Honour or shame?

This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not illustrated.1878 Excerpt: ... quibblers who will stand hair-splitting and haggling over such insignificant things as truth and honour, and prestige, and bonds. We know very well that war is wicked, we hate it more than all other men do, although we consider it justifiable, nay, glorious, when Russia is to be benefited. We know she is faithless and false, that she has never kept a promise yet, that her word is as nothing to her, or at least never has been; but we are not going to act as if we knew this, it is right we should assume the reverse as a firm basis for our policy. We are not so uncharitable as to think she is going to tell a falsehood every time she opens her mouth, because she has invariably done so upon every solemn occasion previously; we leave such vile suspicions to you. It is upon such unworthy experience--experience which you ought to try to forget--that you base the policy it has been my endeavour "for the last eighteen months, day and night, week by week, month by month, to counterwork." This is a case in which Russia is clearly right. She tears up her bond, she flings it in your face with some honeyed words and ever so small a taste of gall, and she sets to work deliberately to consign limitless numbers of human beings to anguish and death. Success to her! Her cause is good. Might is on her side. God fights with her! This is what our peacemongers, our humanitarians have for twenty months proclaimed and striven night and day to inculcate. Thus have Christianity, humanity, honour, justice, all been profaned, all flung to the winds, to save a breaker of laws, human and divine, from being called to account. And this is the progress we are making in the path of peace, in the way which shall lead to decision by and submission to an European Areopagus! If there had only bee...