understood what war with England meant. It meant the absolute ruin of our enemies commerce. "A month after war is declared our commerce is absolutely at your mercy," said Talleyrand to the English plenipotentiary at the Congress of Chatillon.
This was the secret of England's influence on the Continent—an influence out of all proportion to her military strength or the numbers of her population. By this she reached the secret springs of action of every Cabinet in Europe. "Nobody cares what England wishes since she gave up her maritime power" said Prince Bismarck during the Schleswig-Holstein negotiations; and the influence of England in all the different political events since that time proves the accuracy of Prince Bismarck's estimate. How could it be otherwise? Not only is compulsion applied to her enemies commerce England's main resource in war, but it is the sole sanction of her power. But for it not a victory at sea would she ever have won. It was not from gaité
