The Letters of Queen Victoria Volume Iii Part 79

[Pageheading: WAR IMMINENT]

_Queen Victoria to the King of the Belgians._

WINDSOR CASTLE, _26th April 1859_.

MY DEAREST UNCLE,--I hardly know _what_ to say, so confused and bewildered are we by the reports which come in three or four times a day! I have _no hope_ of peace _left_. Though it is _originally_ the wicked folly of Russia and France that have brought about this fearful crisis, it is the madness and blindness of Austria which have brought on the war _now!_[26] It has put _them_ in the wrong, and entirely changed the feeling here, which was all that one could desire, into the most _vehement_ sympathy for _Sardinia_, though we hope now again to be able to _throw_ the blame of the war on France, who _now_ won't hear of mediation, while Austria is again inclined to do so!

It is a melancholy, sad Easter; but what grieves me the most (indeed, distracts me)--for I have had nothing but disappointments in that quarter since November--is that in all probability Vicky will be unable to come in May! It quite _distracts me_. You also must be very anxious about dear Charlotte; I hope she will not remain at Trieste, but go to Vienna. Her being in Italy is really _not_ safe.... Now with kind loves to your children, ever your affectionate and devoted Niece,

VICTORIA R.

[Footnote 26: Referring to an understanding reported to have been arrived at between France and Russia, the suspicion of which created great indignation in England. Prince Gortschakoff and the French Emperor, in answer to enquiries, gave conflicting explanations.]

_The Earl of Derby to Queen Victoria._

ROEHAMPTON, _27th April 1859_.

... Lord Derby has thought it necessary, in consequence of the att.i.tude a.s.sumed by Russia, notwithstanding her a.s.surances that there is nothing hostile to England in her secret treaty with France, to call upon Sir J. Pakington to say what addition could be made to the Channel Fleet within a period of two or three months, without weakening that in the Mediterranean. He has the honour of enclosing the answer, which he has just received by messenger. Lord Derby proposes to go up to Town to confer with Sir J. Pakington on this important subject to-morrow, and Lord Malmesbury has summoned a Cabinet for Friday to consider the general state of affairs.

France having absolutely refused the proffered mediation of England, and Austria having only accepted it under the condition of the disarmament of Sardinia, every effort to preserve the peace has been exhausted; and it only remains for this country to watch the course of events, to protect her own interests, and to look out for any opportunity which may offer to mediate between the contending parties.

This policy, announced by Lord Derby in the City on Monday,[27] was received with unanimous approval. It will require a great deal to induce the country to be drawn into a war under any circ.u.mstances, and Lord Derby's anxious efforts will not be wanting to avoid it as long as possible.

[Footnote 27: He had there described Austria's action as hasty, precipitate, and (because involving warfare) criminal, but the Government would still (he added) strive to avert war, by urging Austria, under the Treaty of Paris, to invoke the mediation of the Powers. The Derby Government, however, were supposed to be giving encouragement to Austria. See Lord Derby's letter of the 2nd of June, _post_.]

[Pageheading: LORD DERBY'S POLICY]

_Queen Victoria to the Earl of Derby._

WINDSOR CASTLE, _29th April 1859_.

The Queen has read the last telegrams with much pain, as they show that there is no chance left of stopping war. Indeed she thinks, considering the progress of revolution in the Duchies, and the daily increase of military strength of France and financial exhaustion of Austria, that it would not be morally defensible to try to restrain Austria from defending herself while she still can.

Count Buol's proposal to continue negotiations during the fight sounds strange, but ought not to be altogether put aside. The King of Sardinia's a.s.sumption of the Government of Tuscany[28] and military occupation of Ma.s.sa-Carrara form gross infractions of the Treaties of 1815 and international law, and can hardly be left without a protest from us.

Has Lord Derby heard that a Russian Fleet is expected soon to appear in the Black Sea? The Queen has just heard it from Berlin, where it is supposed to be certain, and it would explain Lord Cowley's report of (the Queen believes) Prince Napoleon's[29] account of the Russian engagements, which are admitted to contemplate a junction of the French and Russian Fleets to defend the Treaty closing the Dardanelles.

[Footnote 28: See _ante_, Introductory Note to Chapter XXVIII.

The Duchy of Modena and the Grand Duchy of Tuscany were in revolution, and the Duchy of Parma soon followed their example.]

[Footnote 29: See _post_, 1st May, 1859, note 30.]

[Pageheading: FRANCE AND RUSSIA]

_The Earl of Derby to Queen Victoria._

ROEHAMPTON, _1st May 1859_.

(_Sunday night_, 12 P.M.)

... Lord Derby entirely concurs in your Majesty's opinion that no credit is to be attached to the denials of the French or Russian Governments in regard to the engagements subsisting between them.[30]

It is very easy to convey denials in terms which are literally true, but practically and in spirit false; and Lord Derby has no doubt but that France is well a.s.sured that in any case she may rely upon the tacit a.s.sistance, if not the active co-operation, of Russia; and that both Powers are using their utmost endeavours to excite troubles in the East, as well as in Italy, as the result of which France may gratify her cherished designs of ambition in the latter, while Russia carries on her projects of aggrandis.e.m.e.nt in the former. This is a lamentable state of affairs; but it is Lord Derby's duty to a.s.sure your Majesty that no Government which could be formed in this country could hope to carry public opinion with it in taking an active part, as matters now stand, in opposition to France and Russia, if in truth they are acting in concert, as Lord Derby believes that they are. All that can be done is to maintain the principle of strict neutrality in regard to the affairs of Italy, and probably of Montenegro also, though there is not sufficient evidence of facts in that case to justify a positive conclusion. But in the meantime everything shows more conclusively the absolute necessity for the increase of your Majesty's Naval Force,[31] which was determined at the Council yesterday, and respecting which it will be necessary, on the very first day of the meeting of the new Parliament, to call for an explicit expression of opinion.

Your Majesty enquires as to a supposed pledge given by the Emperor of the French as to a denial of any Treaty with Sardinia. So far as Lord Derby can recollect at this moment, there never was more than an a.s.surance that so long as Austria remained within her own limits, he would not interfere; and that he would not support Sardinia, unless she were herself invaded in any _unjustifiable_ attack on Austria; and there was also a denial in the _Moniteur_, to which your Majesty probably refers, of there having been any engagement entered into _as a condition of the marriage_.[32] These are just the denials to which Lord Derby has already adverted, which appear at first sight satisfactory, but which may be afterwards explained away, so as to escape the charge of absolute falsehood.

Lord Derby trusts that your Majesty will have understood, and excused, his absence from the Council on Sat.u.r.day, in consequence of the misunderstanding as to the time appointed.

[Footnote 30: Lord Cowley, in a letter of the 29th of April to Lord Malmesbury, described an interview with the Emperor of the French, when the latter denied in terms the existence of a signed Treaty between France and Russia. But, as Lord Cowley added, there might be moral engagements which might easily lead to a more specific alliance.]

[Footnote 31: The Emperor had interrogated Lord Cowley as to this.]

[Footnote 32: In July 1858, the joint action of France and Sardinia had been concerted at the confidential interview at Plombieres, between the Emperor and Cavour, the former undertaking to a.s.sist Sardinia, under certain contingencies, against Austria. On the same occasion the marriage was suggested of the Princess Clothilde of Sardinia to the Prince Napoleon Joseph Paul, son of Prince Jerome Napoleon Bonaparte.

An interesting account of the events of this time, and of the character and aims of Cavour, will be found in De la Gorce's _Histoire du Second Empire_; see especially vol. ii. book 14.]

[Pageheading: THE POSITION OF FRANCE]

_Queen Victoria to the Earl of Malmesbury._

WINDSOR CASTLE, _3rd May 1859_.

The Queen has carefully read the enclosed draft. She thinks that, without saying anything offensive to France,[33] this important doc.u.ment would not place matters before that Power in the world in accordance with the facts, and would lead to erroneous inferences if it left out altogether, as it does, any reference to the responsibility which France has had in bringing about the present state of affairs.... Austria and Sardinia are spoken of as the offenders, and blamed, not without sufficient ground, for the parts which they have respectively acted, and France is treated as if standing on a line with us in fostering civilisation, liberty, and peace. The inference would be that _we_ forsake her in her n.o.ble course, and deserve again the name of "_perfide Albion_."

The Queen would ask Lord Malmesbury to consider this. For the sake of showing how she thinks the omissions dangerous to our position might be supplied, she has added some pencil remarks.

[Footnote 33: _I.e._, if the despatch were to abstain from reprobating the French policy.]

[Pageheading: THE GENERAL ELECTION]

_Queen Victoria to the King of the Belgians._

WINDSOR CASTLE, _3rd May 1859_.