STATE PAPERS. 



647 



Tcrnment itself is convinced of the 

 contrary ; it need only remember, 

 that tiie emperor has frequently de- 

 clared, that if such an accusation 

 ■were proved against any Russian in 

 his employment, he would hasten to 

 puiiiah him most severely for a crime 

 which he considers of a most heinous 

 nature. But the cabinet of St. Cloud 

 returned no ans\fer to this candid 

 communication, nor did it furnish 

 any proof to support its pretensions ; 

 it has then no right to complain of 

 its unsupported demands not being 

 complied with. But at the present 

 moment, when Portugal was obliged 

 to purchase her neutrality ; Avhen 

 Naples, to saveher's, was compelled 

 to contribute, at an enormous ex- 

 pence, to the maintenance of the 

 French troops on her own territory; 

 when all Italy, especially those re- 

 publics that had been promised in- 

 dependence and happiness ; Avheu 

 Swisserland and Holland were con- 

 yidcred merely as French 'provinces; 

 when one part of the German em- 

 pire is occupied, while in another 

 part French detachments execute 

 arrests in contempt of the sacred 

 law of nations ; at such a moment 

 the emperor will leave to all the 

 states alleged, nay, to the impartial 

 opinion of the cabinet of St. Cloud 

 itself, the decision of the question,, 

 •which of the two, liussia or France, 

 menaces the security of Europe? 

 which of them acts on principles the 

 most favourable to the independence 

 of other states ? which interferes 

 most in (he government and internal 

 police of other countries, and prac- 

 tices the most arbitrary acts against 

 Ihcm ? — Although the sorrow which 

 the emperor felt at this alarming si- 

 tuation of aliairs, was as notorious 

 as the opinion he entirrtained of it, 

 he ucvertheless held himself bound 



to make his declaration as explicit 

 as possible, that it might not with 

 truth be said, that there was not a 

 single govennnent on the continent, 

 which had the courage to raise its 

 voice in the cause of justice; and 

 that the Russian government might 

 not be charged with having omitted 

 to call the attention of its co-esfates 

 to the dreadful consequences which 

 must necessarily ensue from a fur- 

 ther neglect of order, and of those 

 principles on which their well being 

 and their security depend. It does 

 not appear how it could be so easily 

 proved, in the present dispute, that 

 Russia, by protesting against a ma- 

 nifest violation of the law of nations, 

 committed beyond the limits of th« 

 French republic, on a neutral terri- 

 tory of the German empire, by a 

 guaranteeing and mediating power, 

 has thereby interfered in the internal 

 aftairs of J" ranee, and to interfere in 

 which the emperor never had th« 

 most distant idea. Every state is in- 

 deed competent to outlaw a person 

 A\ ithiu its own limits ; but no stat« 

 has a right arbitrarily to place any 

 person out of the protection of the 

 law of nations, because the latter 

 does not depend upon the decrees of 

 any single state, but is grounded up. 

 on the unanimous will of the com- 

 monwealth of sovereign states. 

 Thus the French government could 

 at most demand of the princes of th« 

 German empire, in conformity to 

 the treaty of Luneville, that the 

 emigrants in their states, who had 

 not yet made the choice of a coun- 

 try, and against whom authentic 

 j)roofs could be produced, should bo 

 removed ; but the French govern- 

 ment was by no means justified ia 

 (he invasion of those states, sword 

 in hand, to carry off such persons by 

 main force. — It will hardly be crc- 



Tt4 



dited. 



