And then Mr. Gladstone turned to the policy he would
advise. He would not go to war with united Europe, though he held such war to be a "phantasm "of the nervous, nor would he even take such action as would precipitate war; but he would have the Government insist on its treaty rights, an insistence which would furnish no just cause of war; would have it make specific demands, based upon those treaties, and then, if the Powers refused assent and the Sultan continued refractory, would refuse all further "complicity in crime" and break off all relations with the Turkish Empire, leaving the Con- tinental Powers to settle its fate as they could. The British people would then be able to consider their next step. The Government should also announce distinctly that it had no -selfish object in Turkey, and would take no step to secure separate advantage. Such a policy would in no degree tarnish the honour of a reign which, almost two days before the meet- ing was sitting, had exceeded in length all previous reigns, and had been specially marked by peace, progress, and prosperity.
