And the only result, almost the only practical result, which I have seen to this characteristic of our country, is this, that we have loaded ourselves with an amount of debt greater than that of all the nations of the world besides, and that we are mistrusted, and not liked, by almost every nation in Christendom. Nor do I see that the spirit of late times has been very much changed for the better; for, if we cannot be persuaded to go and attack somebody else, then it seems to be equally easy to persuade us that somebody is coming to attack us.

Now, I beg it most emphatically to be understood that, when I attend these peace meetings, it is not that I wish to bow down our necks and invite invaders to come amongst us; nobody intends to invade you, nobody wants to invade you; the quarrels which you have had, the wars which you have been engaged in, and the debts which you have contracted, have been all of your own seeking.