1850
_Sagan, January 3, 1850._--The weakness of the Prussian Ministry is
inconceivable and so is the utter confusion which the new laws,
whether proposed or granted, produce throughout the administration of
the country. It is a case of quoting:
Laws lost their forces and right and wrong their meaning,
Or, to speak truth, a Valois reigned no more.[213]
[213] From the "Henriade," Canto I.
There is an ancient prophecy in Prussia dating from the reign of the
father of Frederick II. which says that his fourth successor will be
the last Hohenzollern to reign over Prussia. There seems to be really
some reason for believing this prediction. It is proposed to establish
uniform laws from the banks of the Rhine to the Carpathians: this is
sheer foolishness, as manners, civilisation, and interests are utterly
different. The Landwehr which is now very loyal will be retiring next
year and will be replaced by a new levy of very disaffected character;
in short, wherever we look, nothing but decay is to be seen and
uneasiness spreads apace. However, the Danish negotiations have been
vigorously resumed at Berlin and are said to be safe in the hands of
Herr Usedom.
I hear of a curious fact from Paris; all the factories are in full
swing, but business can only be done for ready money; bills at three
months simply cannot be discounted; the bank has just as many coins
and as much bullion in its cellars as it has notes in circulation.
This fact, perhaps unexampled hitherto, demonstrates mathematically
that there is not the smallest confidence in the near future and that
the people are living from hand to mouth.
_Sagan, January 9, 1850._--I hear from Paris that M. de Persigny has
arrived at Berlin,[214] with many proposals and with the fixed idea of
forming a triple alliance between France, England, and Prussia. This
idea, however, does not originate with him, but with that infernal
Palmerston. Vienna was informed of the proposal at the outset and
Prince Felix Schwarzenberg made it public through the newspapers, but
in spite of this publicity it is said that the proposal has not been
abandoned. Prussia will be offered Saxony and Thuringen and prospects
will be held out with regard to Hanover after the death, which is
probably not very remote, of King Ernest Augustus: in exchange Prussia
would be asked to cede the Rhine provinces; Prussia replies that
France should be contented with the Bavarian parts of the Rhine which,
in the views of the Elysée, are sufficient. Such is the point which
this intrigue has reached, for we cannot dignify it with the title of
a negotiation. M. de Persigny tells himself that if he is successful
he will make certain of the post of Minister of Foreign Affairs for
himself, to which he aspires, and also secure the empire for his
master, who is equally ambitious in this direction. Another
correspondent from Paris writes to me: "Those who were liberated under
the amnesty and have been restored to their families by the President
are doing more harm in one day than all the scoundrels of Paris in
concert. They are so full of gratitude that they threaten to kill the
President. Many of these men are convinced that their wives brought
about their arrest and they are therefore searching for proof to rid
themselves of their better-halves."
[214] M. de Persigny, aide-de-camp to the Prince President and
elected representative to the Legislative Assembly in 1849, was
occupied at Berlin upon a temporary mission, with no great
success.
_Berlin, January 12, 1850._--A parliamentary crisis is now in full
progress here. The King has been unwilling to take without some
reservation an oath which he desires to keep but which is repugnant
to his political conscience.[215] The Ministry absolutely required a
law from the Chambers concerning the Press and the clubs if it was to
govern, and therefore urged the King to take the oath to the
Constitution, as otherwise he could expect nothing from the Chambers.
Such was the dilemma. Violent scenes took place between the King and
his Cabinet. The latter was determined to resign and to force the King
to yield. When matters were in this situation two very influential
personages, General Rauch and Baron von Meyendorff,[216] intervened.
The Ministry was informed that its exploits hitherto had been so
glorious that it could afford to act in a high-handed manner, and that
to put pressure upon the King in order to endow the country with a
detestable Constitution, was unworthy of it. The Ministers were
directly informed that their weakness had aroused general disgust,
that they had shown no comprehension of their duty and that when the
danger of riots was passed they had distinguished themselves only by
their incapacity; they were obliged to hear some very stern truths. On
the other hand attempts were made to soothe the King's feelings by
attributing a firmness to him which is thought to be due to the
Queen's influence. The result of all these comings and goings is the
royal message which does not reform everything that is bad, but places
certain landmarks in the country by which people can guide their
steps. The Ministry has frankly adhered to the King, I am told, who
has now emerged from his period of obscurity. The next question is
whether the Chambers will accept the arrangement. It is thought that
they will agree, because the Cabinet asserts that it will resign upon
refusal, and the Chambers know that a purely reactionary Ministry
would take its place immediately. The Second Chamber, which is
anxious to avoid a dissolution, is terrified by this combination, and
it is hoped that it will yield before this menace which may become
reality.
[215] A royal message, which had been expected for several days,
had been presented to the Prussian Chambers in the session of
January 9. The formation of a hereditary peerage was then
announced, while the introduction of financial measures was to be
the privilege of the Second Chamber, and the King was to take an
oath of fidelity to the Constitution. Numerous modifications were
introduced for the purpose of restriction, but the King did not
make his oath a condition _sine qua non_, but thought he was
fulfilling a conscientious duty in thus submitting his scruples
to the Chambers.
[216] Russian Minister at Berlin.
_Berlin, January 17, 1850._--Your observations concerning women who
interfere in politics and concerning the dangers which they may run in
consequence, are perfectly correct.[217] I think it may be said in
justice to myself that at no time have I meddled with such matters and
that I have never taken part in politics except against my will. Far
from attempting to satisfy my self-esteem by such means, I have always
been terrified by my responsibility. If, in consequence of my
exceptional position, I have been well informed and have even been
asked for my advice and have exerted some influence upon the decision
of important matters, I have at any rate not lent either my name or my
energies to an intrigue, nor do I ever desire to play the part of a
political woman; in this respect I have always been ready to yield to
others who were more anxious and probably better fitted for such an
occupation.
[217] Extract from a letter.
Here public opinion is absorbed by the parliamentary crisis which has
not yet been settled, while much doubt and great difference of opinion
prevails concerning the result and its consequences. The King has been
so harassed and tormented that after a struggle of several hours the
day before yesterday, he was quite exhausted, sent for his cloak at
nine o'clock in the evening, and went for a walk in the park of
Charlottenburg alone and on foot through the snow, to refresh himself
and recover his spirits in the open air. He was inclined to dismiss
the Cabinet, dissolve the Chambers, and summon those who are here
called the reactionaries. General Rauch prevented this move: no doubt
he was right, because energetic measures can only succeed in the hands
of those who will shrink from none of the consequences of vigorous
action.
I spent an hour yesterday with the Countess of Brandenburg, where Herr
von Meyendorff showed us a letter which he had just received from
Madame de Lieven. Her letters are always pleasant reading as she
writes with sprightliness, is quite natural, and always has plenty to
say. In this letter she said that Lord Normanby is undisputed monarch
at the Elysée where he is doing his best to promote the imperial
movement; that the President has broken with the bigwigs and devotes
himself entirely to his evil counsellors; that the Assembly is more
divided than ever, for the leaders defy one another in no measured
terms, Molé calling Broglie a respectable nonentity, Thiers calling
Molé an old woman and the latter replying by "cad." In short,
confusion in France is complete, but is it not so everywhere,
unfortunately? In such general turmoil it is very difficult to
preserve any clearness of view or definite opinions; when insight is
clouded it becomes weakened and only the heart can remain a certain
guide at a time when all calculations are deceptive and when instinct
alone can provide the guiding clue through the labyrinth.
_Berlin, January 19, 1850._--The present moment here is an interesting
time by reason of its critical nature, and if I took the same interest
in mundane affairs as I used to do, I should now be all ears.
Yesterday rumours of concession suddenly came to an end; a large
number of Conservative deputies and important persons in the town
outside the Chambers, signed a petition to the King begging him not to
yield. Bethman-Holweg, who is not a deputy, took this petition to
Charlottenburg yesterday evening.
_Berlin, January 24, 1850._--Apparently Radowitz has arrived here and
is less energetic in urging the King to concessions than had been
feared: he also seems to have brought many letters from Gagern to
influential members of the Chambers, urging them to obey the King for
the reason that their refusal would probably endanger the whole
constitutional edifice of Germany. Next week will bring us a final
solution.
_Berlin, January 25, 1850._--Yesterday evening I went to a concert at
Charlottenburg where hardly any one listened to the music, as all
present were preoccupied with the probable events of to-day. The
parliamentary battle is opened this morning.
I hear from a good source that M. de Persigny is secretly intimate
with a somewhat disreputable band of politicians, and that as he
cannot find a welcome in any _salon_, he spends his time with a circle
by no means suitable for one in his official position, either from
ill-temper or from boredom or from instinct. In this way he has been
carrying on a series of petty intrigues for some time. His proposals
are being considered and he is given hopes of success; but no serious
negotiations are begun with an official and with a Government, neither
of whom can be taken seriously.
_Berlin, January 26, 1850._--Yesterday evening at a ball given by
Count Arnim-Boitzenburg, the Meyendorffs told me that M. de Persigny
had paid them a long visit the evening before and had explained to
them his Bonapartist and Imperialist theories, asserting that they
alone aroused popularity in France. By way of proof he concluded with
the statement that in the villages of France whole families could be
found on their knees before the picture of the Emperor Napoleon,
asking for the return of the Empire. This is a most audacious
invention. He came up to me at this ball and asked after my daughter,
saying that he had had the honour of making her acquaintance at the
house of M. de Falloux, with whom he asserts that he has been intimate
for the last eighteen years.[218]
[218] This statement was true.
_Berlin, January 27, 1850._--Yesterday at eleven o'clock in the
evening the debate upon the royal message was not concluded. There was
every prospect that Arnim's amendment would be adopted. He proposes to
postpone for two years the law concerning the organisation of the
Chamber of Peers and to make this Chamber in any case composed solely
of life members and not hereditary: this two-fold concession would
make the measure entirely illusory and would merely confirm the
uncertain nature of the provisional arrangements. It is sad, serious,
and fatal.
The Austrian Minister Prokesch, after being snow-bound for six days,
and the Prince of Leiningen, the brother of Queen Victoria, have
arrived from Vienna. The former is staying at Berlin and the latter
proceeding to Frankfort-on-Main; both are delighted with the young
Emperor. They say that if Prussia is not loved at Vienna, England is
particularly hated and France entirely disregarded.
The real leader of the Austrian army is the young Emperor, and his
chief of the staff, General von Hess, is his clever instructor. All
the orders to the troops and all military measures proceed directly
from the Emperor without any intervention or counter-signature on the
part of the Ministry. This is a fact of some importance. Leiningen was
also greatly struck by the attitude of Prince Felix Schwarzenberg; he
spoke of him as the firmest and even the boldest Minister to be found
anywhere.
_Berlin, January 28, 1850._--Arnim's amendment passed by a small
majority which it would not have had if fifteen Poles had not
abstained from voting. The paragraph in the royal message referring to
the _fidei commissum_ was rejected because several deputies on the
Right went away, as they were hungry and sleepy! This fact will show
the kind of parliamentary customs that prevail. The Ministry, who
merely wished to patch the matter up, has been satisfied, but is so no
longer. The King expresses himself as displeased, but I am afraid that
he will eventually swear to this deplorable Constitution, as soon as
the first Chamber sanctions the work of the second.
Some one tells me from Paris that he has seen M. Guizot and found him
in no way exasperated or disappointed, but calm and firm. In speaking
of the feeling in the Assembly and in what is still called society, he
says that people are not sufficiently uneasy, but too depressed.
_Berlin, January 29, 1850._--A person who recently came from Vienna
told me that Prince Schwarzenberg was steadily pursuing a proposal for
a commercial treaty with the Italian States, to the great wrath of
Lord Palmerston. The Vienna Cabinet declares that as long as England
entrusts her diplomacy to this Minister, it will disregard English
representations upon continental matters and go its own way. The chief
point of dissatisfaction at Vienna is the Pope with his weakness and
vacillation; and Rome has thus become the most disquieting point in
Italy. Here people are gloomy and uneasy, and their minds are occupied
with the numerous intrigues of recent days which produced the
vote of the day before yesterday. A curious fact is that Count
Arnim-Boitzenburg now tells any one who will listen, that the famous
amendment is not his but was arranged by Radowitz and that he has
merely lent his name to it. The fifteen Polish deputies say that the
reason they abstained from voting was because the Government has
promised them unheard-of concessions for the Grand Duchy of Posen if
they refrained from voting on this very amendment which the Cabinet
declared the evening before that it would never admit. Other deputies
have been persuaded by references to the wish and desires of the King.
The King declares that he has been misrepresented; in short, it is an
abominable and disgraceful state of confusion. The Left are highly
delighted. This deplorable comedy is, in my opinion, the last stroke
which will overthrow the tottering edifice; when no one has any
confidence in his neighbour, and when no one knows upon what to rely
or where to find sincerity and firmness, people soon lose the courage
of their opinions, remain as though paralysed, and even lose the
instinct of personal defence. Thus they slowly descend towards the
abyss which yawns to receive its prey.
_Berlin, January 31, 1850._--Yesterday there was a rumour that the
King would come to the town on Sunday and take the oath to the
Constitution of 1850 in the great white room of the council where the
Diet of 1847 sat. There will be stands for the spectators. I certainly
shall not swell the number of the curious.
_Berlin, February 2, 1850._--If my uncle had lived he would have
attained his ninety-sixth year to-day. God showed him great mercy in
taking him away before the beginning of this new phase of revolution,
so profound, so destructive, and so final; a revolution which at his
death had lasted fifty years, according to him. I think that we can
now see the end of it, so near are we to the bottom of the abyss, but
I doubt if we shall have time to rise again to the upper air. The
newspapers yesterday mentioned February 6 as the day fixed for the
King to take his oath.
_Berlin, February 4, 1850._--A reliable informant who has arrived from
Frohsdorf says: "There is at Frohsdorf a sincere desire for
reconciliation and reunion, but not in France. The old Conservative
party, led by M. Guizot, are asking for union, and would obtain it,
were it not for the obstinacy of the pure Orléanists, who are
represented by the members of the former Opposition. They include some
very influential men in their ranks, among others the Duc de Broglie.
Recently, in a meeting of journalists, M. de Rémusat spoke very
strongly against the coalition, basing his arguments not upon any
dynastic dislike, but upon the unpopularity of the nobles and the
priests, who made legitimacy, according to him, hateful and deadly.
This is a fatal attitude to adopt. The divisions which are rising
deprive the Orléanist party of all strength, and every one seems to be
playing the game of Louis Bonaparte, or, what is worse, that of the
Red Socialists." Another letter, also from a very reliable source,
which I received yesterday from Paris, dated January 31, says: "The
French Government is much more reasonable than I had expected with
reference to the communication which it has recently received
concerning the Swiss affair.[219] The matter will be decided _ad
referendum_. Probably no final attitude will be adopted on this point,
but no support whatever will be given to Switzerland, from whence the
wind of Socialism blows over France, and also upon Germany and Italy.
Finally, no engagement will be made with England, a point of primary
importance. In the Assembly, the side of the Montagne is about to
create a stir; possibly there will be an armed demonstration at Lyons
under the influence of the Socialists, who are there numerous; no
apprehension in consequence is felt here, and perhaps even no
resentment will be shown. At London they will be furious. Ellice, as
he left here yesterday, said that Lord Palmerston was going to do all
the mischief he could. Ellice, Whig as he is, seemed very uneasy on
account of the bad disposition of his friend of Downing Street."
[219] At the time of the violent reaction which proceeded after
1849 in several European States, following the suppression of the
revolutionary movement, thousands of proscribed Germans,
Italians, and French, took refuge in Swiss territory. Their
presence provided certain governments with a pretext for
presenting claims to the Federal Government, which produced
diplomatic difficulties.
As I have thus begun to repeat political gossip, I may also say that a
prompt resumption of hostilities over the Danish affair is expected.
The people of Schleswig are allowed to arm themselves and make
preparations, and before long there will be a general rising which may
have serious consequences. Negotiations do not advance. The haughty
language of Radowitz upon questions affecting Germany daily adds fuel
to the fire, and so embitters the relations between the Courts of
Vienna and Berlin that one has more reason to expect war in the near
future than the continuation of peace, although a conflict between the
two great German Powers would be utter madness in the eyes of the most
far-sighted. The Emperor Nicholas has recently said that he thought an
almost universal war in Europe was inevitable next spring. It is said
that Austria proposes to promulgate a new tariff law, so widely framed
as to produce great political advantages to itself, which will be a
crushing blow to Erfurt and will give Lord Palmerston an epileptic
fit.
_Berlin, February 7, 1850._--Yesterday was a remarkable day in the
annals of Prussia; the King took the oath to the new Constitution.
There were no stands, or spectators, or court officials present, and
no princes or princesses. The King is said to have been greatly moved,
and to have delivered a very touching speech which he had not
communicated to his Ministers. He did not regard himself as a
constitutional monarch until he had taken the oath, and the speech was
the last echo of the old _régime_. The King and some of the Princes
dined with the gentlemen of the Chamber and certain well-worn toasts
were given. All the Polish deputies have resigned in order to avoid
taking the oath; Count Hochberg-Fürstentein-Pless, a rich Silesian
lord, has done the same. Twenty-six other Deputies stayed away under
pretext of illness. And such has been the day and the deed which is to
lay the cornerstone of the new edifice.
_Berlin, February 12, 1850._--Herr von Meyendorff had a letter
yesterday from Madame de Lieven. She says that the scene on the 4th at
Paris during the removal of the trees of liberty,[220] a foolish act
of provocation on the part of the police, was enough to bring about a
revolt, armed intervention and the introduction of the Empire, of
which the Elysée continually dreams, though Changarnier seems to have
pronounced against it.
[220] On February 4, numerous meetings took place to prevent the
proposal to overthrow the tree of liberty planted in the Rue du
Carré-Saint-Martin at Paris. It was necessary to send troops to
secure the performance of the order given by the prefect of
police. Some people were killed and wounded. General de
Lamoricière, who happened to be upon the spot, was in great
danger and was only saved by escaping through an attic window on
to the roof of a house, where some citizens had dragged him to
protect him from the fury of the people.
I hear that Herr von Bernstorff, who was puffed up with Prussian
haughtiness two months ago, has changed his tone; that the despatches
which he writes from Vienna are all inspired by great fear of war, and
beg people here to avoid it at any cost. Herr von Schleinitz is
disgusted, and is impatiently awaiting an opportunity to ask for the
post at Vienna in exchange for the Ministry to which Bernstorff will
probably be called. Radowitz had promised Schönhals and Kübeck, the
Austrian plenipotentiaries at Frankfort, to sign, in company with
them, the decree referring to Mecklenburg. However, he left Frankfort
without performing this promise, and attempted to excuse himself upon
different pretexts. Schönhals then sent him word that if he did not
sign within three days he himself and Kübeck would leave Frankfort,
and that the last bond would be broken. Radowitz then hastily left
Erfurt to give the required signature; such, at least, is the story
that I heard yesterday.
_Berlin, February 13, 1850._--Yesterday the King presented to the
Second Chamber a law authorising the borrowing of eighteen millions of
thalers for military preparations. The Chamber considered the matter
and appointed a commission. There is doubt that this authorisation
will be obtained. The First Chamber also made its nominations for
Erfurt yesterday; the choice fell upon the democrats. Herr von
Meyendorff has no doubt that his Sovereign will regard Lord
Palmerston's recent action as a further piece of impertinence, when he
accepted the intervention of France in the affair with Greece[221] and
ignored the offers of Russia. England is asking for a new armistice
between Denmark and Prussia, and as the armistice now in force was
largely disregarded by Prussia, who has decidedly encouraged and
supported the insurrection, the Danes are not inclined to fall into a
new trap. Prussia has not only failed to recall General von Bonin, but
actually lent him to the insurgent government of Schleswig-Holstein,
where he publicly wore his Prussian uniform. The Danish envoys here
can get no reply from the Government; Herr von Usedom will not see
them and negotiates only with their adversaries.
[221] The case of Pacifico had then reached its most critical
point. This Portuguese Jew, who was under Prussian protection,
claimed a considerable sum from the Greek Government in
compensation for the pillage of a house on April 4, 1847, during
a demonstration in the streets of Athens, at the time of a
procession. The sum also included compensation for personal
outrage. In order to obtain this indemnity Lord Palmerston
blockaded the ports and coasts of Greece in 1850; on the
intervention of France and the payment of the sum in question the
blockade was raised. The French ambassador at London, M. Drouyn
de Lhuys, left England, and this trivial incident nearly led to a
general war.
_Berlin, February 14, 1850._--I admit that every Government has its
difficulties, and that the number and diversity of the complications
should be guarantees against violent means of settling them. In a
word, I agree that if war should break out it will be the most
irrefutable symptom of madness upon one side, of weakness upon the
other, and of bewilderment in general; but unfortunately these
aberrations are contagious and make such progress before my eyes that
any one who, like myself, can observe all the inventions of bad faith
and haughtiness, speedily grows anxious for the future. If we can get
through April and May without the sound of the cannon I think that
peace might last between the great powers, at any rate for a year or
two; this would give people time to breathe, to turn round and to get
their affairs in order; but I am sadly afraid that between this date
and May 15 at the latest we shall once more be in the midst of a
conflagration. My own opinion is that the latter part of the month of
April will definitely settle the possibility of war or peace. At the
present everything points to a general conflagration in the near
future. Lord Palmerston is doing his best to promote it, and M. de
Persigny, with his eyes upon the right bank of the Rhine, is also
working vigorously. Here, with marvellous stupidity, people run into
every snare and take a delight in alienating their natural allies.
_Berlin, February 23, 1850._--I spent the evening with the
Meyendorffs, the house where the most authentic news is oftenest to be
obtained. Yesterday's news was more peaceful. Two incidents serve to
calm in some degree the warlike ideas in progress here: in the first
place an individual has returned who has been sent to inquire into the
military preparations in Bohemia, in the existence of which there was
general disbelief. His report has fully confirmed the rumours. Then M.
de Persigny has made an inconceivable blunder. Feeling hurt because
overtures were made directly to Paris through Hatzfeldt on the Swiss
question, he took umbrage and picked a quarrel with Count Brandenburg
a few days ago. He said that France would not permit the employment of
coercive measures against Switzerland, and that an opportunity of
crossing the Rhine with two hundred thousand Frenchmen and of fighting
in Germany would be all to the advantage of the President. In short,
he showed his teeth so clearly as to give rise to subsequent
reflections which might have been made a little earlier. Whether these
reflections will be sufficiently strong to induce a more prudent
attitude I cannot say. Persigny is completely done for: he came here
with proposals of peace and will probably go with the threat of which
I have spoken; his policy shows neither intention nor consistency. The
newspapers represent French domestic affairs as growing worse day by
day, and the attitude of her representative here is therefore more
inexplicable.
_Berlin, February 24, 1850._--To-day is a serious and very tragical
date: it marks the downfall of what was called modern society, and
very falsely called civilised society, as experience has shown.
A letter from Madame de Lieven received here yesterday predicts
further catastrophes in France in the near future; the result in her
opinion will be a temporary military dictatorship in the hands of
Changarnier.
The King of Hanover has written a letter which I have seen. He says
that he has spent some very disagreeable days and that he had a crow
to pick with his Ministers, and had much trouble in converting them to
his opinion. However, he has succeeded and has broken the last tie of
connection with Berlin to begin closer relations with Vienna.
_Sagan, February 26, 1850._--I arrived here yesterday afternoon. In
the train I met Herr von Benningsen, the Hanoverian Minister of
Foreign Affairs, who was going to Vienna for forty-eight hours to gain
information, and was then to return at full speed to his Sovereign's
side. This visit will doubtless cause much displeasure at Berlin.[222]
[222] Benningsen had been sent to Vienna to conciliate federal
and individual instincts by a proposed Constitution which the
four kingdoms of Bavaria, Saxony, Würtemberg, and Hanover were
thought to have devised in concert with Austria. The attempt
proved a failure.
_Sagan, February 28, 1850._--Count Stirum passed here yesterday on his
way from Berlin, and told me that the Electorate of Hesse had
definitely and officially broken with Prussia. I hear that the King of
Hanover has officially announced to the Prussian Government his
secession from the Prussian _Bund_, but that he has been obliged to
yield to his Ministers, who absolutely decline any alliance with
Austria, because Austria is in favour of a Single Chamber, while the
Hanoverian Ministers want two. I suppose that Herr von Benningsen went
to Vienna to make all these explanations. The poor King of Hanover is
therefore completely isolated.
_Sagan, March 1, 1850._--We are entering upon a month that has been
notorious and fatal in the annals both of ancient and modern history.
Heaven alone knows what kind of Ides it has in store for us at this
point of the half-century. Dates and anniversaries inspire terror, and
I feel that we are standing upon ground that is undermined.
_Sagan, March 6, 1850._--Yesterday I had some letters from Paris. On
the 2nd of this month Paris was in much perplexity concerning the
approach of the elections, and news from the provinces caused some
anxiety; the Red Party was rising once more. Social pleasure and the
follies of dress are not checked in consequence, and are, indeed,
carried to an appalling degree. The Grand Duchess Stephanie has been
received by the President with the greatest honour; he gave her an
establishment apart from his own, in order that her movements might be
quite free, and summoned the Diplomatic Body in uniform to be
introduced to her. She received the introductions seated in a chair of
state, which was a strange sight at the house of the President of the
Republic, and provoked some caustic remarks. She is to spend a month
at the Elysée, and will then live with her daughter, Lady Douglas, who
will arrive at Paris in a few weeks. As the Grand Duchess was ready to
receive people of every shade of opinion while she was at Baden, many
people who do not visit the President have asked permisssion to call.
_Sagan, March 7, 1850._--Letters truly alarming have reached me from
Paris. Those who see everything in a favourable light flatter
themselves that there will be a change in the English Cabinet, and
that this will produce an immediate effect at the Elysée, where Lord
Normanby's influence is more powerful than ever on questions of
domestic as well as foreign policy. His advice is far from excellent,
and is usually given in the evening at the house of the President's
mistress, amid the petty amusements which fill the Presidential hours
of leisure. On the Swiss question Lord Palmerston will again direct
the President's action; his instincts are warlike, whereas those of
his Ministers are pacific; but the Ministers have no authority over
Prince Louis or over the Assembly, which distrusts them and distrusts
the President yet more. The President's attitude, again, upon the
Greek question is even more Palmerstonian than upon the Swiss
question; in a word, every problem which arises in Europe, whether
involving a conflict or mere rivalry, will be treated with
inconsistency and certainly concluded in confusion. France is also
greatly distracted. I am told that the President has definitely
decided to grasp the first opportunity of breaking with the Assembly
and of crushing it. In short, his 18th of Brumaire and his Imperial
cloak have been prepared; he is waiting his opportunity, champing the
bit meanwhile. Probably his struggle against the Reds will give him an
opening, and he believes that the public danger will secure him the
public support. All eyes are turned upon Changarnier, who is the great
puzzle of the moment; no one can divine his intentions, and he
maintains so impenetrable a reserve as to lead observers to infer that
he thinks himself master of the situation; there is, in fact, no doubt
that he will check the _coup d'état_, but in the excitement of civil
war some popular movement might be begun which would sweep away even
Changarnier himself. Everything will thus depend upon the extent of
this struggle and of popular excitement. Will the Reds fight? People
seem inclined to think that they will, and the outbreak is even
expected this month, while the news from the provinces is most
serious. The provinces threaten to overthrow Paris, and to deprive her
of the long power of initiative which she has exercised upon politics
and revolutions. It is certain that the President is not the man to
meet this decisive crisis; for the last six months he has sunk in the
opinion of all reasonable people; he is surrounded by advisers of the
worst possible colour, imbued with absurd and dangerous ideas. But in
spite of all this and even more, the conclusion seems inevitable that
there is no one at present to take his place, and that he must be
endured as he is. Obviously France could only be saved by a military
dictator who would overthrow universal suffrage, the Press, the jury,
the National Guard--in short, everything that poisons France and
infects Europe with its contagious miasma. If the Comte de Chambord or
the Comte de Paris were to return to France to-morrow, I doubt if they
could do what is necessary; such action seems only within the
competence of an exceptional and irregular power. Hence the wish for a
military dictatorship with full power, which, when the present crisis
is over, would return the regular power to the hands of a Government
sanctioned by tradition. But is this the view of God's providence, or
is the old world to fall asunder in blood? Will ferocious hordes
quarrel over our remains? Who can say?
_Sagan, March 11, 1850._--I hear from Berlin that M. de Persigny
thinks that he has done an excellent stroke of business by inveighing
against Prussia before the Austrian Minister, to whom he said that two
thousand Frenchmen would soon make an end of the propensities of
Neuchâtel. Thereupon Prokesch, who is a somewhat rough and violent
character, turned white with rage, and trembling with fury, told the
little favourite that he would endure no such language at his own
house, and that in spite of the coolness between the Courts of Vienna
and Berlin, he would assure M. de Persigny that when the first French
soldier had crossed the Rhine in hostility to Prussia, the whole of
the Austrian forces would come and help their old ally to stem the
revolutionary flood. On this vigorous outburst the little man beat a
hasty retreat. He is said to have begun intrigues with the Prussian
demagogue party, feeling that he has not sufficient influence over the
Brandenburg Cabinet. The latter body, unfortunately, is a perfect
weathercock, continually doing and undoing, beginning and abandoning,
advancing and retiring with the most deplorable ineptitude that can be
imagined.
_Sagan, March 12, 1850._--The people of Schleswig say that if they are
not sent a million and a half of crowns they will attack the Danes
alone on April 1. The Danes reply that if they are attacked they will
immediately seize all the German ships, and upon this occasion there
will be no question of restoration. Thereupon Rauch was sent to
Schleswig with the most vigorous instructions to dismiss Bonin, and to
recall all the Prussian officers; but three hours later the Cabinet
was terrified by its own unusual display of energy, and sent fresh
instructions after Rauch by express messenger, so much milder in
purport that no definite result can be expected.
_Sagan, March 14, 1850._--General von Rauch sent back his son to
Berlin to ask for more definite instructions, as those which he bore
could not command obedience. However, the Minister of War[223] is
afraid to send orders for the recall of the Prussian officers serving
in Schleswig-Holstein, for the reason that a crowd of Poles are ready
and waiting to take their places. This fact gives rise to a fear that
the scenes at Baden of last year may be repeated,[224] when it was
necessary for the Prussians to send a force into the provinces.
[223] Herr von Stockhausen.
[224] Serious disorders had broken out in the Grand Duchy of
Baden, where the Government of the Grand Duke Leopold I. had been
strongly opposed by the Liberals, and had been struggling against
unpopularity for years. This insurrection, which broke out in May
1849, was led by Mieroslawski. Leopold was obliged to leave
Carlsruhe and his States, and was unable to return to them for a
month, by which time the Prussians had intervened: their
occupation of the country continued until 1850.
_Sagan, March 21, 1850._--General von Rauch has returned from Holstein
without securing any result. The people of Holstein are penniless, but
they propose to maintain their army by authorising pillage, and as the
said army is composed of bandits, the prospects are cheerful.
The Duchesse d'Orléans is staying with her nephew Schwerin at
Ludwigslust.[225] This is a farewell visit. It is thought that the
parting will be long, if not final, for the Princesse has sent for a
large supply of jewels, boxes, pins, rings, bracelets, &c., from
Paris, which she is scattering round her family circle before starting
for England.
[225] In Mecklenburg.
M. de Persigny apparently thinks himself more remote from the pleasant
little combat to which he looked forward at Paris, for it has been
noticed for several days that he is less cheerful and boastful.
_Sagan, April 9, 1850._--Herr von Meyendorff writes from Berlin: "The
policy of Radowitz and Bodelschwing which was rejected by the majority
in the Council of the Ministers, has entered upon a new phase, and it
is now a question of cutting down to the size of a dwarf the coat
which was originally cut for a giant on May 29, 1849.[226] The idea of
a Constitution for the Empire has been abandoned and there is simply
to be a union of States reduced to its most simple form, that is to
say maintained within the limits of Prussia's natural sphere of
influence where common material interests prevail." The King was the
first to start this new policy, and one of his chief supporters was
General Stockhausen: Prokesch thinks that the prospects of the
Government have improved, in which case the improvement must be very
obvious indeed. Bernstorff, however, who is always stiff and
narrow-minded, is unable to bring about the necessary understanding.
At Vienna there is no great feeling in favour of Prussia, so that
heaven knows how much time will be wasted.
[226] An allusion to the union between Prussia, Hanover, and
Saxony, who had been ready to sign the Constitution in May 1849.
The proposal came to nothing, as Hanover refused her adherence at
the last moment under the influence of Austria.
_Sagan, April 23, 1850._--Lady Westmoreland arrived here yesterday
with her daughter. She brought no very encouraging political news: she
expects armed intervention on the part of Russia at a near date upon
the Danish question. A Russian fleet with troops ready for
disembarkation is preparing to watch the Duchies; whether Lord
Palmerston will leave the glory or the trouble of the affair to Russia
or whether he will decide to join her will be known in a few days.
Lady Westmoreland had a letter from the Queen of the Belgians saying
that her father was much tired and changed and had grown a good deal
older after a violent attack of influenza; she was proposing to make a
journey to England to see him.
_Sagan, May 1, 1850._--The reply expected from London upon the Danish
question reached Berlin on Saturday evening. The simultaneous and
identical proposals of Meyendorff and Westmoreland are fully approved
and the latter is authorised to give vigorous expression to them, as
indeed he is doing; but it seems that the strongest words have little
effect and that acts will be required to change the attitude of the
Berlin Cabinet. Reedtz and Pechlin, the two Danish plenipotentiaries,
are at the end of their patience and complain of the snares that have
been spread for them; all are growing bitter and exasperated and the
most clear-sighted believe that some violent outbreak is in near
prospect.
_Sagan, May 3, 1850._--The Congress of Princes[227] which was to
assemble at Gotha, is now to meet at Berlin on the 8th of this month;
for this reason the marriage of Princess Charlotte of Prussia with the
Prince of Meiningen has been postponed to the 18th which will hardly
please her, for though young she is deeply in love and in a great
hurry.[228] She is a charming person of whom I am very fond and who is
very fond of me, but I think that Meiningen is too small a theatre for
her extreme energy, and that her future husband is too milk-and-watery
to suit the electrical vivacity which she has inherited from her
mother. This tendency has been restrained by an excellent education.
[227] This Congress had been convoked by Prussia upon the
dissolution of the alliance of the Three Kings, from which
Hanover and afterwards Saxony had withdrawn. The King of Prussia,
asserting his desire to work for the unity of the German nation
with all his power, convoked this Congress to oppose the
ambitious ideas of Austria. The Princes answered the appeal, and
the Congress was opened at Berlin on May 12.
[228] This marriage in fact took place at Berlin on May 18, 1850.
_Sagan, May 7, 1850._--Humboldt tells me that as England has delegated
all her powers to Russia upon the Danish question, and that as
Meyendorff's language was threatening and very decided, Berlin has
resolved upon pacific measures. Heaven grant that it may be so! He
also says that he does not think that the Congress of Princes at
Berlin has been fully attended, and that in any case it will lead to
no great result, and that the convocation of the old Diet at Frankfort
by Austria daily becomes a more formidable danger.
Madame de Chabannes writes telling me that she is very displeased with
the Orléanist party, even more than with the party that is opposed to
it. She says that the most acceptable proposals are forthcoming from
the Comte de Chambord; that the young Orléanist princes are all in
favour of a family compact; that Louis Philippe, who has grown much
weaker, is vacillating; that the Queen of the Belgians, under English
influence, is hostile; and that the Duchesse d'Orléans, who receives
but incomplete information from Paris, will give no definite reply.
_Sagan, May 8, 1850._--Lady Westmoreland writes to me from Berlin
under yesterday's date: "The castle at Berlin is being prepared for
the stay of the princes invited to the Congress; it has been possible
to arrange seventeen separate sets of rooms; if these should prove
inadequate, the extra princes will be lodged in private houses at the
King's expense, but probably not so many as seventeen will come;
hitherto the only certainties are the Duke of Coburg, the Duke of
Brunswick, the Grand Duke of Saxe-Weimar, the Grand Duke of Baden, and
the two Grand Dukes of Mecklenburg. As for the Elector of
Hesse-Cassel, he has sent word that he will come and explain to the
King in person why he could enter the restricted union. General von
Bülow is starting for Copenhagen to-day; he is commissioned to treat
for a separate peace between Prussia and Denmark, and not to touch the
questions of the Duchies, or Germany, or mediation; when I say 'treat
for' peace, I mean that he should make proposals to this end, as the
negotiations are to be carried on here. It has been decided to send a
plenipotentiary to Frankfort, and it is supposed that Herr von
Manteuffel, the Minister of the Interior, will go. The important
question is whether he will appear as the Russian plenipotentiary or
as representing the restricted union by himself; in the former case
there will be a great retreat on the part of Prussia, and in the
latter, Austria will decline to join."
_Sagan, May 12, 1850._--Yesterday I had a letter from Berlin of which
the following is an extract: "You will see the list of the princes who
have arrived, as it is in the _Gazette_. They are all here except
Nassau and Hesse-Darmstadt, but it is not to be supposed that they are
all agreed. The Duke of Coburg wished to have a preliminary
conference in his own rooms with the other princes before to-day's
session at the Castle, whither they were invited by the King to hear a
speech and afterwards to dine. The Duke of Coburg was astonished and
vexed to find that every prince has his own way of regarding the
question, and that they will not submit to his proposals.
Mecklenburg-Strelitz, Hesse and Oldenburg declared themselves entirely
opposed to the Prussian tactics, and the Duke of Brunswick, though
favourable to the _Bund_,[229] has views of his own upon the subject,
which are not those of Coburg. Manteuffel is not going to Frankfort,
and this question remains unsettled."
[229] The _Bund_ was the alliance of all the German Sovereigns
against a foreign enemy. It lasted until the war of 1866.
M. de Persigny, who has returned from Paris, declares that all parties
have gathered to the support of the President, that they propose to
take the most energetic measures, and that all danger is passed.
Prokesch has been appointed to Constantinople; it is said that his
place here will be taken by General Thun.
_Sagan, May 13, 1850._--I have received two letters from Berlin, one
in German; the following is an extract from it: "The Congress of
Princes is proceeding admirably; little business is done, but there is
plenty of occupation. Military displays are unending, and are varied
by monster dinners, while in the evening there is the opera, _The
Prophète_, parties, and balls. To-day a reception is given by
Meyendorff, to-morrow by Redern, on Monday by the Prince and Princess
of Prussia, on Tuesday by the Westmorelands, on Wednesday by their
Majesties; and then, thank heaven, the conference is closed. The
Princess Regent of Waldeck arrived here on Thursday for the great
dinner in the White Hall, which was a fresh cause of joy to the
spectators. As Princess Regent she has been given precedence of all
the princes. The King shows extreme politeness towards his guests:
instead of giving his arm to the Queen and leading the way for the
other princes, he took in the Princess of Waldeck and the Queen was
taken in by the Grand Duke of Baden. The Princess looks very well, is
admirably dressed in black on account of her widowhood; but
unfortunately, in respect of loftiness of bearing, she in no way
yields to General von Neumann and seems even to have borrowed some of
his ill-timed affability; I fear that this evening she is likely to
become unduly lively at the Meyendorffs' reception, where the support
of the Court will be lacking. The ladies will certainly forget the
Regent, and will regard her only as a Princess of Waldeck. The Duke of
Brunswick was not present at the dinner, as his claim of precedence
over the Duke of Coburg was disputed. Yesterday dinners were given by
Prince Charles and Prince Albert of Prussia, that the King and Queen
might have a breathing-space. In the evening the Opera Hall was
magnificent, and the large drawing-room which approaches the royal box
was beautifully decorated and illuminated; the boxes for the
foreigners had been thrown into the royal box, and proved hardly large
enough for the princes and their suites; the audience was so absorbed
by the sight of them, that they turned their backs on _The Prophète_
during most of the performance and devoted their attention to the
German Union; their interest was naturally increased by the appearance
of the King in the large box, where he took the third place by the
side of the Princess Regent of Waldeck. The Queen remained alone in
her little box, where she was not even in full dress; after the first
act the King took the Regent for a few minutes to see the Queen.
"The speech addressed to the Princes by the King is said to have been
most dignified. He begged them to consider whether they could follow
in loyalty and faithfulness the path which he had taken, adding that
if they were of a different opinion, they need only follow another
road and diverge from himself, in which case he would feel no
vindictiveness; but if they preferred to follow him they must march
loyally wherever he carried his flag. Yesterday evening in a session
of the Ministers, differences, disputes and quarrels were only too
obvious: the Administrative Council was present to listen; Hassenpflug
immediately protested against their presence, and eventually it was
necessary to close the session almost as soon as it had begun. The
result was an interchange of letters in anything but polite tone
between Brandenburg and Hassenpflug, but no session; in short, the
first attempt at a session made an end of the union."
The other letter is from Lady Westmoreland: "The Princes met in
private in the rooms of the Duke of Coburg, who is anxious to take the
lead and would like to dominate the rest: offence has already been
taken in consequence, by the Duke of Brunswick in particular. The
Grand Duke of Mecklenburg-Strelitz, who is represented by his eldest
son and the Elector of Hesse-Cassel, speaking for himself and for the
Grand Duke of Hesse-Darmstadt, declared their inability to consent to
any act which might bring about a Prussian Union, until the Frankfort
Assembly had decided the great question which is there under
discussion; all the other Princes declared themselves devoted to the
Union and to the Prussian policy; they were, however, far from
unanimous among themselves, and while they made the same profession of
faith, every one wished to interpret it in a different manner; some
were anxious to attack the political question in the reply to be
presented to the King's speech the next morning, but it was decided
only to send a polite and formal reply. Yesterday the Ministers of the
Princes held their first meeting and discussed their course of action.
To their great astonishment they saw Herr von Radowitz arrive with all
the members of the _Verwaltungsrat_.[230] Thereupon the Minister of
Hesse, who is violently opposed to all Prussian tactics, as you know,
rose and declared that these gentlemen had no concern with the
discussions of the Princes' Ministers who could not possibly continue
a frank discussion in the presence of men whose acts they would
probably have to criticise, and the acts of Herr von Radowitz more
than any others: he is then said to have declared that he was there to
support the friends of the Union, and that were it not for him the
Prussian Government would probably yield beneath the attacks of the
hostile Princes; a fine compliment, you see, to Herr von Brandenburg
and his Cabinet. The result was great confusion and an interruption of
the session before anything had been settled. Such has been the
beginning of the Congress. There were some interesting episodes: the
Duke of Oldenburg and his son in particular are such enthusiastic
partisans of Radowitz and Gagern, &c., that the father delivered some
remarks before the meeting of the princes which were generally
regarded as far too emphatic. The next day his son happened to be at
the house of Meyendorff and delivered so unseemly a tirade against
Austria, that Meyendorff was forced to take him to task. The King saw
each of the princes separately upon their arrival. He listened very
patiently to everything that the Grand Duke of Mecklenburg-Strelitz
said to him and replied, to the great astonishment of the latter, that
he was quite of his opinion, especially with reference to the proposal
that nothing should be done until the result of the Frankfort Assembly
was known. I am afraid he may have told every prince that he shared
his opinions. In any case nothing will be decided by his opinion,
whatever that may be."
[230] Administrative Council of the Federal State.
_Sagan, May 5, 1850._--Letters received give me details concerning
Claremont, precisely coinciding with what I already knew: no overtures
or suitable measures may be expected from a family which will never
pardon the elder branch for becoming its victim, when the younger
branch has usurped the rights of the legitimate orphan. As the elder
branch has no reason for self-reproach with regard to the Orléans
family, it is much more conciliatory and more ready to hold out the
hand than the other branch is to offer the little finger. Only great
souls or minds of a really high stamp can pardon those whom they have
injured.
The entertainment at the Opera at Berlin seems to have been
magnificent, but at the supper, by some inconceivable carelessness,
no one remembered M. de Persigny: in a fury he left the theatre-hall
where the invitations had been sent round. The next day an
aide-de-camp was sent to him with apologies.
The Prince of Prussia and the Duke of Wellington will be godfathers to
Queen Victoria's last son,[231] who is to be called Arthur William
Patrick, the last name being a compliment to Ireland.
[231] The Duke of Connaught born at Windsor on May 1, 1850.
It appears that the two Mecklenburgs, the two Hesses, the Grand Duke
of Baden, and the three free towns have withdrawn from the Union. No
positive statement has been issued, as the conference was still in
progress, but the rumour seemed highly probable. On this question the
Duke of Coburg is in such a fury that he said he would like to
strangle the recalcitrants with his own hands. The question of the
presence of Radowitz at the meetings has been settled by the King's
formal desire that he might have a seat at the meetings _in order that
he could offer the assembled Princes the advantage of his talents_.
_Sagan, May 16, 1850._--A letter from Berlin dated yesterday says: "At
a long conference yesterday the princes patched up some sort of a
reconciliation and the refractory members consented to withdraw their
proposals for leaving the Union, in view of the fact that they have
all resolved to send their plenipotentiaries to Frankfort under
certain conditions; they have also decided to form a provisional
government for two months. The majority seem well pleased that they
have thus avoided a rupture which would have deprived the Union of so
many members. On the other hand Prokesch is furious and declares that
Austria will never consent to the conditions of the princes. The
calmer spirits on the contrary believe that Austria would be well
advised to let them all go to Frankfort and not to force a dissolution
which the nature of the situation will inevitably bring about. As the
mission of the princes is thus practically finished, they will take
their leave to-morrow and the next day, except the Duke of Meiningen
who is staying for his son's marriage. Sir Henry Wym, the English
Minister at Copenhagen, has arrived for a consultation with Lord
Westmoreland and Meyendorff concerning Danish affairs. I have no doubt
that a conclusion will be reached."
_Sagan, May 23, 1850._--Herr von Meyendorff writes to me from Berlin
under date the day before yesterday: "I have this morning received
news of an attack upon the King's life which was committed yesterday
and full details of which you will see in all the newspapers,[232] but
the following is a curious fact which naturally will not appear in any
newspaper. The King said to some one present who repeated his words to
me exactly, 'I was warned of this attempt; it is a plot which also
threatens other Sovereigns.'"
[232] On May 22, 1850, Sefeloge, a retired artillery sergeant,
shot at the King as he was starting for Potsdam to spend the
summer there. The King was tripped up by one of his spurs, and as
he stumbled the bullet missed his head and merely grazed his
right arm between the wrist and the elbow.
_Sagan, May 25, 1850._--From a large number of letters which I have
received from Berlin I can confidently infer, in spite of the
inexplicable efforts which the Government has made hitherto to
represent the assassin as a madman acting on his own initiative, that
he is simply an emissary from that frightful association of regicides,
which has its headquarters at London, and which makes a business of
procuring wild fanatics who are given arms and known as "the blind."
The Government had received warning of the attempt. There are said to
be five of these emissaries in Berlin. Meyendorff and Prokesch rushed
to Herr von Brandenburg and Herr von Manteuffel, urging them to take
advantage of this providential miracle and of the warning which it
provides to close the clubs, adopt strict measures and terrorise the
faction meetings; but weakness and cowardice are at their height and
the Government think only of saving the criminal. Alarm is reasonably
felt in view of the possibility of similar incidents at Warsaw and
Vienna.[233]
[233] The Czar had then gone there.
_Sagan, May 29, 1850._--The King is better, though his arm causes him
much pain, but that is said to be a sign of cure. The Queen is pale as
death, gentle as an angel and courageous as a lion. It seems that the
evidence which shows the assassin to have been affiliated to demagogue
societies is so complete and so obvious that the theory of insanity
has been gradually abandoned, and that a more serious attempt is being
made to penetrate these bloodstained mysteries. The plot is growing
clearer: the authorities think that they have more than one clue, but
we are not energetic, nor are we capable of seizing the right
opportunity. It is God alone who can help us, for certainly we do not
help ourselves.
The two correspondents then met at Baden-Baden and their
correspondence was interrupted until the month of August, when
they again separated. When the Duchesse returned from her journey
she had with her companion, Fräulein von Bodelschwing, a lady of
Courlande, who was most loyal to her, and remained with her until
her death.
_Stuttgart, August 4, 1850._--After leaving the platform of Carlsruhe
I slept in my carriage as far as Pforzheim, though I sometimes opened
an eye to admire the beautiful country in the intervals of sleep. I
arrived here at five o'clock amid fresh and smiling valleys. I drove
in an open carriage to visit Schiller's monument which pleased me, and
through the splendid park which adjoins the castle we then mounted to
the little palace of Rosenstein. The situation and the view are
splendid, but the palace is very poor. The pictures and statues are
quite ordinary and the proportions insignificant. We returned by way
of Canstadt and stopped at a mineral spring to taste the water, which
I thought detestable. All this neighbourhood is very pretty and far
superior, I think, to modest Carlsruhe. We were not allowed to see the
Wilhelma, a Moorish garden and palace built by the reigning King, but
as we went along the outer wall I was able to catch glimpses of it
which consoled me for my inability to cross the threshold.
_Ulm, August 5, 1850._--This morning, before leaving the capital of
Würtemberg, I visited the chapter church which is interesting, as it
contains the tombs of the first Counts of Würtemberg. I then went to
the castle: the only part shown is that intended for receptions; we
visited the stables and the royal riding school where some Arab
horses, newly arrived from their native sand, were being broken in.
The heat was such that they might easily have thought themselves in
their native climate. I was roasted by the time we reached the villa
of the Prince Royal: it is not yet finished, but it will be delightful
in the most beautiful renaissance style; it is admirably situated with
splendid views, but there is no shade, the garden is badly laid out,
and the scene is one of despairing sterility. A messenger from the
King arrived bringing us written permission, for which we had not
asked, to see the Wilhelma. We accordingly made our way there. There
is a Moorish bath and hothouses for tropical plants which took my
fancy. The garden is not entirely satisfactory. Generally speaking the
Stuttgart gardeners do not seem to me to be very clever. The railway
then took us through a fertile country well watered and wooded, full
of ruins, churches and villages. Here we have come upon the
_Sänger-Vereine_,[234] composed of thirteen hundred singers who
blocked up the railway and the little winding streets of the old city
of Ulm. We visited the cathedral which is very imposing, the town hall
and the Gothic fountain, which are not without interest.
[234] The _Sänger-Vereine_ are two choral societies founded
centuries ago in Germany.
_Augsburg, August 7, 1850._--I arrived here yesterday and saw nothing
of the town except the part through which we passed. It seemed
somewhat curious by reason of its old character as an imperial town in
past times. The bronze fountains are very beautiful: there are Roman
remains, a prison and a chapel, the scene of the martyrdom of Saint
Affre. The hotel in which I am staying, the Three Moors, is the oldest
in the whole of Germany, and I am on historical ground. I have seen
the chapel in which Charles V. heard mass; the fireplace in which the
rich weaver, Fugger, burnt the Imperial receipts, and in short
everything that my head, which is swimming in the heat, can take in.
_Münich, August 8, 1850._--I arrived here yesterday in the afternoon.
I have visited the church of Saint-Louis which reminds me of one of
the side chapels in St. Peter's at Rome. I spent the rest of the day
visiting the statues of Tilley and Wrede, the Street of Saint-Louis
with all its buildings, and the castle garden which is surrounded by
arcades painted in fresco. To-day at nine o'clock in the morning we
started off and first went to the _Frauenkirche_ where we heard mass,
the sound of which came into my room, and was made irresistibly
beautiful by the organ with its fine harmonies. We then hastened to
the Leuchtenberg Gallery which is only open on special days at certain
hours. I was attracted only by a very expressive portrait of
Petrarch's Laura, painted by Bronzino; she is depicted half turning in
a severe widow's dress, with noble and slightly sharp features and
speaking eyes wide open and pure. I then saw an admirable picture by
Murillo representing a monk kneeling before an angel who is conferring
the bishop's mitre upon him: this is a marvellous composition, both
for colouring and design, and as I have always had a great liking for
Murillo, I was pleased by this further confirmation of my tastes. From
the Leuchtenberg Palace I then went to the Basilica and was struck by
the beauty of the frescoes, the richness of the marble and with the
perfection both of the materials and of the workmanship. The Basilica
has not yet been consecrated. The convent which King Ludwig has built
for the Benedictines and which is joined to the Basilica by the crypt,
is ready to receive the monks, but is not yet inhabited: the money has
been all carried off by the wretched Lola Montes. As I came back I
revisited the Church of Saint-Louis with its fourteen beautiful
Stations of the Cross, each denoted by a fresco full of religious
feeling: the Stations of the Cross in the open air are quite to my
taste, and I greatly prefer them to those set up in the interior of
churches which form an unpleasant interruption to the lines of pillars
and columns. I was delighted to find that certain churches here, the
new ones at least, have no chairs as in France and no pews as in
Prussia. The Italian churches compel the congregation to kneel upon
the flags, a more humble and picturesque position and infinitely more
favourable to the architectural effect. Before coming in I saw the
church of the Theatins, the parish church for the Court: its rococo
style of architecture is so rich as to attain a certain beauty. The
church of Saint Michael is very ugly and decorated or rather degraded
by horribly tawdry ornaments; but the carved tomb of Prince Eugène of
Leuchtenberg[235] by Thorwaldsen interested me. Thus, I think I did a
good day's work.
[235] This monument was erected in memory of Eugène Beauharnais,
who was made Duke of Leuchtenberg by King Ludwig of Bavaria, his
father-in-law.
_Münich, August 10, 1850._--Yesterday I made further explorations
among the curiosities of Münich: I visited the Treasury, the chief
rooms in the castle, the Hall of the Beauties, who are not beauties at
all and look as if they were taken from fashion plates; the fine
statues of Schwanthaler in the throne-room delighted me greatly. From
the castle I visited the Artists' Tavern: there they meet every
evening and drink together and discuss art. The tavern has been
arranged in a special way recalling the fifteenth-century Guilds:
every artist has contributed some original decoration to the place
which, though small in size is most original in appearance; the
drinking cups, with each member's name and arms, are neatly arranged
upon brackets and shelves modelled and carved from their designs; on
several objects the names of Cornelius, Kaulbach, Schwanthaler may be
read; in fact the place is quite interesting. I also visited the
porter and the tinsmith who make the beer jugs and vessels well known
to Bavaria; the most original designs are to be seen, both graceful
and grotesque. I also saw the chapel dedicated to All Saints which
adjoins the castle, a handsome, noble building, slightly Oriental in
style which seems to have been constructed and decorated on the model
of St. Mark at Venice. We then drove outside the town to the
_October-Wiese_, in the middle of which rises the great monument of
Bavaria, a colossal bronze statue by Schwanthaler, surrounded on three
sides by a splendid marble colonnade, above which the statue towers
for thirty feet; the scaffolding has not yet been removed, but what I
could see is gigantic. As the weather was fine we went two leagues
further in the direction of the Isar which flows down from the
mountains to water the plain of Münich. A pretty wood led us to the
foot of a Gothic castle which Schwanthaler had just finished building
when death provided him with a more impregnable defence.
To-day I have visited the Glyptothek, the library and the beautiful
palace of the Wittelsbach,[236] the winter residence of King Ludwig
and Queen Theresa which was only completed last winter. We propose
also to see the Pinacothek and the studio of Schwanthaler which his
cousin carefully preserves and which is said to be interesting. This
evening I shall see a fragment of Norma; and my visit to Münich will
then be over. My expectations have been surpassed, my curiosity
satisfied and my energies exhausted.
[236] The name of the Royal Family of Bavaria.
_Salzburg, August 16, 1850._--I arrived here the day before yesterday
after crossing a most beautiful and picturesque district in charming
weather. I propose to plunge yet deeper into the mountains which shut
in the town of Ischl. I have seen the cathedral, the Nonnenberg, with
its old church and its noble convent, the fortress on its inaccessible
rock, and the rooms which are being restored. I have visited Aigen
where Cardinal Schwarzenberg is fond of retiring and which he left
only ten days ago with great regret. I have seen the castle of
Mirabelle and that of Heilbrunn, the beautiful and curious Anif, and
finally the very original cemetery of St. Peter.
_Ischl, August 17, 1850._--I am not particularly delighted by my stay
here. The place upon my arrival seemed pretty enough while the air
from the mountains which rise high and give excellent shelter on the
north, must be delightful, but Ischl is full of people and,
unfortunately, of people whom I know and who exact attention.
I hear from Paris that a crowd of legitimists are going to Wiesbaden
to see the Comte de Chambord, and among others M. de La Ferté,
son-in-law of M. Molé, who is said to have been specially sent by the
Prince.
I have seen Louise Schönburg who is less uneasy on political subjects
and readier to accord fair treatment to her brother, Felix
Schwarzenberg. She fears, however, that the Minister Bach is a traitor
who is cutting the ground from beneath her brother's feet. This
Minister Bach is the abomination, primarily of the Austrian lords, but
also of all landowners whatever their rank. Countess Schönburg, chief
lady to the Duchess Sophia, came to bring me an invitation to dinner
to-morrow with her Imperial Highness. As it is the Emperor's birthday
there will be a family dinner and I shall see them all, or nearly all
of them, to-morrow.
_Ischl, August 19, 1850._--I hear from Berlin that Potsdam has treated
the Duc de Bordeaux with the most flattering attention and the most
marked kindness, to the general and complete delight.[237] General
Haynau and Mlle. Rachel have divided public attention:[238] the
General is envious of the place given to the actress, and it is said
that this rivalry has produced somewhat comical scenes; in any case
people are much more quickly weary of military vanity than of stage
vanity.
[237] The Duc de Bordeaux passed through Berlin, where his
arrival caused much stir, on his way to Wiesbaden, where the
question of the coalition between the two branches of the House
of Bourbon was to be discussed. The King of Prussia, who was then
at Potsdam, received him with great distinction. The Prince
arrived on August 6 and stayed in the New Palace. He was
accompanied by the Duc de Levis, the Marquis de La Ferté, M.
Berryer, and by several other distinguished Frenchmen. During his
stay _Polyeucte_ was performed, and acted by Mlle. Rachel, who
was at Berlin.
[238] The Austrian General Haynau had become famous for his
severe repressive measures in Italy during the bombardment of
Peschiera and by his reprisals upon the inhabitants of Bergamo
and Ferrara, by the sack of Brescia and the massacre of the
insurgents. Afterwards, during the Hungarian war, he showed the
same severity in the executions carried out at Pesth and Arad in
October 1849; he was even said to have had women flogged. The
General was staying at Berlin at that time.
At dinner with the Archduchess yesterday I was the only stranger apart
from the Royal Family and the officers on duty. The young Emperor
looks very handsome; his brother Max, my neighbour at table, is very
talkative, witty and agreeable. The old Archdukes are all very polite,
and the Archduchess Sophia, as usual, is most pleasant and attractive.
The Emperor's health was drunk, a salvo of guns was fired and the
military band played the National Anthem which was immediately taken
up by the people assembled under the windows. At night the summits of
the mountains and the town were illuminated with bonfires, with
charming effect.
_Ischl, August 21, 1850._--I have just come back from Aussee where the
Binzer and Zedlitz families are settled in a most idyllic spot;
beautiful situation, fresh meadows, picturesque lake, luxuriant trees
and a neat, simple and convenient house of rustic form. The mother and
the daughters superintend the small estate which the father cultivates
himself, while Zedlitz writes verses, and while the armies of Italy
and Hungary send him addresses and pieces of gold plate. One son draws
beautifully and two of his friends carve and paint; they work at the
decoration of this pretty abode, on the walls of which graceful
frescoes represent the chief scenes from the poems of Zedlitz. In the
evening young and old row about on the lake, singing Tyrolese and
German ballads, French romances and Spanish boleros. Their residence
is shut in by a valley, difficult to reach and rarely penetrated by
echoes of the outer world. It is a dream, or better, a fiction within
the sphere of reality.
_Vienna, August 23, 1850._--I arrived here two hours ago literally
roasted and overwhelmed by twelve hours on board a steamboat in
African heat. The little boat was crammed, and though the banks of the
Danube are sometimes picturesque and populous, I did not think them as
interesting as the Rhine between Mayence and Cologne.
_Vienna, August 25, 1850._--The extent of human folly is
inconceivable: the King of Denmark has now made a large addition to it
by his ignoble morganatic marriage. Yesterday brought the news of his
abdication.[239]
[239] Frederick VII., King of Denmark, married on August 7 a
milliner named Lola Bosmussen, called the Danish Lola, who was
made a Countess for the purpose. A rumour then spread from
Hamburg that the King had abdicated in favour of his natural
heir, the Duke of Oldenburg, in order to simplify the question of
succession, but this news was without foundation.
I have a number of letters to-day from every direction. Madame de la
Redorte writes from the Pyrenees where she seems to be mistaking
boredom for depression, two very different things. Madame Mollien
writes from Claremont to say that she will soon return to France; she
seems to think that Louis Philippe will not last much longer as he is
at the end of his strength. There was a proposal to take him to
Richmond, but the Duchesse d'Aumale has had a miscarriage which has
delayed their removal: apparently every member of the family is now
asking what he is to do, what path he can pursue, or what policy he
can adopt upon the passing away of the old leader, who is said to have
become as irritable in temper as he is weak in health. This is a sad
end to a career of contrasts, on which history will probably pronounce
a severe judgment as a whole. The man who takes an orphan's place
should either be able to hold it, or should perish in defending it.
Queen Marie Amélie is said to be more saintly, more resigned, more
courageous, and more admirable than ever.
There is little political talk here; even revolution has not destroyed
a certain frivolous habit of gossip which is not displeasing when it
is not overdone. However, people are generally satisfied with the
unusual vigour which the Dresden Cabinet has displayed for the last
few months: this is attributed to the Minister, Count Beust, who has
adopted energetic measures and has expelled twenty malcontent
professors from the university of Leipzig at one stroke.[240]
[240] Count Beust became Minister of Foreign Affairs in the
Dresden Cabinet in 1849, a post he had already held in 1841, and
at the same time became responsible for the Ministry of Public
Worship. He took an active part in the alliance of the Three
Kings and attempted, with the concurrence of Austria, to bring
about an alliance of the four Sovereigns.
Yesterday I visited the Lichtenstein palace, so fabulous for its
magnificence. At the same time whatever income may be forthcoming,
to spend eighty thousand florins upon a single chandelier is
unpardonable. However, there is more to admire than to criticise in
this fine work of modern luxury.
_Vienna, August 31, 1850._--A rumour is in circulation here that King
Louis Philippe is dead. I have not heard whether the news is authentic
or not.[241] Vienna, notwithstanding recent catastrophes, has taken
remarkably little part in political life, and the Prater, the theatre,
and gossip are the dominant occupations now as formerly. I went to see
the church of St. Stefan again which always makes a great impression
upon me. I also looked in at the graceful and remarkable church of
Maria Steig, adjoining the Convent of the Ligurians who were driven
out by the Revolution of 1848.
[241] King Louis Philippe died on August 26.
_Sagan, September 5, 1850._--I have made an excursion by way of
Dornbach which belongs to Princess Lory Schwarzenberg, and through
Felsberg and Eisgrub which belongs to the Lichtensteins. Princess Lory
Schwarzenberg does the honours of her delightful villa most agreeably;
the site and the view are alike charming. Felsberg is a winter
establishment, shut in, warm, sheltered and rather gloomy; there is
plenty of room, but the apartments are ill-proportioned and the garden
is insignificant. There is a fine chapel, a pretty theatre room, many
family portraits, and some old furniture of curious form and date. The
most striking part of the house is the rooms of Prince Eugène of Savoy
which he occupied when he went hunting with his friend Prince
Lichtenstein. Eisgrub is a dainty, gay, and well-cared-for estate,
with a large park which adjoins the woods, in a country covered with
lakes and full of every kind of game. The kennels, the stables, and
the riding-school are all arranged in English style.
We nearly had a serious accident on the railway: it was dark, and a
peasant's horse escaped from his field and lay down across the rails;
the train passed over it at full speed and killed the animal; the
consequence was such a shock in our carriage that we were thrown from
one side to the other. The train was stopped and help was brought, but
we eventually came through without further disaster, apart from a
great fright.
_Sagan, September 12, 1850._--I am glad to hear that the newspaper
reports were once more false which said that the Duchesse d'Orléans
had summoned Thiers to her.
The newspapers relate a terrible scene of demonstration against
General Haynau at London, which is hardly consistent with the much
boasted hospitality of mighty Albion.[242]
[242] Popular feeling had been greatly aroused against General
Haynau, on account of the repressive methods which he had used in
the Italian and Hungarian wars in 1848 and 1849. In September
1850 he made a journey to London, and as he was visiting the
brewery of Barclay and Perkins the workmen hooted him, mobbed
him, tore out his moustaches, and threatened to throw him into
their barrels.
_Sagan, September 16, 1850._--I have just received a letter from M. de
Salvandy dated from the Hague on the 10th of the month. He says that
he is on his way from London to Frohsdorff to perform a mission. From
his letter I should think that he is a somewhat important figure in
the negotiations which he seems to have undertaken officiously and
officially; which is the more correct adverb I cannot discover from
his complicated account.
The Queen of the Belgians is dying.[243] Poor Queen Marie Amélie, she
has been indeed a _mater dolorosa_.
[243] Queen Louise died at Ostend on October 11, and was buried
on the 16th at the Church of Laeken.
_Berlin, October 15, 1850._--The political horizon in Berlin has grown
no clearer, but things have reached so critical a point that the
clouds must necessarily disperse a few weeks hence, either under a ray
of sunlight from Warsaw[244] or by the detonation of cannon. The
matter will be decided by the will of the autocrat. Herr von
Brandenburg is going there to-morrow: he is taking his wife who was a
friend of the Empress in her youth, and has remained on intimate terms
ever since; much reliance is here set upon female effusions and
emotions to which the Emperor is very amenable. Prince Schwarzenberg
is reaching Warsaw on the 20th, and the Austrian Emperor will be there
two days later. The diplomatic body here is glad to see Radowitz at
the Ministry, as he seemed to be playing a yet more dangerous part
behind the scenes. It is thought that he will repudiate official
responsibility for his acts, and it is hoped that the report he will
be obliged to give the Chambers will make him timid. At any rate, we
shall know much sooner and much more definitely upon what we can rely,
and anything seems better than the state of suspense in which Germany
is gradually being worn out in every direction.
[244] The struggle between Austria and Prussia had reached a
critical point and provided the Emperor Nicholas with the
opportunity of arbitrating between these two Powers, under
pretext of preventing war. He went to Warsaw and there summoned
conferences between the young Emperor of Austria and Prince
Schwarzenberg, the President of the Austrian Council and the
Count of Brandenburg representing Prussia. All eyes were turned
in this direction, and assurances were given that every question
which then disturbed Germany, the problems of Hesse, Schleswig,
and of Austrian or Prussian supremacy, would be decided. The
exasperation which the Count of Brandenburg experienced in
consequence of the concessions then made by Prussia, was believed
to be the cause of his death which occurred at the beginning of
November.
_Sagan, October 2, 1850._--Madame Mollien writes to say that the
sainted Queen Marie Amélie said after her daughter's death, "I have
only been placed in this world to send souls to God." She thinks
nothing of herself, and disasters great or small do not affect her;
she thinks only of encouraging, consoling and strengthening those
about her. She is indeed a saint.
Humboldt tells me that he saw Salvandy for a moment; he was delighted
with Frohsdorff and exasperated with Claremont.
_Sagan, October 26, 1850._--As long as the Warsaw meeting continues no
correct idea can be gained of the probable results. Brandenburg and
Paskewitch have been received with great attention.
General Changarnier has been devoted to the Duchesse d'Orléans for a
long time, in my opinion. From the outset of her exile she took
particular pains to win him over by correspondence addressed to a
third person but intended for the General, who invariably read it. By
this means the Princesse succeeded in gaining his adherence, and he
may certainly be regarded as a pure Orléanist. The success of Salvandy
at Claremont and Frohsdorff means nothing so long as the Duchesse
d'Orléans is in any way opposed to coalition; as long as she can rely
upon Thiers, or thinks that she can count upon Changarnier, she will
stand aloof, in spite of the fact that the death of the Queen of the
Belgians has removed her chief supporter in that family. I have
ventured to send her a letter of condolence upon this loss; it affects
her much more deeply than the loss of her father-in-law, for the
latter was of no importance to her; on the whole I am almost inclined
to believe that Queen Marie Amélie herself is even more heartbroken by
the loss of her daughter than by the death of her husband, who must
have been a considerable source of perplexity on many occasions since
February 24, 1848.
_Sagan, November 4, 1850._--Yesterday's newspapers announce an
important event, the resignation of Radowitz, which was offered and
accepted, after a long council following upon the conference at
Warsaw: his retirement offers every prospect of peace, and may Heaven
grant that those prospects continue. If Radowitz, Bunsen, and the lame
Arnim had not been members of the King's council, many miseries and
calamities would have been avoided. I have always been afraid of
Bunsen, as his action in conjunction with Lord Palmerston can never be
anything but mischievous.
_Sagan, November 6, 1850._--Here we have been lashed by a tempest
which has threatened to overwhelm us for the last two days. At Berlin
tempests of another sort have terrified every one. The retirement of
Radowitz which, alas! I cannot yet regard as positive, the serious,
and perhaps fatal illness of Brandenburg, the resignation of
Ladenberg, the appeal of Bernstorff, the ill-temper of the Prince of
Prussia, the King's agitation, the general uneasiness, the meeting of
the Chambers on the 21st, and the continued military preparations both
here and in Austria are events quite sufficient to produce utter
despondency or feverish excitement in every mind.
_Sagan, November 8, 1850._--We are passing through dark days. Just at
the time when Count Brandenburg had gained a hearing for his pacific
views he fell ill and died. Radowitz is certainly going to Erfurt, but
Ladenberg is returning to the council, and orders are published to
make every preparation for war. The Prussian railway of Kosel has
received orders to carry no more Austrian troops from Cracow to
Troppau. Bernstorff, who had been summoned to Berlin to take the place
of Radowitz, has received orders not to come; and Erfurt is very near
Sans Souci! Dresden is delighted by the possibility of war, as it
hopes to reconquer the parts of Saxony which were acquired by Prussia
in 1814. Silesia will be the first province invaded by the Austrians
or occupied by the Cossacks. Count Brandenburg died in consequence of
overstrain during the last two years of the acrimonious scenes through
which he had to live at Warsaw, of the very stormy discussion which
took place in the council on his return, and also of a chill which
followed this hurricane. An important despatch came in during the
night and he got up to reply to it: he was immediately taken with a
shivering fit and was carried off with a gastric fever complicated
with gout; he was bled and given an emetic most inadvisedly, so people
say. It is possible, but doctors seem to me to be nothing but the
agents of Providence; they cure or kill according to the completion
which the sick man's task has reached. This death deprives the King of
one of his most loyal and disinterested servants. The hand of Fate is
obvious in all these events and produces general despondency and
consternation.
_Sagan, November 11, 1850._--Every hour brings us nearer to a decision
by bloodshed. We thought that peace was at hand and suddenly the army
is mobilised. The Landwehr has been called out, to the great
disturbance of civil administration, agriculture, manufacture, and
private life; several of my workmen, servants, and keepers have been
obliged to go off; horses have been requisitioned and my stable has
just been decimated. I hear from Berlin that war is not yet
inevitable, but every hour makes it more probable, and for what
reason, in Heaven's name? Because those who relied upon boasting and
trickery have at length been caught in their own snares. The end of
the week must see the final solution of the question. Heaven grant
that the wind of peace may blow in this direction.
_Sagan, November 13, 1850._--The first collision between the Prussians
and the Austro-Bavarians has already taken place near Fulda.[245] The
official or Ministerial gazette _die_ _Deutsche Reform_, which
appears twice daily at Berlin, brought me the news. It says that the
Prussians were the first to fire; that the Austrians had not even
loaded their guns, so that several were wounded and were unable to
defend themselves; that a misunderstanding was the cause of the
conflict; and that after this skirmish the Prussian General, von
Gröben, fell back beyond Fulda. The account is preceded by a very
pacific leading article. Meanwhile it seems that Bernstorff has
actually gone to Berlin, but only for the purpose of refusing the
Ministerial post which had been offered to him. Confusion is thus
complete. Since the trumpet-blast of war resounded, every one is
absorbed by the thoughts, the predictions, and the arrangements which
so engrossing an occurrence naturally produces. However, I have
decided not to stir from here; I think it is bad policy to abandon
one's home in the hour of danger, and a course of action which is
almost always regretted.
[245] The Prussian and Austro-Bavarian troops had in fact come
into conflict on the road of Fulda, near the village of
Brounzell, and five Austrian soldiers had been wounded in this
outpost struggle.
_Sagan, November 15, 1850._--My brother-in-law came back yesterday
from Berlin where he had left a state of peace. The King had visited
the Austrian Minister; a long explanation took place which began with
some temper and afterwards grew calm. Eventually they separated in
mutual satisfaction. I can only pray that nothing but good may result
from this explanation and that no further clouds will come to obscure
the horizon. Radowitz has so infuriated the Prince of Prussia that in
a council held upon the return of the Count of Brandenburg from Warsaw
in which Radowitz preached peace, the Prince accused him of treachery
to his country in no measured terms. The poor Count felt this reproach
so deeply that it is generally thought to have been the cause of his
death. The fact remains that in his delirium this scene was
continually before his mind and caused him the greatest uneasiness. It
reminds me of the quarrel between the Dauphin and Marshal Marmont at
Saint-Cloud in the month of July 1830.
Austria is willing to regard the attack near Fulda as due to chance
and not as inspired by any premeditation. Both sides seem anxious to
pursue peace, and Austria is sensible enough to lend herself to
anything that will shield Prussian pride during this forced retreat.
The Austrians have resolved to send twenty-five thousand men to
Schleswig-Holstein to finish the difficulties there. The most
troublesome point between Vienna and Berlin is Hanover. Austria wishes
that Hanover should give free passage to her troops, while Berlin is
anxious that Hanover should not grant this concession. I think this is
the only outstanding point which could throw us back into the anguish
of war.
I am very curious to know what impression Madame Swetchine has made
upon you.[246] She is old and ugly but clever and well educated,
pleasant and insinuating, and entirely suited for the profession she
has followed for the last thirty years. I have been always surprised
that those who are religious by profession and who should always be
considering their own consciences, should yet find so much time to
deal with the consciences of others.
[246] Extract from a letter.
_Sagan, November 18, 1850._--For several days the chances have been in
favour of peace. Apparently the conferences which are to settle the
fate of Germany will be begun at Dresden on December 1, and Russia
undertakes the guarantee which Austria and Prussia simultaneously
claim, while the disarmament of the two Powers will go on
simultaneously, if agreed upon.[247] At the same time, we cannot
absolutely deny every possibility of war. The Democratic party, for
instance, which is fairly strong in the Chambers to be opened on the
21st; the personal ambitions of those who do not belong to this party,
but who are foolish enough to think that if they join its shouts for
war they will be able to muzzle it afterwards; personal hatred,
foolish vanity, patriots with their silly love of glory and all that
is most inappropriately termed the national honour, are influences now
working, and Manteuffel is obliged to maintain the struggle alone. He
is accused of having already sold himself to Russia and to Austria!
Perhaps the forces which France, according to the newspapers, is
sending to the banks of the Rhine, will provide food for reflection.
[247] The conferences were held at Dresden in the greatest
secrecy and were prolonged throughout the winter. They ended in a
second Olmütz in May 1851.
_Sagan, November 29, 1850._--The Minister, Manteuffel, left Berlin
yesterday to keep an appointment with Prince Schwarzenberg;[248] there
is no reason to suppose that this interview will further the cause of
peace. It is also said that the Chambers will be prorogued. Whatever
solution may be attained, every one must be prepared.
[248] This interview took place at Olmütz, not far from
Oldenberg.
_Sagan, December 1, 1850._--All the railways are crowded by troop
trains, and in spite of this military energy, which continues to
increase, people are still betting that peace will be secured. Baron
Manteuffel passed near here a few hours ago in a special train for
Berlin; in this railway carriage our destinies are contained.[249]
Baron von Meyendorff was present at the interview, and doubtless his
influence was weighty and helped to turn the scale. I have also been
told that the Elector of Hesse is helping to simplify the matter by
declaring that he has no wish for either Austrian or Prussian help,
and is capable of reducing his subjects to obedience unaided.
[249] Herr von Manteuffel, who undertook temporarily the office
of Minister of Foreign Affairs on the death of Count Brandenburg,
secured a point of agreement between Austria and Prussia at
Olmütz by consenting to the re-establishment of the Germanic
Diet, by offering to support the abolition of the constitutional
rights of the electorate of Hesse, and by handing over
Schleswig-Holstein to Denmark. This policy of peace at any price,
caused profound despondency in Prussia.
The castle court is full of waggons, carriages, and horses; the castle
is full of officers of high rank, and the villages are full of
soldiers; everything is in a bustle; drums are beating, trumpets
sounding, and yet the whole may be nothing more than a military parade
at once ridiculous and burdensome.
_Sagan, December 3, 1850._--Letters and newspapers from France have
not come in for several days; this delay is doubtless due to the
movements of the troops, which have delayed and disorganised both the
regularity and the safety of the railways. Such irregularity in the
delivery of letters is a misfortune which I feel deeply at this
moment, which is a serious time for me in every respect, as my house
has just been the scene of a tragedy. One of the officers of high
rank--a talented man, and much esteemed in the army, rich and
respected--has blown out his brains in consequence of some service
dispute. He had dined with me a few hours previously, and gave no sign
that he had determined on the fatal act. He has left a letter in which
he explains his motives for this action, and the arrangements he
desires to be made. In it he thanks me for my kindly welcome, and
apologises for the act which he was proposing to commit under my
hospitable roof. This event has affected us all deeply. The poor man
has just been buried amid the universal regret of the detachment; the
funeral was not carried out with military honours on account of the
suicide, but it was honoured by the tears of all those who had served
with and under the deceased man.
To-day we shall know how the Chambers have welcomed the arrangement
which Manteuffel and Schwarzenberg have agreed upon; the matter must
have been discussed yesterday. A stormy and hostile feeling prevailed,
and in any case the contest will have been keen. Herr von Ladenberg
had offered his resignation, as he declines peace at any price. If the
Chambers show themselves too intractable, will the authorities have
the courage to dissolve them, and exercise the rights of making peace
and war which the Constitution guarantees to the King, or will they
yield before the outcries of the democracy and their dupes who fill
the Prussian Chambers? That is the question. One might bet with equal
certainty upon either issue, so impossible is it to rely upon a
consistent or regular policy when definite resolutions are required.
I have a letter from Potsdam, dated November 30, from which the
following is an extract: "Our excellent Sovereign has seemed greatly
depressed during the illness and the death of Count Brandenburg, the
fall of Radowitz, the keen discussions with the Prince of Prussia, and
the determination to mobilise the army; but he has shown keen
repugnance for the Gerlach party,[250] and for Herr von Manteuffel,
and great exasperation at the insulting threats of Russia to occupy
the eastern province as Hesse is occupied. Then, after a terrible
inward struggle, the King has recovered his calm with reference to the
arrangements for peace, and has become almost affectionate towards
Herr von Manteuffel; he has also resolved to send him with the Prince
of Schwarzenberg. The King _hopes_ to preserve peace."
[250] Herr von Gerlach was one of the editors of the _New Gazette
of Prussia_, and the avowed chief of the so-called Kreuz party,
often known as Gerlach's party.
I have also another letter which says: "The Russian Court has
officially notified the other Courts of its strict neutrality in
purely German affairs, though this does not apply to the Holstein
affair. On this question the reserve is made that if any one Power
should claim to prevent the passage of Federal troops, Russia would
oppose such claim by force. The London and Paris Cabinets had
recognised the same right in the case of Denmark, and have undertaken
to leave Russia a free hand. The King of Denmark asked the Emperor
Nicholas for twelve thousand men, and the Emperor replied that he
would send a hundred and twenty thousand."
_Sagan, December 5, 1850._--The following are some details which
reached me from an authentic source: Baron Manteuffel arrived on
Thursday, November 28, at five o'clock in the evening, at Olmütz, and
the conference between himself and Prince Schwarzenberg immediately
began and lasted till half-past twelve. The first interview led to no
result, and Manteuffel declared his intention of leaving the place an
hour later by the night train; Prince Schwarzenberg made no offer to
detain him; on the contrary, he rang the bell and ordered the carriage
to take the Baron back to the station; at that moment Herr von
Meyendorff intervened, and begged the two diplomatic champions to make
trial of a second interview the next day. Schwarzenberg and Manteuffel
consented, and their conference was resumed the next morning at nine
o'clock and continued till five in the evening. The former had spoken
in the course of the previous evening with such frankness concerning
the equivocal policy of Prussia, that Herr von Manteuffel was obliged
to tell him that he could not listen to such language. During the
second interview he showed more self-control and more readiness to
make concessions, and eventually the conference ended in the following
result: Prussia will occupy the military road in Hesse, but will allow
the Austrian troops to make use of it for the pacification of the
country; Cassel is to have a garrison composed partly of Austrians and
partly of Prussians; the domestic affairs of Hesse are to be arranged
by two Commissioners appointed by Austria and Prussia; the question of
Schleswig will also be discussed by two Commissioners, representing
each of the great Powers; Denmark and Holland will be requested to
reduce their military forces by two-thirds, and if it should be
necessary to bring up troops to secure this result, Austria declares
herself indifferent upon the question as to which Power is to
undertake the operation; in such an event she will allow Prussia to
take the matter in hand alone or to entrust the task to one of the
other Powers in the Germanic Confederation. The general interests of
Germany are to be discussed in the free conferences held at Dresden.
Prince Schwarzenberg had given no clear explanation of the basis upon
which he will regard these interests as established, but he has
consented that the Frankfort Diet should be suspended while the
Dresden conferences are in progress. Stipulations have also been made
that Prussia should set the example of disarmament, but that the
moment when disarmament is to be begun shall depend upon the will of
the King of Prussia. This latter article is, I think, kept strictly
secret. The King has shown great satisfaction with these results;
however, he could not help saying aloud at table that Manteuffel had
only secured what Radowitz, the most German of all his Ministers, had
demanded.
In the Prussian Chambers discussion had been marked by strong and
violent feeling. The result has been an adjournment till January 3.
Embarrassment will arise in Parliament on the question of money. Will
the Chambers vote the money which has been expended in preparations
now found to be useless? It is thought that they will not. There is
talk of a direct appeal from the King to the Powers and to the
goodwill of his subjects. We shall see what effect will be produced
upon the provinces and the country at large by the return of the
Deputies to their homes during the month of adjournment. This period
will probably be spent in every kind of intrigue and in stirring
public feeling, and as such efforts can be complicated by representing
the pecuniary sacrifice as pure loss, very unpleasant incidents may be
the consequence. We are thus entering upon a new phase.
_Sagan, December 9, 1850._--At the present moment all eyes are turned
to Dresden. In five days the conferences are to be opened, and as
these poor provinces have been exhausted by the concentration of the
troops, it is of urgent importance that the disarmament should be
quickly begun; they can no longer maintain the troops upon a war
footing, as they will be literally ruined by them if they are not
turned into an enemy's country.
_Sagan, December 11, 1850._--Count Stolberg, the son of the former
Minister, who is stationed at a neighbouring hamlet and has just
arrived from Berlin, came to dine here and spend the evening. He is
well informed of the course of events at Sans Souci. He has assured me
that the authorities have decided to carry matters to extremes with
the Chambers if they do not show themselves tractable upon their
return. A dissolution will then take place, and as a more amenable
Chamber is not probable under the present detestable electoral law,
there is an idea of modifying this law by a _coup d'état_, or an
attempt will be made to do without the Chambers by means of a
temporary dictatorship, or by an appeal to the people. I must confess
that I have great doubts whether the authorities have sufficient
courage to carry matters with so high a hand; at the same time, I
must admit that things have reached the stage at which we must either
pass under the pitiless yoke of the democracy or take the bull by the
horns.
_Sagan, December 18, 1850._--The Dresden conferences have been
adjourned to the 23rd, and there is no idea of disarmament upon any
serious scale until their decisions are known. The state of war
continues with disastrous results. Those who complain are told that
effective remonstrance can only be made under arms. However, to soothe
the feelings of Austria, the newspapers publish announcements that the
disarmament is beginning, which is only true to a very small extent.
_Sagan, December 22, 1850._--I hear from Berlin that the Cabinet has
been completed and strengthened with Conservative elements; a good
sign, but I shall require twelve signs, like those of the Zodiac, to
give me any confidence in their consistency.
_Berlin, December 28, 1850._--News from Berlin is entirely peaceful.
Schwarzenberg has been received with many marks of distinction, though
the troops are still kept under arms. The officers now say that the
war footing is continued in agreement with Russia and Austria in order
to reduce the little recalcitrant States who look for French support.
We shall see.
APPENDIX
I