STATE PAPERS. 
late Emperor’s policy. The future 
Negotiation will take a simple and 
direct course—such is the intention 
of the King, which he has recom- 
mended to me upon entering into 
the ministry ; so that all the dis- 
patches which you shall in future 
receive, may without danger be pre- 
sented to the minister of the new 
sovereign. 
Peace or war depends entirely 
upon the cabinet of Vienna. What 
you have said relative to the cha- 
racter of the King of Bohemia and 
Hungary, affords room to hope 
that he will reflect maturely upon 
the horrors of a loug and terrible 
war, of which he alone must bear 
the expences and the losses, even if 
he were to atchieve the ruin of 
France. I also think that the sa- 
crifice of an alliance, which has 
been so useful to his family, will 
leave him after the termination of 
hostilities without any ally what- 
ever, and so much the more in the 
power of his natural enemies, in 
proportion as he fails of success. 
Certainly, if he should favour the 
criminal fury of the emigrants, 
which is a subject of such regret to 
the paternal heart of the King, there 
would only result to himself a state 
of feebleness and exhaustion equal 
to that in which he should have in- 
volved France; and then he would 
lose all that ascendency which the 
possession of the imperial throne for 
two hundred years has given to his 
predecessors ; he would likewise, 
perhaps, lose that exalted dignity ; 
and should he afterwards be attacked 
by his allies of the present moment, 
France, exhausted and torn in pieces 
by a civil war, which might last even 
long after the foreign war had ceas- 
ed, would be unable to afford him 
assistance against his new enemies. 
Vor. XXXIV. 
305 
This is a true picture of the dan- 
gers attendant upon his suecess. On 
the contrary, should the issue of the 
war prove unfavourable to the 
offending powers, the victories of 
France would affect the King of Bo- 
hemia and Hungary alone, on ac- 
count of the vicinity of his territories 
to our frontiers. It is possible that 
the prospect of a speedy coronation 
may be held out to him, of which 
his accelerating the war may be made 
a condition ; but this distinction of 
head of the empire, and head of 
the house of Austria, cannot avail 
him for one minute. From that mo- 
ment the ties will be broken, and the 
war will become personal to himi 
Thus he alone will have tosustain al 
its weight, as already observed. 
What can be the motives of such 
a war ?—The claims upon Alsace 
and Lorraine ?—These can be ad- 
justed by negotiation alone; and, 
on the contrary, war will break off 
all measures of accommodation..— 
The cause of the emigrants ?—The 
King attests that he has employed 
every means in his power to induce 
them to return to France. They 
are acting in open disobedience to 
his Majesty, and as criminals to 
their country. Can the King of 
Bohemia and Hungary take upon 
him to defend rebels? and would 
not the example be dangerous to 
himself ?—Our armament? It was 
provoked by the treaty of Pilnitz, 
and by the asylum granted to the 
refugees on the frontiers. It is 
purely defensive; and, as a proof of 
it, the king has not ordered a fleet 
to be equipped, merely because Eng- 
Jand has not exhibited any symp- 
toms of menace. 
I shall say nothing of the clubs 
and pamphlets which have been 
so repeatedly complained of, If 
U this 
