Never break the neutrality of a port or place, but never consider as neutral any place from whence an attack is allowed to be made.
Interpretation
This quote emphasizes the importance of maintaining neutrality in conflict while recognizing that some places can be strategically used for attack, thus compromising their neutrality.
Horatio Nelson's quote suggests that maintaining neutrality in conflict is crucial, particularly for strategic locations such as ports or places of military significance. However, he points out that if a location is used to launch an attack, it should never be considered neutral because its utility in offensive actions undermines the very essence of neutrality, thereby requiring a more vigilant and discerning perspective on the nature of alliances and enemies in times of conflict.
In practice
This quote can be used in a military strategy meeting to discuss alliance dynamics.
Firstly, you must always implicitly obey orders, without attempting to form any opinion of your own respecting their propriety. Secondly, you must consider every man your enemy who speaks ill of your king; and thirdly, you must hate a Frenchman, as you do the devil.
To do nothing was disgraceful; therefore I made use of my understanding.
Let me alone: I have yet my legs and one arm. Tell the surgeon to make haste and his instruments. I know I must lose my right arm, so the sooner it's off the better.
In honour I gained them, and in honour I will die with them.
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First gain the victory and then make the best use of it you can.
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Too often, when you are close to people in power, you're trying to make them happy; you're trying to tell them what they want to hear. But I find that really good leaders don't want that. They want the truth. And you do them a service, and yourself a service, by just being honest and straightforward.
Pessimism is a losing strategy. Leadership demands both confidence and optimism in abundance.
Let vice and immorality of every kind be discouraged as much as possible in your brigade; and, as a chaplain is allowed to each regiment, see that the men regularly attend during worship. Gaming of every kind is expressly forbidden, as being the foundation of evil, and the cause of many a brave and gallant officer's and soldier's ruin.
In this age, in this country, public sentiment is everything. With it, nothing can fail; against it, nothing can succeed. Whoever molds public sentiment goes deeper than he who enacts statutes, or pronounces judicial decisions.
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