“Here is my first principle of foreign policy: good government at home.”

— William Ewart Gladstone

Speech in West Calder, Scotland (27 November 1879), quoted in W. E. Gladstone, Midlothian Speeches 1879 (Leicester University Press, 1971), p. 115.
1870s
Context: Here is my first principle of foreign policy: good government at home. My second principle of foreign policy is this—that its aim ought to be to preserve to the nations of the world—and especially, were it but for shame, when we recollect the sacred name we bear as Christians, especially to the Christian nations of the world—the blessings of peace. That is my second principle.

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William Ewart Gladstone 121

British Liberal politician and prime minister of the United… 1809–1898

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“Here is my first principle of foreign policy: good government at home.”

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William Ewart Gladstone 121

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