Sydney Smith on Foreign Intervention

Cromwell Argus, Volume 2, Issue 79, 16 May 1871, Page 7

Sydney Smith on Foreign Intervention

—o— If We are to act on the fine4ookiug and fine-'sounding principle of always fighting for the right, or for- what we deem to be right, see in what responsibilities it would involve us. We should have to constitute ourselves the Quixotes of universal humanity. Somebody is always doing or suffering wrong in some part of the world, and if tfee true way of rectifying wrong is by slaying the wvong-doers, we shall need to have the drawn sword always incur hand, and shall never find time to give any heed at all to bur own affairs while championing the cause of mankind at large. There is wisdom as well as wit in the following protest of Sydney Smith, contained in a letter to the Countess Grey, in 1823, when the Liberal party in England was agitating in favour of intervention on the Continent. "For Heaven's sake, do not drag me into another war. •• I am worn do»vn and worn out with crusading and defending Em-ope and protecting mankind; I must think a little of myself. lam sorry for the Spaniards—l am sorry. for the Greeks—l. deplore the fate of the Jews ; the people of the Sandwich Islands are groaning under a most detestable tyranny; Bagdad is Oppressed; I do'not like the present' state of the Delta ; Thibet is not comfortable. Am Ito fight for all these people ? The world is bursting with sin and sorrow. Am Ito be the champion of the Decalogue, and to be eternally raising fleets and armie3 to make all men good and happy ? We have just done saving Europe, and I ain afraid that the consequence will be that we shall cut each other's throats. No war, dear Lady Grey ! No eloquence, but apathy, selfishness, and common-sense arithmetic! I beseech you, secure Lord <3rey's swords and pistols, as the housekeeper did Don Quixote's armour. If there is another war> life will not be Worth the having. « May the vengeance of Heaven' overtakes all the legitimates of Verona! but in the present state of rents and taxes they must be left to the vengeance of Heaven- I allow fighting in such a cause to be a luxury; but the business of a prudent, sensible" man is to guard against luxury."