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Tomahawk (1867-1870), 6th August 1870, Edition 1 of 1, Page unpag

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    • "A DIGNIFIED AND CALM RESRR VB V 9
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      The Tomahawk. A Saturday Journal Of Sati...

      THE TOMAHAWK . A SATURDAY JOURNAL OF SATIRE . Cfcite * bp j & tMMtt i'Vetkttt . "INVITAT CULPAM QUI PECCATUM PRETERIT . "

      No. 170.] London, August 6, 187a [Price ...

      No . 170 . ] LONDON , AUGUST 6 , 187 a [ Price Tworara .

      "A Dignified And Calm Resrr Vb V 9

      "A DIGNIFIED AND CALM RESRR VB V

      We Are To Maintain " A Dignified And A C...

      We are to maintain " a dignified and a calm reserve . " So says Lord Granville ; and we will attempt to describe what the words really mean in plain English—very plain English . Firstby " a dignified and a calm reserve" is meant an

      , utterly stupid and craven policy . We are to sink into the position of a fifth-rate power , in order that we may save a few thousands of pounds . It is simply absurd to imagine that any feelings of humanity make us shudder at the thought of war . We are brutal by nature . If we were notshould we love to

      , see acrobats daring Death , pr ize-fighters killing one another , oarsmen ruining their constitution in river races ? No , it is no feeling of humanity that makes us shun war , but simply and purely a regard for our pockets ! We are to save a halfpenny in the income-tax to purchase a disgraceful , a dishonourable , a

      disastrous peace . We can do it all by receiving our kicks with bows , our insults with smiles , and by prating about " a dignified and a calm reserve ! Secondly , " a dignified and a calm reserve " means that our Army and Navy are to be ruined to make our cheesemongers

      a little more wealthy , and our tailors a degree more offensively rich . Lord Granville meant on Thursday night to imply that we were to have nothing whatever to say to the aggression of Prussia , or the insults of France . Counting upon the shopkeeping spirit of the agewhich turns lords into hotel-keepers

      and gentlemen into cads , , he uttered his meaningless common- , places about " our desire for peace and " our dignity , " to hide the plain English of his thoughts . If his Lordship had opened his heart unaffectedly he would have said , " My friends , be under no apprehension ; we have been insulted , our power in

      Europe is gone , our threats are laughed at , and our good services refused with derision;—so much the better , my friendsso much the better . Let us accept the position , and be thankful . We need not arm—we need not speak—we have only to saveyes , save fourpence here and sixpence there—oh ! it will be

      nice ! " That was what Lord Granville meant when lie talked about our " dignified and calm reserve !" Do any of our readers believe tjiat France and Prussia would have contemplated for a moment the Secret Treaty ( the framing of which was an insult of the grossest kind to England ) ,

      had not our " dignified and calm reserve " been well known on the Continent ? It is declared that no provocation will make England fight , and this declaration has been our political ruin . a . .

      Our fellow countries treat us with scorn . They know that our threats are as empty as the air , our fine words mere bluster . To turn us from war they have only to ask the price of " grey shirtings . " At the sound we prick up our ears , tie on our aprons , cutvl nd befor der ! Pshawthe fcM matter is contemptible ! Our

      aV ^ Jg * * W * vi or v « l m s A VUS * VT , | ^ p »»»•»**^»» mm ^^^•••^••¦¦^•¦¦^•^ ^^ ^» " dignified and calm reserve , " indeed ; it should be our greedy and ridiculous cowardice !" Will the words of Lord Granville find an echo in England ? Are we so poor in spirit that we will submit to the insult that has recently been put upon us ?

      Let us consider the case . It has been actually proposed that Belgium ( a country whose existence is guaranteed by England ) should be ceded to France in our teeth ! It was doubtless considered a safe scheme enough . What would England do 1 Fight ! Pshaw , the idea was too

      absurd ! No , England would protest for a few hours , and write blatant leaders in her journals , and then return to her moneygrubbing—like a dog to his vomit 1 So the insult was put upon us calmly and deliberately . As it happensthe secret has been divulged at the wrong

      , instant for France and Prussia , Even the hostility of such a puny unimportant power as England may be of consequence at this moment to either of the belligerents . The remains of the fleet left to us by Mr . Childers is still sufficiently strong to annoy Frenchman or Prussian .

      . But , perhaps , if the insult of the framing of the treaty was heavy , the manner in which our discovery of the plot has been received by the conspirators is even heavier . France , up to the present time , has almost received our indignation with a laugh . Certainly , M . Ollivier has made some

      efforts to appease us by writing civil nothings about" his admiration for England , " & c , & c , but his Government have been unable to deny the plot . Possibly , the French may experience a little shame at having deceived a . firm and generous ally . But there , that is all—they can rely upon our " dignified and calm reserve !"

      The Prussians have treated us with far greater insult . The possibility of our resenting the Treaty has not , entered their thick-heads for a moment . What , England fight ? As before " the idea is too absurd ! " No , they have only told us about the plot as a little joke—to make us angry with the French , and

      make us refuse TO GIVE THE FRENCH ANY COAL ! We print the words in capitals as the drollery is admirable . After insulting us they mock at us I These beery philosophers have actually discovered a jest—at our expense !

  • Citation
    • Tomahawk (1867-1870), Aug. 6, 1870, page unpag, in the Nineteenth-Century Serials Edition (2008; 2018) ncse.ac.uk/periodicals/t/issues/ttw_06081870/page/3/