34. Diplomacy and Duplicity
Diplomacy and Duplicity "Not doubletongued."—1 Timothy 3:8.
"Putting away lying, speak every man truth with his neighbour."—Ephesians 4:25. The "Daily News" June 15th, commenting on the reply of the Chancellor of the Exchequer to a question concerning the Berlin Congress, says:—"We seem, in fact, to be gliding into the use of two tongues, one for the ordinary business of life, and one for diplomacy."
Surely this gentleman has forgotten the well-worn description of an ambassador, as a gentleman who is sent abroad to tell lies for the good of his country. Diplomacy from time immemorial has used words rather to conceal its meaning than to express it. In the high quarters where state-craft is carried on, the dictum of George Herbert is utterly rejected—"Dare to be true, nothing can need a lie." Lies seem to be about the most necessary stock-in-trade of the managers of foreign politics. Our book of synonyms has a very suggestive list—"finesse, trick, dodge, ruse, diplomacy."
It is earnestly to be hoped that the contagion of political example will not spread through other classes of the community, and yet there is great fear that it has already done so. Among the clergy there has been no little talk of words used in a natural and non-natural sense, and many laboured treatises have been compiled to explain away the self-evident meaning of language. In polite society it used to be customary to deny one's self, and "not at home" was a fashonable mode of lying. This habit has we trust come to an end, but many of the compliments still exacted by etiquette may come under the same censure. Men who hate each other are full of "My dear Sir," and call themselves "the obedient servants" of persons whom they regard with supreme contempt. These are mere straws, but they show how the wind blows.
However much falsehood may be tolerated by society, it is none the less loathsome to every pure-minded man; and it is not one whit the less abominable in the sight of God because men combine to keep it in countenance. Its most horrible form is seen when professing Christiana become doubletongued and have one voice in religion and another voice in common conversation. Who is not disgusted with lips candied with affected love, and yet bitter with malicious hate? It is dreadful to speak like a saint at one time and like a devil at another. We have known persons who have talked so unctiously of divine things in religious meetings that they have won a high repute for godliness out of doors, while at home, under the little provocations of common life, they have habitually stormed and raved, and led their children and servants a sorry life. This thing deserves no quarter. Occasionally we hear of fictitious experience, and listen to wonderful narratives of events which never occurred: this also is execrable.
Actions have as plain a voice as words, and there is a duplicity of life which is quite as evil as verbal falsehood. Many characters are doubletongued. Spence said of Lady Wortley Montague that she was a shining character, "but like a camel she is all irregularity, and always wandering." "He calls her the most wise, most imprudent, loveliest, most disagreeable, best natured, cruelest woman in the world." Other forms of practical contradiction are common; some are intolerantly liberal, others are ferocious advocates of peace, or intemperate upon intemperance. We have known persons who were rashly slow, and imprudently wise. Hot and cold in five minutes. You would think the man to be two persons till you revised your opinion and reckoned him to be nobody at all because one side of his character neutralized the other. Nothing is more sad than to see that things do not tally in a man's character. We have known great pleaders for generosity who were themselves miserably stingy. We have heard of persons who have been wonderful sticklers for " the truth," meaning thereby a certain form of doctrine, and yet they have not regarded the truth in matters of buying and selling, or with regard to the reputations of their neighbours, or the incidents of domestic life. "These things ought not so to be." If by speaking the truth we shame the devil, we must be consistent in it as long as we live, or surely the devil will shame us.