CHAP. 1814. vinces in the Low Countries, and it could be found only in XIII. Italy, where it could be obtained only by the annexation of some of the lesser states, all of which were loudly claiming restitution and independence. The difficulties of the settlement of Italy were much enhanced by the imprudent proclamations, already mentioned, of Lord William Bentinck, promising the restoration of their old government to the Genoese; and Lord Castlereagh, who clearly foresaw the dangerous spirit which was arising in the Italian Peninsula, was soon obliged, under pretence of leave of absence, to recall him. Finally, Russia, whose ambitious designs upon Poland were well known, hung like a dark cloud over the Vistula; and the other Powers of Europe, aware of the danger, were fain to avert a question which would certainly divide, and might possibly break up, the Grand Alliance. 100. on April 23 * Pressed by so many difficulties, and anxious at the same Convention time, to make some steps in advance towards the general for evacua pacification and final settlement, the sovereigns and ministhe French ters resolved to conclude a peace, in the first instance with conquests. France, and leave the ulterior and more difficult question tion of all as to the distribution of the territories conquered from her to a future time, to be adjusted in a general congress which * "I shall take care not to compromise any of the parties referred to in your secret letter. I fully approve of your giving the project no countenance; nor can I bring myself to wish that the too extensive experiment already in operation throughout Europe in the science of government, should be at once augmented by similar creations in Italy. "It is impossible not to perceive a great moral change coming on in Europe, and that the principles of freedom are in full operation. The danger is, that the transition may be too sudden to ripen into anything likely to make the world better or happier. We have new constitutions launched in France, Spain, Holland, and Sicily. Let us see the result before we encourage further attempts. The attempts may be made, and we must abide the consequences; but I am sure it is better to retard than accelerate the operation of this most hazardous principle which is abroad. "In Italy it is now the more necessary to abstain, if we wish to act in concert with Austria and Sardinia. Whilst we had to drive the French out of Italy we were justified in running all risks; but the present state of Europe requires no such expedient; and with a view to general peace and tranquillity, I should prefer seeing the Italians await the insensible influence of what is going on elsewhere, than hazard their own internal quiet by an effort at this moment."-LORD CASTLEREAGH to LORD W. BENTINCK, Paris, May 7, 1814; Castlereagh Correspondence, x. 18. XIII. 1814. was to meet in Vienna. This being arranged, matters ad- CHAP. vanced with an accelerated pace. It being a fundamental principle of the pacification that France should abandon all her conquests beyond the limits of 1792, a convention was signed on 23d April, providing for the mutual evacuation of the French territory by the Allied troops, and of the whole French conquests since the Revolution, by their forces. This evacuation forthwith commenced, and the territories and fortresses evacuated, conveyed a stupendous idea of the magnitude of the French revolutionary conquests, and the infatuated policy of Napoleon in having immured so large a part of his forces in those distant strongholds when his empire was perishing from want of soldiers in its centre. In nine only of the fortresses ceded, were 92,200 soldiers, nearly all experienced veterans, and the guns delivered up were above 12,000!* Thus was the external force of France lost in the outposts of the empire, when, with not more than 70,000 men, he was crushed by 200,000 on the banks of the Seine! Nor is there any foundation for the obvious remark, that if Napoleon had 1 Schoell, x. drawn back the garrisons of the blockaded fortresses the 442; Mar Allied armies would have been as much strengthened by cueil, i. 706; the blockading forces as his would be by the garrisons 71-73. withdrawn; for the French garrisons were veteran troops, * Garrisons of the following fortresses when they were surrendered, viz. :— tens, N. Re Thiers,xviii. Besides, there were in the hands of the French, at the date of this treaty, Maestricht, Luxembourg, Kehl, Flushing, Ostend, Nieuport, Peschiera, Gavi, Turin, Figueras, Rosas, Tortosa, and many others, the garrisons of which were at least 50,000 more. Fifty-three fortresses beyond the frontiers of old France in all were abandoned, with 12,000 guns, and at least 140,000 men.-See SCHOELL, Traités de Paix; MARTENS, Nouveau Recueil, i. 706. 2 H VOL. II. XIII. .1814. CHAP. capable of acting with the greatest effect in the field, while the blockading forces were nearly all landwehr or landsturm, incapable of moving from the spot, or taking an active part in the general operations of a campaign. 101. treaty. This convention settled nearly all the important quesDefinitive tions depending between France and the Allied Powers, May 30. and rendered it comparatively an easy matter to arrange the definitive treaty. In spite, therefore, of Talleyrand's objections, it was signed on 30th May, and, considering the circumstances, in terms eminently favourable to France. Not only was nothing taken from that country as she stood at the commencement of the war, but she received in clear gain Avignon and the Venaisin, the first conquests of the Revolution, with a territory peopled by 450,000 souls, and Chambery. The additions conceded to France on all her frontiers amounted together to about 1,000,000 souls. Holland was to remain an independent state, under the house of Orange, and increased by the union with Flanders. Germany was to be no longer an empire, but a great confederacy arranged in a federal union. Switzerland was to be independent, and governed by its own Diet, under the guarantee of the Allied Powers. Italy, beyond the Austrian possessions, and to the French frontier, was divided into independent states. Malta, the original ostensible cause of the renewal of the war after the rupture of the treaty of Amiens, was to be ceded in perpetuity, with all its dependencies, to Great Britain, as were Tobago and St Lucie, in the West, and the Mauritius in the East Indies. All the other colonies, being the whole belonging to France, which had been conquered during the war, were restored by Great Britain, with the exception of the Spanish part of St Domingo, which was to be restored to Spain. France 1 Martens, resigned the right of fishing on the coast of Newfoundland and in the Gulf of the St Lawrence. The fleet at Ant495, 496; werp, which consisted of thirty-eight ships of the line and fifteen frigates, was to be divided into three parts, two of N. Recueil, ii. 1; Schoell, x. Thiers, xviii. 144, 160. which were to go to France, and one-third to Holland. The ships taken, however, before the conclusion of the war, and especially those at the Texel, consisting of eight sail of the line, were to remain with the Allies, and were immediately made over to Holland. All subordinate matters of detail were, by common consent, devolved upon a congress, to meet at Vienna in the succeeding autumn. CHAP. XIII. 1814. 102. In addition to the public treaty a secret one was signed at the same time, which contained articles of considerable The secret importance. They related chiefly to the disposal of the im- treaty. mense territories, containing not less than 15,360,000 inhabitants, which had been severed from the French Empire, besides 16,000,000 more inhabiting its external dependencies. The details of the arrangements connected with this important subject were left to future adjustment, but the principle was recognised, that they should be distributed by the four Allied Powers, in such a way as to strengthen considerably the lesser Powers contiguous to France, as to lessen the chance of the French troops being able to get into these lesser states without any serious opposition, and making them the battle-field in which to conquer or from which to menace the independence of the other states. For this purpose it was agreed that the basis of the reconstruction of Europe should be that Flanders and Holland should be united into one monarchy, with at least 6,000,000 of inhabitants; that the Rhenish provinces should be annexed to Prussia; that the reconstruction of Switzerland, in nineteen cantons, should be recognised, and its independence guaranteed by France; that the Austrian possessions in Italy should be bounded by the Ticino and the Po; and that Genoa, with its adjacent territory, should 1 Cap. Cent be united to Piedmont. The fate of Saxony and Poland Jours, i. 17, was, by common consent, and a secret dread of new dis- xii. 416; sensions to which their destinies would give rise, ad- 150, 151. journed to the congress at Vienna.1 18; Hard. Thiers, xvii. 103. After the signature of this treaty the foreign sovereigns agreed to make a visit of congratulation to the British Visit of the capital. The Emperor Alexander of course would form to London. sovereigns CHAP. the leading character on this occasion; but although, with his usual highbred courtesy, that sovereign always 1814. when in company with the Emperor of Austria placed himself in the second line, yet Lord Castlereagh was aware of the incipient jealousies getting up between the Allied sovereigns, and was most anxious not only that an earnest invitation should be sent to the Emperor of Austria, but that he should be assigned an important place in the imperial pageant.* They came, accordingly, with the exception of the Emperor of Austria, who was obliged to return to his dominions, and were received by the Prince Regent and the whole inhabitants of London with a degree of magnificence and enthusiasm which exceeded all imagination. The fête given to Alexander by the city of London alone cost £20,000. Marshal Blucher was an extraordinary object of interest on all these occasions, to which his striking countenance and huge mustaches, not so common then as they have since become, not a little contributed. Sir Charles Stewart accompanied his gallant commander and fellow - soldier on all these festive occasions, and shared with him the applause of the multitude. He received at the same time the most flattering marks of approbation from his sovereign and the Government. He was the only individual present when the Prince Regent, with so much grace, personally invested the Emperor of Russia with the robes of the Garter, of which illustrious order he had been made a member. And on the steps, at the grand fête at Guildhall, given by the city of London, on 17th June, he knelt down to kiss his hands on receiving the appointments of a Lord of the Bedchamber June 17. "When I recommend you to dilute the libation to Russia, I am the last to wish it should be less palatable. The Emperor has the greatest merit, and must be held high; but he ought to be grouped, and not made the sole feature for admiration. The Emperor of Russia, from various circumstances, exploits, manners, &c., must make his brother Emperor, though the first in rank, the second in éclat. He always, however, personally treats the Emperor of Austria with the most perfect attention, placing himself en seconde ligne.” — LORD CASTLEREAGH to LORD LIVERPOOL, April 20, 1814; Castlereagh Correspondence, ix. 479, 480. |