Page:Notes on the Anti-Corn Law Struggle.djvu/310

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302
Notes on the Anti-Corn Law Struggle.

title, "1793 and 1853," early in the year 1853, of which I had the honour to receive a presentation copy from the author in August, 1853. The work, which would seem to be the pamphlet referred to by Mr. Kinglake, is thus advertised—"Defensive war proved to be a denial of Christianity, and of the Government of God. With illustrative facts and anecdotes. By Henry C. Wright. 12mo., cloth, price 2s."

The members of the Peace Society are not, however, always consistent; at least they did not always show themselves consistent in their proceedings before the Crimean War. At a Peace and Anti-Loan meeting, in 1849, Lord Dudley Stuart vehemently advocated the propriety of England's giving "energetic and efficient support" to the Turk in resisting Russia; and Mr. Cobden gave his support to Lord Dudley Stuart's arguments, which must be understood to have meant war, if they meant anything. In fact, a man of Mr. Cobden's sagacity must have seen the utter impracticability of such doctrines as those attributed by Mr. Kinglake to the "foremost thinker" of the Peace party.

It is remarkable that the peace-at-any-price doctrine enunciated in the advertisement I have