Volume Iii Part 91 (1/2)
The refusal of the Chinese Government to ratify the Treaty of Tien-tsin, and an unwarranted attack on certain British s.h.i.+ps, led to a revival of hostilities. A desire being expressed by the Chinese to resume negotiations, some of the British representatives despatched for that purpose were treacherously captured, and treated with great cruelty. The allied troops of England and France thereupon, marched to Pekin, when reparation was made, and retribution, exacted for the outrages. A Convention was eventually signed on the 24th of October.
CHAPTER XXIX
1860
_The King of the Belgians to Queen Victoria._
LAEKEN, _6th January 1860_.
MY DEAREST VICTORIA,--I have to thank you for a _most affectionate_ and gracious letter of the 3rd....
I will speak to my pianist about Wagner's _Lohengrin_; he plays with great taste and feeling, and I purchased a fine Parisian piano to enable him to go on satisfactorily.
Now I must speak a little of pa.s.sing events. Louis Napoleon wished for a Congress because it would have placed a new authority between himself and the Italians, whom he fears evidently concerning their fondness of a.s.sa.s.sinating people. The pamphlet, ”The Pope and the Congress,” remains _incomprehensible_[1]; it will do him much harm, and will deprive him of the confidence of the Catholics who have been in France his most devoted supporters. Now the Congress is then postponed, but what is to be done with Italy? One notion is, that there would be some arrangement by which Piedmont would receive more, Savoy would go to France, and England would receive Sardinia. I am sure that England would by no means wish to have Sardinia. It will give me great pleasure to hear what Lord Cowley has reported on these subjects. I understand that Louis Napoleon is now much occupied with Germany, and studies its resources. This is somewhat alarming, as he had followed, it seems, the same course about Italy. _Gare la bombe_, the Prussians may say. One cannot understand why Louis Napoleon is using so many odd subterfuges when plain acting would from the month of September have settled everything. I must say that I found Walewski at that time very sensible and conservative. His retiring will give the impression that things are now to be carried on in a less conservative way, and people will be much alarmed. I know Thouvenel, and liked him, but that was in the poor King's time. In England his nomination will not give much pleasure, I should imagine, as he was in the situation to oppose English notions in the Orient.... Your devoted Uncle,
LEOPOLD R.
[Footnote 1: This famous pamphlet, issued (like that of February 1859, _ante_, 25th January, 1859, note 7) under the nominal authors.h.i.+p of M. de la Gueronniere, expounded the Emperor'sview that the Pope should be deprived of his temporal dominions, Rome excepted. Its publication brought about the resignation of Count Walewski (who was succeeded by M. de Thouvenel) and the abandonment of the proposed Congress.]
_Queen Victoria to Lord John Russell._
WINDSOR CASTLE, _11th January 1860_.
The Queen has received Lord John Russell's letter, written after the Cabinet yesterday evening. She was much relieved by finding a proposal to call upon France and Austria not to interfere in Italy subst.i.tuted for the former one implying war on our part for the defence of the Provisional Governments of Central Italy. The Queen must consider this new proposal, however, as partial and incomplete as long as Sardinia is not asked as well to abstain from interference. Austria has reversionary rights in Tuscany and Modena, Sardinia has no rights at all, if a desire for acquisition is not to be considered as one.
Austria will probably say she has no intention of interfering as long as Sardinia does not, but she cannot allow Sardinia to possess herself of her inheritance under her very eyes. It is also incorrect to place France and Austria entirely in the same line; Austria being an Italian power in virtue of Venetia, and France having nothing whatever to do in Italy.
[Pageheading: WHIG TRADITIONS]
_Lord John Russell to Queen Victoria._
PEMBROKE LODGE, _11th January 1860_.
Lord John Russell presents his humble duty to your Majesty; he has just had the honour to receive your Majesty's letter of this date.
Lord John Russell has sent to Lord Palmerston the proposal he humbly submits to your Majesty.
He will therefore only venture to say that the doctrines of the Revolution of 1688, doctrines which were supported by Mr Fox, Mr Pitt, the Duke of Wellington, Lord Castlereagh, Mr Canning, and Lord Grey, can hardly be abandoned in these days by your Majesty's present advisers. According to those doctrines, all power held by Sovereigns may be forfeited by misconduct, and each nation is the judge of its own internal government.[2]
Lord John Russell can hardly be expected to abjure those opinions, or to act in opposition to them.