Over a Hundred and
Fifty Seven years
ago a great
patriotic Prime
Minister -Foreign
Secretary -Lord
Palmerston (Henry
John Temple)
-beloved by his
People defined the
principle of
nationality as
follows:
“ Providence
meant mankind to be
divided into
separate nations,
and for this purpose
countries have been
bounded by natural
barriers, and races
of men have been
distinguished by
separate languages,
habits, manners,
dispositions, and
characters…”
(1848)
“…We
have in the first
place to say that
the Business of an
English Government,
is to pursue that
course of Foreign
Policy which on the
whole they may think
right; and not to
attempt the
impossible task of
at all times and
upon all subjects
doing that which is
agreeable to all
Foreign Governments.
A man who in private
life attempts to
please everyone,
invariably fails;
and the Government
of a great country
would not be more
successful in such
an endeavour…
. It must at
times be an
advantage to a
foreign Prince…in
the present state of
the continent to
visit England and to
see with his own
eyes, how Liberty
may be combined with
Loyalty, Freedom
with public order,
and how the Respect
which is shown by
the Crown for the
Rights of the
Subject and for the
enactment of the Law
produces
corresponding
Feelings on the Part
of the People and
inspires them with
similar Respect for
the Rights of the
Crown and for the
Laws which secure
the Liberties and
the Property of all
, from the highest
to the lowest in the
Land. ”
For a full statement
of his Principles:
“I hold with respect
to alliances that
England is a Power
sufficiently strong,
sufficiently
powerful to steer
her own course, and
not to tie herself
as an unnecessary
appendage to the
policy of any other
Government. I hold
that the real policy
of England-apart
from questions which
involve her own
particular
interests, political
or commercial-is to
be the champions of
justice and right,
pursuing that course
with moderation and
prudence, not
becoming the Quixote
of the world, but
giving the weight of
her moral sanction
and support wherever
she thinks that
justice is, and
wherever she thinks
wrong has been done…
It is
a narrow policy to
suppose that this
country or that is
to be marked out as
the eternal ally or
the perpetual enemy
of England. We have
no eternal enemies.
Our interests are
eternal and
perpetual, and those
interests it is our
duty to follow.”
[In 1848 Lord
Palmerston was
Foreign Secretary at
the age of
sixty-three. He
entered Parliament
in 1807- Secretary
at War in 1809;
1811-28 (most years)
War Office; 1830-
1852 Foreign Office;
1852-55 -Home
Office; 1855-65.
‘ Born 1784 in Park
Street Westminster.
Family home
‘Broadlands’
Hampshire. Died on
the morning of
October 18, 1865.
And the last candle
[last of his
contempories] of the
Eighteenth century
was out.’
* *
[It is significant
that the word
‘England’
was not a word
despised in our
House of Commons
during the time of
this great patriot
of England and only
closer to our own
times has the word
Britain taken its
place though we do
detect a slight
revival now in
existence. ]
* *
