CONCLUSION. 53 



These Wars for the Balance of Power in Europe from 1688 to 

 1854 cost England ^2,093,000,000, which was divided as follows : 

 ;i^i, 222, 000,000 being the amount raised by taxes and paid for in 

 the current financial years by the willing-hearted taxpayer, and 

 ;^88o,ooo,ooo being raised by loans and consolidated into the 

 National Debt— A Terrible Bill of Blood ! 



These desolating and costly wars, waged by England for the Balance 

 of Power, were organised under the miserable plea of preserving 

 the equilibrium of power, the safety of Dynasties and the Liberties of 

 Europe; and this hobgoblin was the constant burden of Royal 

 speeches, the policy of Statesmen, and the theme of orators for the 

 extension of British dominion, and the defence of Treaties, and has 

 been the flimsy pretext for the organising of colossal Armies and 

 Navies by England and the Continental Powers. 

 ■ Neither justice nor expediency, nor the principles of international 

 law justify the adoption of this policy for maintaining the equilibrium 

 of Europe. All the recognized authorities of the Law of Nations 

 condemn it : — Kluber, Heeren, Wheaton, and Ferguson in his 

 valuable Manual of International Law, volume i, page 180, expressly 

 declares : — 



" That there is neither for this system of balance of power, nor 

 for the right of intervention which it implies, any foundation in 

 the law of nations ; " 

 and in general terms he declares 



" It is prompted by selfish considerations and rapacity, from 



political interests sometimes called Reasons of State, put forth in 



support of political claims which have nothing to do with Law, 



and only appeal to the ^ droit de convenance.^ " 



. In conclusion I cannot do better than quote the opinions of Mr. 



Cobden and Mr. Bright, two of the greatest Statesmen, who have 



adorned by their matchless eloquence the British Parliament, and 



who have powerfully swayed by their teachings the Councils of the 



Ministers of the Crown. 



Mr. Cobden, in one of his masterly articles written at the time of 

 the Crimean War says : — 



" To secure a diminution of our Government expenditure, England 

 must adopt a foreign policy of peaceful non-interference, 

 instead of sallying forth in search of conquest and rapine to 

 carry bloodshed into every quarter of the earth's surface. 

 " Had England not violated the great moral law, she would not be 

 suffering the penalty inflicted by her own hands, crushed 



