Richard Cobden letter

Address: Board of Trade, Whitehall, London SW [from embossed stamp on paper]. To M Jules le Chevalier St André. Headed: 'Private'. Referring to an article by M Mornand, drawn to his attention by Le Chevalier St André: 'The word "impuissance" is very insulting & very dangerous when applied to my country'. He warns France against 'the idea of England being less powerful in compassion with France than in former time,' and continues: 'New & henceforth supremacy at sea must depend entirely on steam power. – Our tonnage in sailing vessels as compared with France is at least 5 to 1 – But the horse power of our steam mercantile marine as compared with your is about 30 to 1.' He concludes: 'You know how I hate this topic. – But depend on it England was never so much to be dreaded in a maritime war as at present.'
Autograph, with signature. The letter paper is inverted.
With the original envelope, on which the following later note has been added: 'Mille compliments à Monsieur E. Dentu. Ceci est l'autograph de Mr Cobden que je lui ai promise mais comme elle traite d'un sujet politique du moment, je désire qu'elle reste sous ce pli et ne soit communiquée à personne du vivant de Mr. Cobden.' On the dorse, above the broken seal: 'Décacheté: - le dimanche 30 avril 1869. E.D.'

See hard copy catalogue.

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Catalogue of the manuscripts and autograph letters in the University Library at the central building of the University of London (1921). A copy is available in the Library's Special Collections Reading Room.