THE ORIGIN OF THE SUEZ CANAL. 97 



your Parliament. But the success of our enterprise 

 cannot be compromised by an opposition of this kind, 

 and the affair, I am thankful to say, has now reached 

 a point which makes us independent of the antiquated 

 policy of some of your statesmen. 



" I have attained a situation which, thanks to the 

 forces placed at my disposal, enable me to withstand 

 the efforts of my opponents. I will repeat here what 

 I said last year at a meeting in London, my remarks 

 commanding unanimous assent : My enterprise will 

 not be carried out by those who are against, but by 

 those who are for it,' and as the latter are more 

 numerous and stronger than the former, and as, more- 

 over, they are in the right, I shall take the liberty of 

 going forward, and of taking practical action, doing 

 without those who stand in my way. 



"The Porte, which stoutly repudiate* any common 

 share in the opposition of the English Government, is 

 awaiting the public explanations which Lord Derby's 

 Ministry promised to make touching its policy in this 

 matter. If these explanations are ambiguous, or if 

 they are openly hostile, the Canal Company, armed 

 with the Egyptian concession, to which the Sultan 

 cannot offer any opposition, will take its own course 

 and enter upon the work with the capital which it 

 has at its disposal. This will be the most effectual 

 mode of replying to the ceaseless objection that the 

 enterprise is impracticable." 



