av.) DIFFIOULIIES OF A PEACE PARTY. 623

oir principles which within the next twenty years made 1854,
Uervention impossible in the Franco-Austrian war, in the Zr. 50.
American War, in the Danish War, in the Franco-German
War, and, above all, in the war between Russia and Turkey
Which broke out only the other day. .
On the whole, however, it is perfoctly clear that the failure
°f the two Manchester leaders to affect opinion at this time
"as due to the simplest of all possible causes. The public had
Worked itself into a mood in which the most solid reasoning,
ho most careful tenderness of prejudice, the most unanswerble
 expostulations were all alike unavailing. The incom-Potency
 of one part of the Ministry, and the recklessness of
the other part, pushed us over the edge. When that has once
"&ppened, a peace party has no longer any chance. Cobden
described this some years later in connexion with the civil war
i America. “14 is no use to argue,” he said, “as to what
$ the origin of the war, and no use whatever to advise the
disputants, From the moment the first shot is fired, or the
first blow is struck in a dispute, then farewell to all reason
“nd argument ; you might as well reason with mad dogs as
With men when they have begun to spill each other’s blood
a mortal combat. Iwas so convinced of the fact during the
Crimean War; I was so convinced of the utter uselessness
of raising one’s voice in opposition to war when it has
ce begun, that I made up my mind that so long as I was
political life, should a war again break out between
England and a great Power, I would never open my mouth
pon the subject from the time the first gun was fired
til the peace was made.” ®
During these two years of disaster and mistake, Cobden
%ould not do more than raise protests from time to time as
OPportunity served. The House of Commons was much more
Ylerant than larger and less responsible assemblies. Describbv
 Speeches, il.. 314. Qot, 29, 1883.