might come against us. But, in spite of all this confidence, we might then have taken credit for being, on the whole, peaceably inclined, and not usually boastful, either as people or Government, of all the good and secure things we seemed to be possessed of. And so our national life might have flowed steadily and safely on, none outside wishing to disturb us. But, on the other hand, times and opportunities were occasionally tempting to the eloquence, penetration, and patriotic aspirations of statesmanship. And, after all, Governments are but the individual men, who, with all their special merits or infirmities, compose them.
Political difficulties will arise somehow, even in spite of every apparent care, and every professed or expressed wish for the contrary. And so it happened just about the time I now speak of. It was just after we had successfully projected, and entered upon the construction of the Grand Direct and specially officially used Express railway line to India. The unfriendly independence, and coldly unyielding character of the position taken up by allied France and Germany, with regard to the all-important liberties and privileges of that part of the line which was to traverse the few miles of the southern corner of the neutral territory of the old Duchy of Luxemburg, and the suspicious and annoying, nay even insulting fact, that these two countries had, in the most amicable way, as between themselves, united for that very object, were things which, in the estimation of our then premier, were not to be passed lightly over by a great and independent country. Although a cloud began to settle over markets, through this bold
