[Proposed Congress. Peace of Europe.] 19. Consent of Italy to attend proposed Congress. 20. Abandonment of proposed Congress on account of Austrian Reserva tions. 21. Abandonment of proposed Congress for the preservation of the Peace of Europe. 22. Causes which led to the abandonment of the proposed Congress for the preservation of the Peace of Europe. (1) The Earl of Clarendon to Earl Cowley. Willingness of Great Britain to take part in Congress. Proposed Appeal by Great Britain and France to Austria, Denmark, and Prussia, to resume the status quo. Proposed Co-operation of Russia. (Extract.) Foreign Office, 2nd May, 1866. I HAVE received your Excellency's despatch dated yesterday, on the question of assembling a Congress, with the view of endeavouring through its interposition to prevent the breaking out of War in Europe. Circumstances are very different at the present moment from what they were at the time when a Congress was formerly proposed. At that time Her Majesty's Government feared that a Congress might lead to War; but War being now imminent, a Congress might avert that calamity, and consequently Her Majesty's Government would be willing to take part in it, as they are fully alive to the nature and extent of the danger by which Europe is now menaced. But Her Majesty's Government consider that a Congress should not meet without its objects being previously defined, and without a reasonable prospect of effecting the purpose for which it was convoked. The origin of the unfortunate dispute between Prussia and Austria is the Duchies, upon the Annexation of which Prussia appears to be determined. Could a Congress sanction such a policy, which could only be carried into effect by violence, if the wishes of the people were not consulted? and if they were, assuredly Prussia would not obtain the Duchies. With regard to the Cession of Venetia, it is notorious that Austria will not cede her Italian provinces, unless she obtains Territorial compensation elsewhere; but where is this to be obtained? *The Lombardo-Venetian Kingdom was ceded by Austria to Italy by the Treaty signed at Prague 23rd August, 1866. [Proposed Congress. Peace of Europe.] Negotiation, therefore, upon the most important points on which Peace depends, would infallibly fail in a Congress which would be powerless to enforce them; and Her Majesty's Government would be as averse as the Emperor to take part in a Congress which in the face of Europe might prove its impotence for maintaining Peace. But it does not follow, therefore, that two Powers like England and France, peaceful and prosperous at home, should remain passive spectators of a bloody strife which will at once inflict serious evils upon their subjects. The 3 Powers now on the point of taking the field have each solemnly declared that it has no aggressive intention against the other; that each is only arming in expectation of attack; and Her Majesty's Government would, therefore, suggest that England and France, acting upon these repeated assurances, and invoking the Declaration of Paris (No. 269), should make a solemn appeal to the honour, the Christian feelings, and the true interests of the 3 Powers, should call upon them to resume the status quo, and declare that the Power which persisted without sufficient cause in provoking an unjustifiable War must in the eyes not only of England and France, but of the whole civilized World, be held responsible for all the calamities which it will cause. Her Majesty's Government would further suggest that Russia, whose position is analogous to that of England and France, should be invited to join in this appeal. CLARENDON. Earl Cowley. (2) Earl Cowley to the Earl of Clarendon. Willingness of France to take part in Congress, but not to adopt the Suggestion of a status quo. (Extract.) Paris, 4th May, 1866. On the receipt this morning of your Lordship's despatch of the 2nd instant, and of that of yesterday's date, I went immediately to M. Drouyn de Lhuys and read them to him. His Excellency said that in addressing himself to the Great Powers with a view of ascertaining their opinion as to the practicability of a Congress at the present moment, he had not enter [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 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. now, 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. |