Llandudno
April 12th
Dear
Brother
I have been scribbling a few political
facts for your perusal during your spare time.
I hope they may open your eyes to see the things in the right way. Since we have touched on politics, we may as
well, express our opinions, however simple they may be, for if we live I hope
we shall have the priveledge of a vote or perhaps be honoured as a candidate
& a member but I fear Owr lot Lorbad
The applause of listening sends to
command
The threat of pain or ruin to dispise
To scatter Plenty ore a smilling land
And read our history in a nations eyes
We shall more likely, along the
Cool sequesterd vale of life, Persue
the voiceless terror of our way
Politics
I have
refered to page 7 of the Cambrian and have read with disgust the few arguments
you liberals advance to show why the electors should not vote for the
Conservatives. And I claim that the spirited
Foreign Policy has been the means of preserving us from the horrors of
war. The Berlin Memorandum had nothing
more in view than that the three great powers of the Continent should portion
out to themselves the rest of Europe and rule the world. The agreement had been drawn out and they
were just going to sign it when one of the emperors said What will England say
now their minds were filled with fear for they knew that England under the
Beaconsfield administration was fast rising from the weak state in which
Gladstone had left her and if she refused to sign would be a dangerous foe to
conquer, but if she signed a powerfull ally.
Let us send their Cabinet a copy and get them to sign it says one. So a copy was sent and the cabinet rejects its
proposals as aggressive and unfair, and with the patriotism of Englishmen
refused to sign and said we take the consequences for we will be no party to
deprive either small or weak turk or servian of their rights. What were the consequences? The Berlin Memorandum was destroyed the
dangerous triple alliance squashed and the present Austrian German treaty the
result. A treaty entered into with the
view of curbing the aggressive passions of Russian showing that Europeans & Continental
nations see in her policy a danger, which is seen only by Conservatives in
England, and utterly ignored by the Whigs.
Again, did we not do our utmost to prevent the Russia Turkish war did we
not send our Representatives to Turkey to try and persuade them not to go to
war but Russian demands were excessive and nothing but war would satisfy
her. Did not Russian Priests excite and
stir up the poor fanatics (which you liberals please to call Christians) in
Servia, Bugaria & Montenegro to rebellion and when the [porle] tried to
repress them sent her soldiers & officers to help and to continue the
rebellion.
Let me ask you is Russia a Christian Nation, if so, why is her press gagged her peoples opinions hushed, and what means these throngs of Prisoners on their was to the Cold tombs of Siberia. Hark, what is that noise like thunder tis their attempt to murder their Emperor tis the outburst of passion from her downtrodden people who are ruled with a rod of Iron & Oppression. What better are the Russians than the Turks. Follow me over the Steppes of Asia and see the oppressed Kihavians and the merciless slaughter of the Turkomans. This aggressive policy on the frontiers of China, and watch them cast their longing eyes on the rich plains of our own Indian Empire many more reasons could I adduce to show you that Russia is morally & politically worse thank the turk had I time.
Turkey never would have drawn the sword had not Russia instigated the so called Christians to rise in insurrection. The Servians never spared woman or child of the turks and could you expect the turk to be better than the Christian. The stories told of Bulgarian Atrocities are scarce one of them true being exaggerated and high coloured by the Russian. As soon as Turkey had succeeded in quelling the various insurrections, Russia steps in and says that the parties that had been beaten should have governments of their own. Is that fair, why not have said so at first, and settled the questions before war begin, no Russia wanted to divide turkey and weaken her power and then she would try to get a piece for her share and for the sly and mean part she had played in the background. So turkey called the powers together and tried to settle in the best way she could this new difficulty. And after the conference every power seemed to be satisfied when all of a sudden Russia declared war and hurried her legions across the Pra.
What your liberal leaders wanted us to do was to Join with Russia in the [in the] degrading mission of adding to her territory and subjects on which she may display her iron rule. I ask you again would that be fair, two strong nations to oppress a weak one. No Conservatives could not sink the honours of England as low as that but Liberals may.
This war which the liberals advocated would have cost 50 millions and we should have gained nothing only added to Russian territory, and have closed the high road to our Indian possessions. Again we have always held the opinion, whether liberal or conservative that Constantinople & Asia minor are the chief roads to our Indian Empire an Enemy in possession of those points would soon be in a position to attack us with advantage. So we informed the Russians how far we should allow them to go before we should actively interfer Said we, you must not break the line of Gallipoli or our Ships shall advance and protect our interests, did Russia heed our warning no but advanced at her peril and not till then did our ship enter Turkish waters.
Here was the beginning of Englands Rise Russia thought she would be afraid but now found her mistake and so her forces retired to adrianople and our ships to the mediterrain. Suppose the liberals had been in power. They would have maintained an indifference until Russia had conquered Constantinople and then would have been forced to war to dislodge her. The last war cost them about 200 millions and thousands of men and I am of the opinion that this would have cost them double or treble that amount. The conservatives with the six millions went boldly up and thus avoided the horror of war and of exhausting the exchequer and her army by bloodshed. And raised England again to the biggest & greatest nation in the world.
 |
| Benjamin Disraeli, Lord Beaconsfield |
Let me ask you is Russia a Christian Nation, if so, why is her press gagged her peoples opinions hushed, and what means these throngs of Prisoners on their was to the Cold tombs of Siberia. Hark, what is that noise like thunder tis their attempt to murder their Emperor tis the outburst of passion from her downtrodden people who are ruled with a rod of Iron & Oppression. What better are the Russians than the Turks. Follow me over the Steppes of Asia and see the oppressed Kihavians and the merciless slaughter of the Turkomans. This aggressive policy on the frontiers of China, and watch them cast their longing eyes on the rich plains of our own Indian Empire many more reasons could I adduce to show you that Russia is morally & politically worse thank the turk had I time.
Turkey never would have drawn the sword had not Russia instigated the so called Christians to rise in insurrection. The Servians never spared woman or child of the turks and could you expect the turk to be better than the Christian. The stories told of Bulgarian Atrocities are scarce one of them true being exaggerated and high coloured by the Russian. As soon as Turkey had succeeded in quelling the various insurrections, Russia steps in and says that the parties that had been beaten should have governments of their own. Is that fair, why not have said so at first, and settled the questions before war begin, no Russia wanted to divide turkey and weaken her power and then she would try to get a piece for her share and for the sly and mean part she had played in the background. So turkey called the powers together and tried to settle in the best way she could this new difficulty. And after the conference every power seemed to be satisfied when all of a sudden Russia declared war and hurried her legions across the Pra.
What your liberal leaders wanted us to do was to Join with Russia in the [in the] degrading mission of adding to her territory and subjects on which she may display her iron rule. I ask you again would that be fair, two strong nations to oppress a weak one. No Conservatives could not sink the honours of England as low as that but Liberals may.
This war which the liberals advocated would have cost 50 millions and we should have gained nothing only added to Russian territory, and have closed the high road to our Indian possessions. Again we have always held the opinion, whether liberal or conservative that Constantinople & Asia minor are the chief roads to our Indian Empire an Enemy in possession of those points would soon be in a position to attack us with advantage. So we informed the Russians how far we should allow them to go before we should actively interfer Said we, you must not break the line of Gallipoli or our Ships shall advance and protect our interests, did Russia heed our warning no but advanced at her peril and not till then did our ship enter Turkish waters.
 |
| William Gladstone |
Here was the beginning of Englands Rise Russia thought she would be afraid but now found her mistake and so her forces retired to adrianople and our ships to the mediterrain. Suppose the liberals had been in power. They would have maintained an indifference until Russia had conquered Constantinople and then would have been forced to war to dislodge her. The last war cost them about 200 millions and thousands of men and I am of the opinion that this would have cost them double or treble that amount. The conservatives with the six millions went boldly up and thus avoided the horror of war and of exhausting the exchequer and her army by bloodshed. And raised England again to the biggest & greatest nation in the world.
When Gladstone was in power
Her banner in the dust did
lay
But now unrivalled flys it
in the air
Supported there by
Beaconsfield’s Command.
Again
you attack our Afghan policy as an unjust war.
Liberals have advanced the opinion that Afghan must be our friends or
not be strong, very well. You Liberals
gave Afghan the cold shoulder and made her your enemy, and left the
disagreeable duty of making her weak to the conservatives as a legacy when you
went out of power.
We should not have done that however, if they had treated us with the respect which is due to us, but they admitted our known enemies to her capital and refused us who had the greater claim to be there, insulted our representatives, and instigated by Russia bid us defiance.
The intrigues of Russia and her known design upon India Rendered it necessary that our frontiers should be adjusted and strengthened. Thus it was plainly our duty to repress an insolent tribe which had been used as a cats paw by Russia and to protect ourselves from Russia herself.
I cannot dwell further upon this question my recent illness prevented me gaining information which I should desire and we take a Liberal paper here and it cannot be relied upon.
The Zulu war was one of the most needed and
was that ever undertaken by the British crown. Had not Sir Bartle Frere advanced at once against them they would have been down on Cape Colony and have murdered
ever white man in the colony. The
Ulundi disaster is an incident which has caused much regret to Conservatives
& Liberals but it is plain they did their duty and fought like Brittons.
But did not Lord Chelmsford retrieve that at Ulundi and had finished the war
before you bolsted Liberal arrived? All
these troubles were legacies left by the Liberals and now they have been
settled the Liberals will quietly go back again and reap the benefit in the
years of peace & plenty which will & naturally follow.
If the Liberals go in the honour of Britain will sink again to where the Conservatives found it and her name will be a byword among the nations never to be raised until Conservatives take the helm and her captain stands once more on the bridge and directs her again to Honour if it is through the billows of war. The name of that Captain is Beaconsfield. To such a name May England long Preserve a broad approach of fame And never ceasing avenues of song.
Neither have they neglected domestic legislation or exhausted the finances of the country to half the extent that the liberals did before them. The boasted six millions surplus was a myth & a fraud – which realised only £800000. The conservatives have not resorted to that mean policy of Gladstones that is to collect 5 quarter taxes in one year, which he did in 1870. A Conservative year has only 4 quarters. Neither have we recklessly given away 3 millions to the Americans on the pretex of an Alabama Award without inquiring into the details and getting Cheated of a Million & half by giving them too much. That is how the Liberals squandered our money and disgraced our honour, fenced in a corner the Liberal would rather pay away the earning of the labourer than fight for his rights.
The Americans had no ground at all for such a claim (and if they had it was the liberals let her escape from Berkenhead) but instead of standing up for Englands glory he payed her demands out of the public fund. Such was the case with Ancient Rome, preferring to pay off her assailants than to fight them she soon succumbed to idle mess and her power began to wane which soon led to her overthrow & Ruin. And such will be the case of England under the Whigs her now powerful fleet will sink into the same state as before and her Cheeseparing policy will Ruin her.
Hoping this may convert you into a powerful supporter of the tories and that you will leave the rotten policy of the Whigs and go in with me for peace honour & glory with the Conservatives no more paper or I may enlighten you on other subjects.
We should not have done that however, if they had treated us with the respect which is due to us, but they admitted our known enemies to her capital and refused us who had the greater claim to be there, insulted our representatives, and instigated by Russia bid us defiance.
The intrigues of Russia and her known design upon India Rendered it necessary that our frontiers should be adjusted and strengthened. Thus it was plainly our duty to repress an insolent tribe which had been used as a cats paw by Russia and to protect ourselves from Russia herself.
I cannot dwell further upon this question my recent illness prevented me gaining information which I should desire and we take a Liberal paper here and it cannot be relied upon.
 |
| Sir Bartle Frere |
If the Liberals go in the honour of Britain will sink again to where the Conservatives found it and her name will be a byword among the nations never to be raised until Conservatives take the helm and her captain stands once more on the bridge and directs her again to Honour if it is through the billows of war. The name of that Captain is Beaconsfield. To such a name May England long Preserve a broad approach of fame And never ceasing avenues of song.
Neither have they neglected domestic legislation or exhausted the finances of the country to half the extent that the liberals did before them. The boasted six millions surplus was a myth & a fraud – which realised only £800000. The conservatives have not resorted to that mean policy of Gladstones that is to collect 5 quarter taxes in one year, which he did in 1870. A Conservative year has only 4 quarters. Neither have we recklessly given away 3 millions to the Americans on the pretex of an Alabama Award without inquiring into the details and getting Cheated of a Million & half by giving them too much. That is how the Liberals squandered our money and disgraced our honour, fenced in a corner the Liberal would rather pay away the earning of the labourer than fight for his rights.
The Americans had no ground at all for such a claim (and if they had it was the liberals let her escape from Berkenhead) but instead of standing up for Englands glory he payed her demands out of the public fund. Such was the case with Ancient Rome, preferring to pay off her assailants than to fight them she soon succumbed to idle mess and her power began to wane which soon led to her overthrow & Ruin. And such will be the case of England under the Whigs her now powerful fleet will sink into the same state as before and her Cheeseparing policy will Ruin her.
Hoping this may convert you into a powerful supporter of the tories and that you will leave the rotten policy of the Whigs and go in with me for peace honour & glory with the Conservatives no more paper or I may enlighten you on other subjects.
Whatever
may be our lot, there is no harm in gathering all knowledge that
we may be enlightened on all subjects. And be interesting to those with whom we
come in contact. amen
I am
glad to say that I am quite well and hope you are the same. We are all sorry to hear of the ravages of
the scarlet fever down there. Aunt
thinks it would be a wise plan & a preventive for you to get some sulphur
and burn in the rooms, you can buy it at the chemists it does not cost very
much per lb. The way to do it is to heat
an old pan red hot and put in the room on a tray or large stone and then drop a
few lumps of sulpher into it. Close all
holes & put something at the foot of the door to keep all the smoke in the
room. It is warranted to kill all moths fleas,
Bugs & beetles as well as to prevent fever.
Aunt and the children are all gone to Betws y Coed for a little
while. And Mr. Bevan went upon Saturday
and I expect him back this Evening.
I remain
Your aff. Brother
George
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