Representative British Orations Volume 4 (of 4): With Introductions and Explanatory Notes
History
Representative British Orations Volume 4 (of 4): With Introductions and Explanatory Notes
Speeches, addresses, etc., English
Now, there are revolutionists of two kinds in this world. In the first
place there are those violent, hot-headed, and unthinking men, who fly
to arms, who overthrow established governments, and who recklessly
without regard to consequences, and without measuring difficulties and
comparing strength, deluge their country with blood, and draw down
the greatest calamities on their fellow-countrymen. These are the
revolutionists of one class. But there are revolutionists of another
kind; blind-minded men, who, animated by antiquated prejudices,
and daunted by ignorant apprehensions, dam up the current of human
improvement, until the irresistible pressure of accumulated discontent
breaks down the opposing barriers, and overthrows and levels to the
earth those very institutions which a timely application of renovating
means would have rendered strong and lasting. Such revolutionists as
these are the men who call us revolutionists. It was not to make
revolutions that the Earl of Minto[21] went to Italy, or that we, at
the request of the Governments of Austria and Naples, offered our
mediation between contending parties.
* * * * *
With respect to the questions which arose last Autumn about Turkey, no
blame has been imputed to her Majesty’s Government for the course which
we pursued on that occasion in answer to the appeal made by Turkey,
to this country and to France, for moral and material assistance. On
that point all parties agreed. It is a proud and honorable recollection
which Englishmen may treasure up, that on any occasion like that, all
party differences were merged in high and generous national feeling;
and that men of all sides concurred in thinking, that the Government of
the Queen would not have been justified in rejecting an appeal so made,
on such a subject.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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