HISTORY’ OF EUROPE. 247 
eriginated in concert and good 
understanding between France and 
Russia, is a point upon which it is 
now difficult to determine ; certain 
it is, that none could have taken 
place, more prejudicial to the real 
interests of Great Britain. If 
the object were the delay of re- 
storing the order, or of appointing 
such a chief as might hereafter ma- 
terially advance .the views of the 
first consul, it was exactly that 
he could have wished, as his in- 
fluence with the court of Rome was 
such, as to promise him complete 
Success, on which ever mode he 
determined. Nor could the na- 
tional character of Great Britain 
be raised, by thus submitting to a 
mode of election, unworthy the 
dignity of the order, and repugnant 
to every principle of the justice and 
=i faith, which had been expres- 
ed towards it, in the stipulations 
of that article, which provided for 
its restoration. 
During this period, every exer- 
tion seems to have been made by 
the English ministers at the courts 
of Vienna, Berlin, and St. Peters- 
burgh, to obtain the long protracted 
guarantee: at Vienna these efforts 
were successful; but no solicitation 
or entreaty could prevail on the 
Emperor of Russiato declare his ac- 
cession; and at Berlin, the French 
minister not having joined in the 
request with that of England, that 
pretext was made for delay. It 
was now also found out, that Spain 
was so totally influenced by France, 
that no mention of her name oc- 
curs in any future portion of the 
discussion on this subject. 
While the English government 
was thus employed in useless and 
degrading sylicitation, the gigantic 
views of that of France began 
rapidly to develope themselves. 
Bonaparte had acquired, in his own 
person, the sovereignty of theFrench 
empire, with the right of nominating 
his successor, and had established 
his legion of honour. His legalizing 
the Roman Catholic religion in his 
dominions, and his act of amnesty 
towards the emigrants, had quieted, 
in a great measure, the popular 
uneasiness on the former subject, 
and broke up the councils, and re- 
called vast numbers of the indivi- 
duals of the latter body to their na- 
tive homes. Chief of the Italian 
republic, his influence was unbound- 
edly powerful throughout every part 
of that devoted country, in which 
he had seized, as appendages to his 
empire, the states of the king of 
Sardinia, and of the duchy of Par- 
ma; foundedamonarchy; new mo- 
delled its republics; established one 
totally new; robbed and insulted 
the king of Naples, and finally dispo- 
sed of its various provinces, as with 
the spoils of a conquered country. 
Unchecked and unquestioned in this 
career, he had already commenced 
his measures for dictating to, and 
dividing, under the name of indem- 
nification, the empire of Germany ; 
overturning its constitution; and for 
despoiling those states of it whom he 
considered his enemies, and reward- 
ing those, at their expence, on whose 
subserviency le could depend: his 
armaments were now also preparing 
to take possession in the West, of 
Louisiana, that source of future 
wealth and commerce, which he 
had wrested from his unfortunate 
ally, the king of Spain. 
If the continental powers beheld, 
with dismay and apprehension, those 
strides towards universal empire, and 
R4 without 
