Page:The house of Cecil.djvu/315

 THIRD MARQUESS OF SALISBURY 273

much as his colleague. On their return to London, they were received with popular ovations, and the Queen expressed her appreciation of their services by investing them with the Order of the Garter the only honour Lord Salisbury accepted from the Crown until the end of his long career. 1

Beaconsfield's " peace with honour " was no inapt description of an agreement which averted war while curbing the ambitions of Russia. " Give Russia an inch," said a wit, " and she will take the Dardanelles " ; and English policy was largely governed by that fear. Thus, although the treaty did not satisfy those enthusiasts who wanted the Turk swept ' bag and baggage " out of Europe, reasonable people perceived that at any rate Turkish opportunities of oppressing the Christian population of the Balkans had been considerably curtailed.

As to the wisdom of British policy as a whole in regard to Russia, that is too large a subject to touch upon here. But there is no doubt that Lord Salisbury himself had misgivings on the subject. Many years later, when he spoke of our having " put all our money upon the wrong horse," he was referring to the rejection of the Emperor Nicholas's overtures in 1853, which committed this country to an anti- Russian policy ; and on the same occasion 2 he defended the Treaty of Berlin on the ground that " when

1 He was created G.C.V.O. on his retirement in 1902

2 Speech in the House of Lords, January igth, 1897.

C. T

�� �