George Canning

“ We pleaded guilty to the charge of wishing to avoid war. We described its inexpediency, its inconveniences, and its dangers - dangers, especially of the same sort with those which I have hinted at to-day - but we declared, that, although we could not overlook those dangers, those inconveniences and that inexpediency, in a case in which remote interest and doubtful policy were alone assigned as motives for war, we would cheerfully affront them all, in a case - if it should arrive - where national faith or national honour were concerned. ”

“ We were then free to go to war, if we pleased, on grounds of political expediency. But we were not then bound to interfere, on behalf of Spain, as we now are bound to interfere on behalf of Portugal, by the obligations of treaty. War might then have been our free choice, if we had deemed it politic: interference on behalf of Portugal is now our duty, unless we are prepared to abandon the principles of national faith and national honour. ”

“ But when, with reference to the larger question of a military occupation of Spain by France, it is averred, that by that occupation the relative situation of Great Britain and France is altered; that France is thereby exalted and Great Britain lowered, in the eyes of Europe; - I must beg leave to say, that I dissent from that averment. The House knows - the country knows - that when the French army was on the point of entering Spain, His Majesty's Government did all in their power to prevent it; that we resisted it by all means, short of war. ”

“ Some years afterwards, Russia assumed her high station in European politics. Some years after that again, Prussia became not only a substantive, but a preponderating monarchy. - Thus, while the balance of power continued in principle the same, the means of adjusting it became more varied and enlarged. ”

“ I called the New World into existence, to redress the balance of the Old. ”