[Proposed Congress. Peace of Europe.] tained the expectation that their answers would be other than those which he had received, and which were in general of the same tenor as that returned by your Lordship; but as a proposal for a Congress had been made two years ago by France (No. 356), and as the word "Congress" had again been pronounced now, he had not wished it to be supposed that France was indifferent upon the subject, or would be unwilling to meet her Allies, if the assembling of a Congress should be judged by them to be expedient. In your Lordship's reasoning as to the impediments to the assembling of a Congress M. Drouyn de Lhuys fully concurs, but I regret to add that he does not seem at all disposed to adopt your Lordship's suggestion that England and France should make a solemn appeal to the Powers now in Arms to resume the status quo. The Earl of Clarendon. COWLEY. (3) The Earl of Clarendon to Earl Cowley. Views of Great Britain on French Proposal for the Meeting of a Conference. Cession of Venetia to Italy, Destiny of the Elbe Duchies, and Reforms of the Germanic Confederation. Austria, Prussia, Italy, and Frankfort Diet to be invited to the Congress. My Lord, Foreign Office, 10th May, 1866. THE Prince de la Tour d'Auvergne read to me yesterday a telegraphic despatch from M. Drouyn de Lhuys, the substance of which was as follows: M. Drouyn de Lhuys expressed his opinion that if the Great Powers desired to arrest the events that were approaching, they ought resolutely to assert their claim to take under their control ("évoquer résolument à elles") the Questions that divide the Continent. Three questions now threaten to disturb the Peace of Europe-Venetia, the Elbe Duchies, and Federal Reform in Germany. If England, Russia, and France would consent to join in a Congress, after having agreed that, without raising any other question, their deliberations should be directed exclusively to the Cession of Venetia to Italy (compensation being given to Austria, [Proposed Congress. Peace of Europe.] * and guarantees for the Temporal Power of the Pope), to the destiny of the Elbe Duchies, and to the Reform of the German Confederation, in so far as it affected the European Equilibrium, -they might invite to this Congress Austria, Prussia, Italy, and a Representative of the German Confederation. M. Drouyn de Lhuys thinks that it would be impossible to arrive at any previous understanding upon the solution of these Questions, but that it would be sufficient that the 3 Powers above mentioned should announce a firm intention to settle them ("les résoudre "), in order that the evils of War should be averted and Peace secured. Upon this project M. Drouyn de Lhuys desired to have the opinion of Her Majesty's Government with the least possible delay. I told the French Ambassador that I could give no answer to the Proposal of M. Drouyn de Lhuys without consulting my Colleagues, beyond saying that we were ready and willing to take part in any measure likely to promote the maintenance of Peace; but that we must see our way before us, and clearly understand the nature of the objects to be pursued, as well as the extent of any engagements we might enter into; that we must not commit ourselves by vague expressions to acts which we did not contemplate, or expose ourselves to the charge of leaving France in the lurch by declining to go her lengths in any course of policy which she might think necessary, but which to us might not seem advisable. I added, as my own personal opinion, that a Preliminary Congress of 3 Powers-France, England, and Russia-to settle between themselves the Questions laid down in the despatch of M. Drouyn de Lhuys might be offensive to Austria and Prussia; and that as to a "firm intention" to settle these questions, it would be indispensable to define the full intent and purport of these words, because if it was meant that Prussia was to be forced not to annex the Duchies, or that liberty was to be given to her to do so, or that Austria was to be coerced into yielding Venetia, I felt sure that to the declaration, in the present state of affairs, of a "firm intention" so interpreted, Her Majesty's Government could not be a party. The Prince de la Tour d'Auvergne promised to report these observations as my own, which did not therefore commit Her * See page 1667. [Proposed Congress. Peace of Europe.] Majesty's Government; and to ask M. Drouyn de Lhuys for the further explanations of which I had pointed out the necessity. Earl Cowley. I am, &c., CLARENDON, (4) The Earl of Clarendon to Earl Cowley. Consent of Great Britain to French Proposal for a Conference. (Extract.) Foreign Office, 10th May, 1866. THE Prince de la Tour d'Auvergne has communicated to me this morning a telegram from M. Drouyn de Lhuys, by which Her Majesty's Government learn with satisfaction that no importance is attached by the French Government to the term "Congress" for the preliminary meeting of English, French, and Russian Representatives; and your Excellency is accordingly instructed that, upon the invitation of M. Drouyn de Lhuys, you may meet his Excellency and your Russian Colleague in order to confer upon the 3 Questions laid down in M. Drouyn de Lhuys' telegraphic despatch which, as stated in my previous despatch of this day, the French Ambassador communicated to me yesterday, and the settlement of which is now of urgent importance for the Peace of Europe. It is unnecessary that I should inform your Excellency that at any such Meeting you must observe the utmost discretion as regards the language that you may hold. The importance cannot be exaggerated of leaving no doubt in M. Drouyn de Lhuys' mind of the anxiety of Her Majesty's Government not to enter, even by implication, into any engagements which we should be unwilling or unable to fulfil; and your Excellency will in all respects govern your language by the tenor of my previous despatch of to-day's date, which you will read to M. Drouyn de Lhuys, though, at the same time assuring his Excellency of the anxious desire of Her Majesty's Government to co-operate with the Imperial Government towards arresting the War by which Europe is now menaced. Earl Cowley. CLARENDON. [Proposed Congress. Peace of Europe.] Sir, (5) The Earl of Clarendon to Earl Cowley. Views of Great Britain and France as to Position to be taken by Great Britain, France, and Russia in Proposed Conference. Foreign Office, 11th May, 1866. THE French Ambassador has made me acquainted with the reply of which he had already received by telegraph, and stated to me the substance as I informed you in my despatch of yesterday, to the observations which I had made to him on his communication of the previous day, and of which I gave you an account in my other despatch of yesterday, on the subject of a previous understanding being come to by the Governments of England, France, and Russia as to the measures which they might propose to Austria, Prussia, Italy, and Germany, with a view to prevent an interruption of the general Peace. M. Drouyn de Lhuys says in this despatch that he concurs in the objection I made to the Preliminary Conference between the 3 Powers being designated as a Congress; it is immaterial to France so long as an understanding between the 3 Powers in the interest of Peace is brought about, in what form it is so. M. Drouyn goes on to say, with reference to the exception which I had taken to the expression of "a firm intention" on the part of the 3 Powers to settle the question of Venetia, the Elbe Duchies, and German Reform, that the avowed Pacific and Neutral Policy of the Imperial Government precluded the supposition of any preconceived plan on the part of France to interfere actively in matters which only concerned her to the extent of the bearing that they had on general interests; that whether all the Great Powers met together in Congress at once, or whether England, France, and Russia alone conferred together with a view to devise a solution of pending Questions, the course usually observed in regard to such Meetings should be adhered to; that if an unanimous conclusion was arrived at, there was an end of the matter; that if it were not so, each Power would, with its own opinion, retain full liberty of action. France fully understood the objection of England to bind herself beforehand to maintain by Force of Arms any recommendations that she might make; and, like England, in case the Powers should not come to a common understanding, France purposed to remain free to act as she thought fit. But M. Drouyn de Lhuys is of opinion that it would be well that the question of the eventual employment of force should be left undetermined (réservée "), inasmuch as the decisions of the [Proposed Congress, Feace of Europe.] Powers would be stripped of all force and authority if they were to declare beforehand that the Enforcement by Arms of the decisions at which they might arrive was absolutely renounced by them. I thanked the Prince de la Tour d'Auvergne for the communication, which I said to a great extent removed the objections I had stated to him, and I informed his Excellency of the instructions which had yesterday been sent to your Excellency, authorising you, upon the invitation of M. Drouyn de Lhuys, to meet that Minister and the Russian Ambassador, in order to confer upon the 3 Questions of Venetia, the Elbe Duchies, and German Reform, the settlement of which M. Drouyn de Lhuys had repre'sented as of urgent importance for the Peace of Europe. Earl Cowley. I am, &c., CLARENDON. (6) Sir A. Buchanan to the Earl of Clarendon. Consent of Russia to proposed Appeal to Austria, Italy, and Prussia to resume the status quo. Views as to proposed Congress. (Extract.) St. Petersburgh, 7th May, 1866. ON my calling on Prince Gortchakoff at his request this morning, he inquired whether the French Ambassador had said anything to me relative to a Congress being convoked with a view to prevent the present state of affairs in Germany and Italy ending in War, and on my answering in the affirmative he proceeded to acquaint me with what had passed between Baron de Talleyrand and himself on the subject. His Excellency said that the French Ambassador had acquainted him with a suggestion of Her Majesty's Government, that representations should be addressed simultaneously by Great Britain, France, and Russia, to the Cabinets of Vienna, Berlin, and Florence, with a view to induce them to disarm and to seek by negotiation a peaceful arrangement of their differences, but that as the French Government considered such a measure would be ineffectual (“ inefficace") they were anxious in the first place to come to some preliminary understanding with Russia respecting the Elbe Duchies, Federal Reform in Germany, and the position of Venice, which might lead eventually to a Congress being held for the settlement of these questions. |