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Tomahawk (1867-1870), 23rd July 1870, Edition 1 of 1, Page unpag, Uv the time these lines are in type the ...

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    • THE LITTLE DIFFICULTY.
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      . _ I The Tomahawk. A Saturday Journal O...

      . _ I THE TOMAHAWK . A SATURDAY JOURNAL OF SATIRE . 6 titet > bp Zxityur a' » cckctt . * % i ^^^^^^^^^ ^ jMl ^^ dill I ' ^ L J ^ T ^^^^^^ J ^^ S ^ J ^^ J , ^ Ml i r B ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^! 5 ^ 5 ^^ I I I "INV 1 TAT CULPAM QUI PECCATUM PR / ETERIT . "

      No. 168.] London, Jul V 23, 1870. [P*Ice...

      No . 168 . ] LONDON , JUL V 23 , 1870 . [ P * ice Twopence .

      The Little Difficulty.

      THE LITTLE DIFFICULTY .

      Uv The Time These Lines Are In Type The ...

      Uv the time these lines are in type the great question of the hour will be settled . France and Prussia will be cither the most treacherous of friends or the most revengeful of enemies . : ' A s we write the chances are about equally balanced . 1 Jefore this paper is in the hands of the twenty-five million readers , more or less , who honour us with their weekly twopences , the matter will be decided . We shall be enjoying an unwholesome peace or regarding ( from afar off * , of course ) a sanguinary war . As neither states will be particularly satisfactory , and as the three countries concerned in the quarrel are our neighbours , it will be not altogether out of place to say a few words about our relations with Spain , Prussia , and France , the three countries in question . As Englishmen , we can regard the angry passions of our fe ] low-men with the most delightful equanimity . Personally , we know nothing whatever of jealousy . For the last fifteen years Britannia has had but one thought , but one ambition , a thought and an ambition bounded by the calf sides of her ledger . She has cared nothing for Glory , nothing for Renown —less even has she cared for Honour . To be rich has been her first care , to be respected her last consideration . What matters it to her whether the British flag is insulted or the British prestige laughed to scorn ? Can she not find consolation for the first in her commerce , for the last in her cheque book ? She does not pretend to be military—she does not claim her place in the ranks of chivalry . She finds her " lists " in the shop-counter , her weapons in the scale and till ! Having thus , with the liberty of free-born Britons , smothered Britannia in the mud of our scorn ( or say the lightning of our anger , it sounds more dignitied ) we proceed to lash with our pen the nations round about her . The pen is mightier than the sword . Ouite so ; and being so , that is the reason why we prefer to use the pen in preference to the longer weapon ! In the recent quarrel which has ended either in Peace or War ( as the case may be ) , there have been three nations brought prominently into notice—Spain , Prussia , and France . We will deal with them in turn . First , then , Spain . No one really cares in England for the future of Spain . We associate the country with strong onions and superstition . We picture the people in a chronic state of castanet and mantilla . We have a vague idea that Spain produces bull-lights and cigarettes , marvellous images , and unprepossessing priests . We have a still more vague idea that the place

      is revolution a capital and country the bloodshed for painters preceding and formers Isabella . Of ' s course expulsion the ( ! from the throne made Spain popular with us for the moment . ; Our readers will scarcely need to be told that although we arc ; as timid as mice when our own peace is endangered , we regard with enthusiasm revolution abroad . We will worship any hero ( it matters not what is his colour , rank and creed ) so long as his hands are stained with blood , and his heart is heavy with treason , i Still , the enthusiasm for Spain was short-lived . It died a natural death when the Dons showed a desire to restore to their country peace and a monarchy . To put it plainly , Hritannu cares not a pin whether Spain sinks or swims . In the first blush of her fear at the success of the Spanish revolution , she murmured out with trembling lips something about giving ; uj » weak ( iibraltar , and , but until that Spain idea ^ is rows over . strong She the has I found ' nion J that ack Spain will con is - tinue to tloat over the rock-fortress of the Mediterranean . So much , then , for Kngland ' s opinion of one of the disputants , and ' now we come to the second . Of Prussia we know little or nothing . We are quite aware that the Princess Royal of Kngland married some years since < the Crown Prince of Prussia . An allusion to the matter may be j found in our national ledger . That the marriage has been of any practical use to tis is a matter of opinion . When Prussia , invaded the teiritory of Denmark , we interfered , and our interference ended in the Prussian seizure of Schleswig-Holsteir . Our travellers have , perhaps , some little cause to thank Kini ; William , for His Majesty has certainly simplified the Cicrrnan currency . A few years ago an Englishman was wont to los > c a small fortune in his endeavours to change his gold intothc various monies of the Rhine countries , but now thalers and grochen arc everywhere accepted as payment . To counter-balance this advantage , the " tables" arc to disappear under the new regime . As moralists , Englishmen will go into ecstacies over the idea , as tourists they will breathe curses low and deep . When we have added that Germany furnishes Mr . T . W . Robertson with an occasional piece for English adaptation , we shall have pointed out fully in what manner Prussia affects the welfare of Great Britain , and even Ireland . Having considered the claims upon our attention of Spain and Prussia , we come to France . Here , certainly , we must adopt a different tone . Prussia is little to us , Spain is less ; but France is our neighbour and our friend . Like most neighbours we have had our quarrels ; but the Anglo-French blood spilt at Waterloo has found its counterpart in the Anglo-French

  • Citation
    • Tomahawk (1867-1870), July 23, 1870, page unpag, in the Nineteenth-Century Serials Edition (2008; 2018) ncse.ac.uk/periodicals/t/issues/ttw_23071870/page/3/