I believe there is no permanent greatness to a nation except it be based upon morality.I do not care for military greatness or military renown.I care for the condition of the people among whom I live.There is no man in England who is less likely to speak irreverently of the Crown and Monarchy of England than I am；but crowns，coronets，mitres，military display，the pomp of war，wide colonies，and a huge empire，are，in my view，all trifles light as air，and not worth considering，unless with them you can have a fair share of comfort，contentment，and happiness，among the great body of the people.Palaces，baronial castles，great halls，stately mansions，do not make a nation.The nation in every country dwells in the cottage；and unless the light of your Constitution can shine there，unless the beauty of your legislation and the excellence of your statesmanship are impressed there on the feelings and condition of the people，rely upon it，you have yet to learn the duties of government.
I have not pleaded，as you have observed，that this country should remain without adequate and scientific means of defence.I acknowledge it to be the duty of your statesmen，acting upon the known opinions and principles of ninetynine out of ever y one hundred persons in the country，at all times，with all possible moderation，but with all possible efficiency，to take steps which shall preserve order within and on the confines ofyour kingdom.But I shall repudiate and denounce the expenditure of every shilling，the engagement of every man，the employment of every ship which has no object but intermeddling in the affairs of other countries and endeavouring to extend the boundaries of an Empire which is already large enough to satisfy the greatest ambition，and I fear is much too large for the highest statesmanship to which any man has yet attained.
The most ancient of profane historians has told us that the Scythians of his time were a very warlike people，and that they elevated an old scimitar upon a platform as a symbol of Mars，for to Mars alone，I believe，they built altars and offered sacrifices.To this scimitar they offered sacrifices of horses and cattle，the main wealth of the country，and more costly sacrifices than to all the rest of their gods.I often ask myself whether we are at all advanced in one respect beyond those Scythians.What are our contributions to charity，to education，to morality，to religion，to justice，and to civil government，when compared with the wealth we expend in sacrifices to the old scimitar？
Two nights ago I addressed in this hall a vast assembly composed to a great extent of your countrymen，who have no political power，who are at work from the dawn of the day to the evening，and who have therefore limited means of informing themselves on these great subjects.Now I am privileged to speak to a somewhat different audience.You represent those of your great community who have a more complete education，who have on some points greater intelligence，and in whose hands reside the power and influence of the district.I am speaking，too，within the hearing of those whose gentle nature，whose finer instincts，whose purer minds，have not suffered as some of us have suffered in the turmoil and strife of life.You can mould opinion，you can create political power，you cannot think a good thought on this subject and communicate it to your neighbours，you cannot make these points topics of discussion in your social circles and more general meetings，without affecting sensibly and speedily the course which the government of your country will pursue.May I ask you，then，to believe，as I do most devoutly believe，that the moral law was not written for men alone in their individual character，but that it was written as well for nations，and for nations great as this of which we are citizens.If nations reject and deride that moral law，there is a penalty which will inevitably follow.It may not come at once，it may not come in our lifetime；but，rely upon it，the great Italian is not a poet only，but a prophet，when he says：
The sword of heaven is not in haste to smite，Nor yet doth linger.
We have experience，we have beacons，we have landmarks enough.We know what the past has cost us，we know how much and how far we have wandered，but we are not left without a guide.It is true，we have not，as an ancient people had，Urim and Thummimthose oraculous gems in Aaron’s breastfrom which to take counsel，but we have the unchangeable and eternal principles of the moral law to guide us，and only so far as we walk by that guidance can we be permanently a great nation，or our people a happy people.
