Maxims And Opinions Of Field Marshal His Grace The Duke Of Wellington, Selected From His Writings And Speeches During A Public Life Of More Than Half A Century by Arthur Wellesley, Duke of Wellington

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_March 18, 1844._

* * * * *

_The recall of the Governor-General of India, by the Court of Directors,
an act of gross indiscretion._

My lords, I conceive that this right (of recalling the governor-general
of India) is one which the court of directors are bound to exercise with
due discretion; as all bodies and all individuals ought to do, when they
possess extraordinary powers under the provisions of the law. In such
cases, my lords, they are hound to exercise that power with the utmost
discretion. Now, my lords, I will venture to submit to your lordships,
as the opinion of an individual who has had some experience in these
matters, that the exercise of the power belonging to the court of
directors is not, in this instance, to say the least of it, a discreet
exercise of that power. My lords, the court of directors has this power.
It has also the power of nominating a successor in the room of the
person recalled. But, my lords, it has no other power whatever, as your
lordships will find in looking into the law on the subject--it has no
other power whatever, my lords, except under the direction and control
of the board of commissioners for the affairs of India, and for the acts
of that board of commissioners her majesty's government is responsible.
Under these circumstances, my lords, I venture again to say, what I
before said, that it is not a discreet act of authority to recall from
power--to recall from such an important what not, is one thing; to
excite the common people of the country to approach as near as possible
to the commission of crime, and to do all the mischief that is possible
to be done to the country, without exposing one's own person, is another
thing; but to corrupt the army is quite a different thing, which, I hope
and trust, I may promise your lordships will not be fulfilled.

_August 11, 1843._

* * * * *

_Eulogium on Major-General Sir Charles Napier._

My lords, I must say, that, after giving the fullest consideration to
these operations (in Scinde), I have never known an instance of an
officer who has shown in a higher degree that he possesses all the
qualities and qualifications to enable him to conduct great operations.
He has maintained the utmost discretion and prudence in the formation of
his plans, the utmost activity in all the preparations to ensure his
success, and, finally, the utmost zeal, gallantry, and science, in
carrying them into execution.

_February 12, 1844._

* * * * *

_Persons of every Religious Denomination interested in the maintenance
of the Reformation._

The noble lord (Earl Fitzwilliam) has propounded to your lordships a
something, neither the nature of which, nor the period at which it is to
be carried into execution, is he himself exactly certain of. Something
or other must be done; to that something this country must make up its
mind; the noble lord does not state what it is to be; but it is, at all
events, to involve the necessary to send out to that part of the
globe--and the act of parliament will shew they are bound to have
none--having no share in giving those instructions--in short, having no
knowledge on which to found a judgment on so important a subject as the
recall of a governor-general, they took upon themselves to pronounce
their judgment on the conduct of this officer, and to disapprove of it.
Now, my lords, I must say, that having no knowledge which could enable
them fairly to pronounce their judgment on his conduct, or that could
justify them in depriving the government and the country of the best
instrument--I say it again, the best instrument to carry on and perform
the various duties of that great office, making no provision whatever
for the performance of those duties which are now to be provided for by
her majesty's government, is an indiscreet exercise of the powers they
possess. My lords, as I have said so much on this subject, I will, in
order to illustrate the indiscretion of this act (that is the best word
I can find for it), go yet a little further. My lords, though I believe
this is the first time in the history of the government of India that
this extreme measure has been resorted to by the court of directors, it
has more than once been in contemplation; but upon the advice and
remonstrance of the ministers of the day, the resolution of the court of
directors has been always withdrawn. And it is the fact, that it has
been in contemplation by these very gentlemen, with reference to this
same governor general, in the course of the last twelve months; but
they were at that time prevailed upon to withdraw that resolution, and
not to persist in the recall of my noble friend. This was previous to
the late great military operations in Gwalior, of which we have all
heard with so much satisfaction,--operations which I am sure your
lordships will have perceived from the perusal of the reports which have
been laid upon your table, must have been founded upon the most just and
discriminate measures, for the equipment and maintenance of the armies
placed in the field, under the direction and superintendence of the
governor general--not the equipment only of these armies--but the
support of the troops in the field, the maintenance of military
communication, and the moans of advance and retreat--in short, all that
could tend to insure their success--were amply provided for. Then, my
lords, suppose the case to have occurred of the court of directors
thinking proper to recall the noble lord six or eight months ago, whilst
the measures to which I have just alluded were in contemplation, what
would have become of the great operations at Gwalior--operations carried
on under the superintendence and direction of my noble friend the
governor general. Why, the gentleman who was senior in the council must
have succeeded my noble friend--a respectable man no doubt he is, but
without the experience of my noble friend; and without the knowledge of
the manner of equipping armies, and making proper arrangements for their
being called into action, it is needless to add, that such great and
successful operations as those to which I have alluded could not be
carried on, and I leave your lordships to judge what the situation of
India would have been if that expedition had failed, and if such an army
as the one which we have seen described in one of the blue books upon
this table had continued in existence, threatened, as we were, at the
same moment, by a similar body in the Punjaub, on the north-west
frontier, and with the province of Scinde still in an unsettled state.
Why, my lords, the danger would have been imminent, and this would have
been the consequence of the recall of my noble friend six or eight
months ago, a measure which was in contemplation, and was only prevented
by our representations to those who have now committed this gross
indiscretion of recalling the noble lord--it was prevented only by the
representations made to those gentlemen of the danger which would ensue
to the public interest from the measures which they were about to adopt,
the dangers resulting from the impossibility that they would be able to
provide for events which most probably would occur if they recalled
their officer without the consent of her majesty's government, who would
thus be deprived of the instrument in their hands best fitted for
carrying their instructions into execution, while the directors, in this
country, must be unable to direct the means in existence for securing
the safety of their troops, for guarding their frontier, for upholding
the honour of Her majesty's arms, and the security of our vast dominions
in that part of the world. I say again, as I have said before, and I
say the least of it, when I pronounce it to be the most indiscreet
exercise of power that I have known carried into execution by any body
possessed of power since I have had a knowledge of public affairs, which
I am sorry to say is upwards of half a century.

_April 29, 1844._

* * * * *

_His Support of the New Poor Law (Ireland.)_

I will take the liberty of reminding your lordships that the New Poor
Law was originated by noble lords opposite, while they were in the
service of her majesty, and that I gave the measure my support from a
sense of duty, because I thought it was calculated to benefit Ireland. I
have throughout supported the measure; I proposed some amendments which
I thought likely to promote its beneficial action; I have given it my
support ever since; and I am prepared to do all in my power to ensure
its successful operation.

_May 17, 1844._

INDEX.

Absenteeism, Irish, deprecated, 220.

Abstract questions, opinions on them inexpedient, 474.

Acre, the capture of, the greatest deed of modern times, 460.

Affghanistan expedition, its conduct approved of, 445.

Agitation in Ireland, real meaning of, 192.
Deprecated, 260.
---- characterised, 331.
Agitation by authority, 411.

Agrarian outrages, the, of 1830, 223
---- in Ireland, caused by agitation, 385.

Agriculture and manufactures, 469.

Albocracy, the, 309.

Albuera, battle of, one of the most glorious in the war, 115.

Animosity should be forgotten when war is concluded, 58.

Anonymous letters, meanness of writing them, 118.

Army, how to avoid party spirit in, 84.
Control of by the crown, 96.
---- British, can bear neither success nor failure, 97.
---- in Portugal, croaking spirit among officers, 106.
---- British, the worst men only enter as privates, 111.
---- what they want is coolness in action, not headlong bravery, 115.
---- officers, as well as soldiers, require keeping in order, 118.
---- its morale important to discipline, 126.
---- Indian, eulogium on it, 479.
---- Indian, eulogium on it, and Lord Hastings, 135.

Asiatic policy contrasted with European, 86.

Australia, 463.

Ballot, the, and universal suffrage, dangerous, 427.

Belgium, its neutrality the foundation of its independence, 409.

Beresford, Marshal, characteristic letter to, 134.

Birmingham, riots in 1839, 427.

Bishops in Ireland, objections to reducing their number, 333.

Blockade, what constitutes one, 332.

Blucher, his vandalism averted, 132, 133.

Bourbons, their re-establishment necessary to the peace of Europe, 129.

Bribe, indignant rejection of one in India, 82.

British character for faith must be preserved in India, 89.

Buonaparte, his system hollow, 103.
His disgusting tyranny, 113.
---- A general re-action predicted, 119.
Effects of his government, 128.
---- The Duke will not be his executioner, 131.

Canada, plan of operations against the United States, 125.
Conduct of the Canadian leaders, 390.
---- The rebels must be reduced, 390.
Objections to a legislative council, 392.

Canning. The Duke of Wellington felt no hostility to him, 142.

Catholic emancipation, impossible to grant it, 136, 153.
---- reasons in favour of it, 155, 156, 158, 160, 162, 163, 166,
169, 172, 173, 180, 183, 184, 186, 187, 190.
Repeal averted by it, 221, 240.

Chancellor, the Lord, his right to the patronage of his office, 268.

Charity, money in aid of labour is better than, 118.

China, reasons why the opium trade was stopped, 451.
Opium not the real cause of the war, 452.
Defence of Capt. Elliot, 452.
Real causes of the Chinese war, 479.

Church, the, should educate the people, 308, 456.

Church rate martyrs, real state of the case, 458.

Civil list, principle on which arranged, 235.

Clergy of Ireland, depressed by the Melbourne government, 357.

Colonies, importance of to the mother country, 456.

Commissariat, importance of, to troops, 82.

Corn law of 1828, principle on which founded, 143.
---- worked well, 208, 209.

Corn laws. Why imposed, 466, 468.
have improved agriculture. 414.
Repeal would raise prices, 410.
---- If repealed, foreign sovereigns would tax the export of their
corn, 417.

Cotton and corn, 469.

County meetings, their constitutional use, 138.

Currency, theory of a metallic, 193, 338.
Extended, means unlimited paper circulation, 197.
Metallic, leads to reduction of taxation, 200.

Democracy, concessions to it cannot be rescinded, 394.
Durham, Lord, his ordinance in Canada illegal, 406.

East India Company, eulogium on, 277.
Importance of preserving the authority of, 329.

Enemy's life, secret bargain for, ought not to be made by a
commander, 81.
Reward for, by proclamation, may be offered, 81.

England the best country for the poor, 473.

Enthusiasm of the people very fine in print, but not to be trusted
to, 120.

Equitable adjustment, how far to carry the principle, 213.

Establishment, naval and military, necessary to the national honour,
209, 463.

European and Asiatic policy contrasted, 86.

Evans, General, strictures on his proceedings in Spain, 372.

Expediency better, in politics, than principle, 328.

Faith, British character for, must be preserved in India, 89.

Finance administration of whigs and tories compared, 257.

France, peace with, desirable, but difficult, 270.

Free labour in the colonies, difficulty of getting it, 323.

French retreats their rapidity accounted for, 97.

French revolutionary armies, causes sustained, 98.
---- and English armies, their different constitution, 110.
---- the, would invade England if we withdrew from Spain, 113.

Game laws, the, increase poaching, 319.

George the Fourth, eulogium on him, 215.

Grey policy, the, tends to war, 260.
---- government, the, encouraged the reform agitation, 261.
---- Effect of their savings, 310.

Hampden, Dr., his case, 387.

Holy alliance, all connexion with it repudiated, 328.

Imprisonment for debt, principle of, 386.

Income tax, the, justified by necessity, 476.

India, people of, philosophers about their government, 81.
We must get the upper hand there, and keep it, 84.
Residents in native courts must have military power, 85.
Foundation of our power in India, (1803) 86.
British "moderation" there, 86.
British faith, 89.
Civil government must follow on conquest, 89.
The Duke's services there neglected, 94.
Advice to a native ruler, 93.
Danger of interfering with the religion of the Hindoos, 434.
Evils of a free press there, 480.
Recall of Lord Ellenborough an act of indiscretion, 494.

Intervention, foreign, should be on a national scale, if at all, 375.

Ireland, state of the poor in, 153.
Real meaning of agitation, 192.
Absenteeism deprecated, 220.
Effect of Irish affairs on our Portuguese relations, 224.
Agitation deprecated, 260.
Its state under Lord Grey's government, 302.
Necessity of conciliating the Protestants of, 307, 377, 492.
Agitation characterised, 331.
Lord Normanby's goal deliveries, 380.
Objections to the corporation bill of 1837, 381.
Agrarian disturbances caused by agitation, 385.
Poverty of the people of, 399.
The "monster" meetings, 487.
Remedies of no use while agitation continues, 488.
Anti-English motives of foreigners in supporting the repeal agitation,
490.

The military in readiness to keep the peace, 490.

Jews, the, their right to citizenship denied, 334.
--no right to civil equality, 335.

Judgment, every man's, to be mistrusted in his own case, 95.

Law-breaker, the, always in the wrong, 96.

Legion, the, was sent to Spain for stock-jobbing purposes, 369.
Uselessness of it, 371.
Its want of discipline, 373.
It was a failure, 403.

Leopold, king, (of Belgium) must be independent of foreign powers, 259.

Londonderry, marquis, his appointment to St. Petersburgh, 351.

Lords, house of, should disregard popular clamour, 481.

Magistrates, the, should be appointed by lords lieutenant, 222.
--legal redress against them, 429.
--(Ireland) reasons, for their dismissals, 483.

Malta, a free press there deprecated, 396, 419.
Its riches, 421.

Manufacturing distress, causes of it, 201.
Exaggerated, 201, 202, 204.

Market, the home is the best, 211.

Melbourne administration, causes of dismissal in 1834, 347.
--treated with moderation by the opposition in the lords, 359.
Hostile to the church, 396.
Their impotent colonial government, 437.
They were not a government, 437.
Causes of their weakness, 439, 470, 472.
Carried on war with a peace establishment, 478.

Melbourne (Viscount), his services to the queen, 473.

Military operations, importance of time in, 81.
--law the will of the general, 103.

Ministers require large private fortunes, 239.

"Moderation," British, in India, very like ambition, 86.

Monster meetings, the, 487.

Municipal bill, (Ireland) dangerous to the church, 309.
Objections to the bill, 381.

Napier, Sir Charles, eulogium on him, 491.

National system of education in Ireland, 264.

National credit, how to establish it, 123.

Navarino, battle of, an untoward event, 139.

Navy, the, as a constitutional force, controllable by the legislature,
96.
--inadequacy of our, (1838) 407.
--compliment to it, 448.

Negotiating parties, a good understanding necessary between them, 99.

Negro emancipation will encourage foreign slave grown sugar, 243.

Newspapers, the Duke's indifference to, 109.

Non-interference, doctrine of, 141, 375.

Normanby, lord, his goal deliveries in Ireland, 380.

Oath, the Catholic, in a principle, 319.

Oaths are necessary, 457.
Their abolition considered, 475.

O'Connel, Mr., ought not to have had a patent of precedence, 264.
His proceedings, 490.

Officers, British, require keeping in order as well as the men, 118.
Their fearlessness arises from their obedience, 126.

Open questions a sign of weakness in a government, 427.

Opinion, a war of, the worst of wars, 242.

Opposition, the, should aid the government where war is inevitable, 405.

Otho, king, the Duke of Wellington's government opposed to his
appointment as King of Greece, 308.

Parliamentary reform, declaration against, 218.
--arguments against, 225, 227, 232, 240, 246, 247, 248, 250, 251,
272, 273, 290.

Party spirit, in the army, must be avoided, 84.

Peninsular governments, the, must not mind unpopularity, 114.
Their disorganised state, 116.

Pledges from members unconstitutional, 245.

Police, a preventive, checks crime, 241.

Poor, principle of relief to, in India, 90.

Poor, difficulty of legislating for, 211.

Poor-law amendment bill, the Duke's reasons for supporting it, 340.
--act has surpassed expectation, 365.
--commissioners must be made to do their duty, 464.

Poor-law, has worked well, 477.
---- his reasons for supporting it, 495.
---- (Ireland) reasons for supporting it, 486.

Popular assemblies unmanageable, 99, 124, 392.

Porte, the, our ancient ally, 138.

Portugal must be a military country, 101.
Advantage of having the people armed on our side in the war, 101.
Letter to a nobleman in, 104.
Conduct of the people to our troops, 108.
Apathy of the people of, 108, 110.
Portuguese troops better than Spanish, 115, 122.
As a frontier country, difficult to defend, 122.
Ingratitude of the Portuguese to the British army, 124.
Its importance to England, 241, 320.
Policy of the Wellington government, 313.
The civil war in, fomented by the Grey government, 316.
Don Miguel, king _de facto_, 318.

Postage bill, penny, reasons for supporting it, 430.

Protection, not free trade, the principle of our commercial law, 267.

Protestants of Ireland, necessity of conciliating the, 307, 319, 329,
330.

Predatory troops, tactics to be pursued against them, 91.

Printed papers' question, opinion on, 449.

Private considerations must be laid aside by public men, 88.

Public men must lay aside private considerations, 88.

Public works, principle of advances for, 217.
---- meetings, numbers at, may render them illegal, 400.

Quadruple treaty, the, 362.
Condemned, 367.
Effect of the additional articles, 368.

Railway acts ought to be subject to subsequent revision, 358.

Reduction in the public service, principle on which made, 208.

Reform, see parliamentary reform.

Reformation, the, a blow at it, 462.
All interested in maintaining it, 492.

Religion should not exclude men from serving the state, 95.

Repeal of the union averted by the emancipation act, 221.
Accelerated by reform, 240.

Responsibility, military and civil, doctrine of, 97.

Romana, the Marquis de, his character, 111.

Roman Catholics, the, are interested in maintaining the established
church, 354.

Seaton, Lord, eulogium on him, 448.

Secrecy, its importance in public affairs, 93.

Sense better than abilities, 125.

Services, the Duke's, in India neglected, 94.

Shipping interest, the, has not been neglected, 215.

Slave trade, French feelings about it, 126.

Slavery, fiscal regulations for its extinction not defensible, 290.
West India property not to be sacrificed to the fancies of
abolitionists, 291.
The emancipation act of 1833 a premature measure, 320.

Socialism, danger of it, 446.

Sovereign, the, political influence of the personal attendants of, 422.

Sovereigns, foreign, libels on, should not be permitted, 450.

Spain, its distracted state, 100.
National disease of, 108.
---- the real power is in the clergy, 127.
Effects of our intervention under the quadruple treaty, 362.
Intervention condemned, 375, 401, 402.

Spaniards, the, cry "viva," but don't act, 123.
Jealous of foreigners, 125.

Spanish officers, their inefficiency, 98.
And troops, 99.

Spanish leaders, their imbecility, 123.

Sussex, the Duke of, his character, 482.

Talavera, the hardest fought battle of modern days, 102.

Test and corporation acts, reason for repealing them, 148, 151.

Tests are no security to religion, 342.
---- university, rendered necessary by toleration, 356.

Thirty-nine articles, the, defended, 354.

Time, its importance in military operations, 81.

Tithes, the most sacred kind of property, 260.

Treaties, their ambiguity accounted for, 85.

Troops, their subsistence must be certain, 82.

Union, the, must be maintained, 480.

Universal suffrage and the ballot dangerous, 427.

Universities, the, their educational system the admiration of the
world, 366.

Victoria, H.M. Queen, speech on her majesty's marriage, 442.

Vimiero, battle of, fought without mistakes, 96.

War, when concluded, animosity should be forgotten, 88.
--French predatory system, of 121.
--A great country cannot wage a little war, 390.
--cannot be carried on with a peace establishment, 412.

Waterloo, battle of, its effects, 130.
His disgust at them, 131.
--described to a soldier, 131.
A "pounding match," 132.

Wellington, the Duke of, memoir, 1-79.
His Indian services neglected, 94.
His reason for being prime minister, 141.
Speech on introducing the emancipation bill, 155-190.
Would sacrifice his life to prevent one month of civil war, 186.
His declaration against reform, 218.
Reasons for resigning in 1880, 233.
Speech on attempting to resume office, May 1882, 292-302.
Explanation of his "dictatorship," in 1834, 349.
As a public man, stands on public grounds, 419.
His indifference to reports, 422.
Never said one thing and meant another, 435.
Not a war minister, 459.

West Indian colonists, their short-sighted conduct, 394.

William the Fourth, eulogium on, 384.

THE END.

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