"Might and spirit will win and incalculable political and social consequences will follow upon victory. Victory must therefore be ours. England is not played out. Her mission is not accomplished. She can, if she would, take the place of esteemed honour among the democracies of the world, and if peace is to come with healing on her wings the democracies of Europe must be her guardians...History, will, in due time, apportion the praise and the blame, but the young men of the country must, for the moment, settle the immediate issue of victory. Let them do it in the spirit of the brave men who have crowned our country with honour in times that have gone. Whoever may be in the wrong, men so inspired will be in the right. The quarrel was not of the people, but the end of it will be the lives and liberties of the people. Should an opportunity arise to enable me to appeal to the pure love of country - which I know is a precious sentiment in all our hearts, keeping it clear of thought which I believe to be alien to real patriotism - I shall gladly take that opportunity. If need be I shall make it for myself. I wish the serious men of the Trade Union, the Brotherhood and similar movements to face their duty. To such it is enough to say 'England has need of you'; to say it in the right way. They will gather to her aid. They will protect her when the war is over, they will see to it that the policies and conditions that make it will go like the mists of a plague and shadows of a pestilence."
Quote Details
Added by wikiquote-import-bot
Unverified quote
0 likes
Prime Ministers of the United KingdomAcademics from the United KingdomLabour Party (UK) politiciansPresbyteriansPoliticians from Scotland
Original Language: English
Available Languages (1)
Sources
Letter to the Mayor of Leicester, declining to speak at a recruitment meeting (September 1914), quoted in David Marquand, Ramsay MacDonald [1977] (1997), p. 175
https://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Ramsay_MacDonald
Revision History
No revisions have been submitted for this quote.
Categories
Ramsay MacDonald
Ramsay MacDonald (12 October 1866 – 9 November 1937) was a British statesman who was the first ever Labour Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, leading a Labour Government in 1924, a Labour Government from 1929 to 1931, and a National Government from 1931 to 1935.
122 quotes on TrueQuotesView all quotes by Ramsay MacDonald →
Related Quotes
"The Hindu from his traditions and religion regards India not only as a political unit naturally the subject of one so…"
"I cannot refrain from wishing you God-Speed in your election contest... [L]et the consequences be what they may, do n…"
"The Labour party is no class champion. In politics it is frankly democratic, in economics it is co-operative... It wa…"
"There is too much expected of parliament. Localities should manage their own affairs and unions of localities should …"
"Our loss of belief in the Liberal party is therefore owing to the fact that its day of historical fitness has passed …"
"The end we have to strive for is complete democratic liberty in politics and complete freedom in industry from the ty…"
"Mr. Rockefeller not only owns the Standard Oil supplies: he controls the railways, the banks, the shops...upon which …"
"Factory Laws, Fair Wages resolutions, Trade Unionism itself, are...all Protection – not the Protection of Mr. Chaplin…"
"[Trade unions should identify] with something higher and wider than trade union industrial demands. It must set these…"
"[W]e shall begin the exploitation of national resources like mines; or we shall begin the process of industrial recon…"