Only peril can bring the French together. One can't impose unity out of the blue on a country that has 265 different kinds of cheese.
One does not arrest Voltaire.
The graveyards are full of indispensable men.
When I want to know what France thinks, I ask myself.
Diplomats are useful only in fair weather. As soon as it rains they drown in every drop.
One can unite the French only under the threat of danger. One cannot simply bring together a nation that produces 265 kinds of cheese.