1835.6.
Br. 31-2.

106

LIFE OF COBDEN. fom?

nature of things. It followed from such reasoning as thi
that the author of the pamphlets denounced by anticipatio?
the policy of compelling the Chinese by ships of war to ope?
more ports to our vessels. Why, he asked in just scor®
should not the ships of war on their way out compe} the
French to transfer the trade of Marseilles to Havre, and
thus save us the carriage of their wines through the Strait?
of Gibraltar? Where is the moral difference? And as 0
Gibraltar itself, he contended, that though the retention of
conquered colonies may be regarded with some complacency
because they are reprisals for previous depredations by their
parent states, yet England for fifty years at Gibraltar is 8
spectacle of brute violence, unmitigated by any such excuses:
“Upon no principle of morality,” he went on, “can thif
unique outrage upon the integrity of an ancient, powerful
and renowned nation be justified ; the example, if imitated,
instead of being shunned universally, would throw all the
nations of the earth into barbarous anarchy.” Here 8°
everywhere else we see how wrong is the begetter of wrong:
for if England had not possessed Gibraltar, she would not
have been tempted to pursue that turbulent policy in the
Mediterranean, which is still likely one day to cost her dear.’
Again, the immoral method has failed. Why not
try now whether commerce will not succeed better tha?
war, in regenerating and uniting the nations whom yoo
would fain improve? Let governments have as little t©
do with one another as possible, and let people begi®
to have as much to do with one another as possible. of
4 Tt is perhaps not out of place to mention that several years ago, the
present writer once asked Mr. Mill's opinion on the question of the
possession of Gibraltar. His answer was that the really desirable thing #
the case of strong places commanding the entrance to close seas is that they
shonld be in the hands of a European League. Meanwhile, as the state of
international morality is not ripe for such a League, England is perbaPf
of all nations least likely to abuse the possession of a strong volace of thet
kind.