262 THE MARITIME CANAL OF SUE?. 



onset, and refusal at the last moment, was a greater blunder, for she 

 withdrew at the critical moment, when she ought to have acted 

 with England. 



There was but one way of repairing the error which the two 

 countries committed in 1882, by their policy in Egypt, and, it was 

 on the soil of the Isthmus of Suez that a way was found, by the 

 settlement of the question of the Suez Canal, upon the basis of a 

 harmonious policy. 



As France desired only, that her great name, and moral influence 

 should serve the cause of civilisation in Egypt, without injuring 

 England^ then she had a right to be treated with the consideration 

 due to an Ally, and as this is realised^ England in return will 

 surely find in France a support, which, if it ever should be needed, 

 will be of great value in whatever quarter of Europe, or the World, 

 the interests of England are threatened. 



By respecting the interests of France in the Suez Canal, by 

 showing that England had in view the united interests of 

 Europe, and by not pressing a policy of selfishness in all that 

 concerned that international highway, the creation of a Frenchman, 

 the true alliance of the two nations was achieved, and thus this 

 grand highway of civilisation can now be traversed with equal 

 liberty, and equal security, by all the Nations of the world. 



A great Frenchman, M. Thiers, said that interests are ferocious ; 

 and another great statesman, an Englishman, has said, that public 

 opinion was sometimes like a wild beast, which the Government 

 should keep an eye upon, in order to escape being devoured. 



That this great work was not accomplished without difficulty, the 

 history of the negotiations abundantly evidences. 



There were two influential voices at the Council of the Suez Canal 

 Company, first, that of M. de Lesseps, a French voice, and which 

 could not be stifled without wounding the country which gave him 

 birth, and there was also the voice of England, because she was, and 

 is, the most important of Ferdinand de Lesseps' partners in the 

 great enterprise of the Canal, and, therefore, it was right that 

 the legitimate influence of England should receive due con- 

 sideration. 



But if England was, and is, the most important of the partners, 

 she was, and is, also the most important of the clients, as she makes 

 use of the Canal, in a much greater proportion, than all the rest of 



