limits of Belgium, as attaches to the extended frontiers of Russia, or Germany, or France.  I hold that he who by act or word brings that principle into peril or disparagement, however honest his intentions may be, places himself in the position of one inflicting—­I won’t say intending to inflict—­I ascribe nothing of the sort—­but inflicting injury upon his own country, and endangering the peace and all the most fundamental interests of Christian society.

WILLIAM EWART GLADSTONE

APRIL 2, 1880

THE AGGRANDIZEMENT OF RUSSIA

Now, I have charged at various times what I think an essential count in this indictment—­that intelligence had been kept back from Parliament.  Intelligence necessary to full understanding and to competent discussion has been withheld from Parliament at the very time of that discussion.  I have shown various instances; I might show more.  But I will name now only very briefly that remarkable case of the Afghan War.  We were carried into that war, gentlemen, as you will recollect, without any previous notice or preparation.  No papers had been laid upon the table to enable us to judge of the state of our relations with Afghanistan.  Some suspicion had arisen, and a question had been put in the House of Lords; and the answer had been that there was no change of policy, or no sensible and serious change of policy towards Afghanistan intended.  At that moment there were in possession of the Government—­and for twelve months after—­papers of the most vital consequence—­what are called the conferences at Peshawur—­opening up the whole case in every one of its aspects; and the Government, with these papers in their hands, kept them back for eighteen months, until they had hurried us into this deplorable, and, I must say, into this guilty war.  The island of Cyprus was taken; responsibility of governing Asia Minor was assumed; a quasi-territorial supremacy was asserted over Syria in common with the rest of Asia Minor, which was a matter with respect to which we knew very well that the jealousies of France were sure to be aroused; but we were called upon and compelled, gentlemen, to discuss that matter, I think, in the end of July, 1878, at the celebrated epoch of ’peace with honour’—­we were called upon to discuss that matter in total ignorance that France had remonstrated, that France had complained; and the Government never let drop in the debate the slightest intimation or inkling that such was the case.  We had to debate, we had to divide, we had to take the judgement of Parliament, in utter ignorance of the vital fact that great offence had been given to a faithful and a powerful ally by the steps taken by the Ministry; and it was only when the papers were laid, two or three months after, by the French Government, before the French Chamber, that we became aware of the fact that these papers were presented to us.