opinion, over foreign affairs. This is more especially
the condition of England, defended by the ocean from
external complications and dangers. 'Happy nation,'
M. de Talleyrand used to say, 'that has no frontiers!'
I do not remember that at any period in English his-
tory, the post of Minister of Foreign Affairs has been
held by the Prime Minister; custom, with its deep-
lying reasons, has usually connected the premiership
with the office of First Lord of the Treasury. Sir
Robert Peel was essentially a First Lord of the Trea
sury -- the leader of the Home Government in the
State, and of the Cabinet in the Parliament.

But if foreign policy was neither his dominant idea,
nor his principal occupation, he had two powerful and
noble maxims, or rather feelings, on this subject; he
desired that peace and justice should prevail among
States. And these mighty words were not for him
merely a profession, a means of acting on the minds
of men; he desired that peace and justice should pre-
vail in the relations of England with other nations,
seriously and sincerely, as a good and habitual policy.
Although very solicitous about the greatness of his
country, and even very accessible to popular impres-
sions with regard to the national dignity and honour,
he formed no design of aggrandizement for England,
felt no selfish jealousy of foreign nations, and
had no mania for domination abroad, no fondness for
displaying an undesired and arrogant influence. He
respected the rights and dignity of other States,
small as well as great, weak as well as strong -- and
regarded the employment of menace or force solely as
a last extremity, legitimate only when it was abso-

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