The difference between the foreign-policy strategies of the Whigs and the Tories was practical, not philosophical; tactical, not strategic; and it reflected each party’s assessment of Great Britain’s vulnerability. The Whigs’ policy of wait-and-see reflected the conviction that Great Britain’s margin of safety was wide indeed. The Tories found Great Britain’s position more precarious. Almost precisely the same distinction would separate American isolationists and American globalists in the twentieth century.
