
the peace of Europe, and more particularly for the maintaining and
keeping up the best understanding between England and France. I repeat,
that I have done more than any one else to place France in the situation
in which she ought to be in the councils of Europe, from a firm
conviction,--which I feel now as strongly as I ever did,--that if France
is not, then there is no necessity for the preservation of the peace of
Europe, or for a sound decision on any subject of general policy. I am
sure that the noble viscount would find, if he would take the trouble to
search the archives of the government, papers written by me shortly
before I went out of office in 1830, that would fully justify the
assertion which I have just made. I am sure that those who were in
office with me were as anxious for the preservation of the peace of
Europe as any politicians, be they liberals or otherwise. They were as
anxious for the preservation of a good understanding between France and
this country, and that France should be on a perfectly good
understanding with all the powers of Europe, and that she should take
the station which becomes her in the rank of nations, and which her
power, her wealth, and her resources entitle her to.
_January 26, 1841._
* * * * *
_The Capture of Acre, the greatest deed of modern times._
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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