FRANCE. 



traditions. Austria was too much engaged in pre- 



.; her pos.ii'.ssions in It.ih I !> able to effect 

 : \\ith in. 



nee of peace hag caused 

 organizations and 

 r they appear to be for- 

 midable only at the time when war is about to break 

 .curious security Franco has some- 

 : foregoing her position 

 w.-rld. It is incontestable that during 

 * years she has fonnd raised against her 

 of the three northern courts, united by 

 of common defeats and victories, 

 by si: ides of government, by solemn trea- 



sentiments of distrust toward our liberal 

 ion. If now we examine the future 

 i rope, what guaranties does it offer 

 . :icc and to the peace of the world? The coali- 



i In- three northern courts is broken up. The 

 : iiK-i|)lo that governs Europe is freedom of al- 



II the great powers are restored to the 

 plenitude of their independence, to the proper devel- 

 opment of their destinies. Prussia enlarged, free 

 henceforth in all solidarity, assures the independ- 

 ence of Germany. France should take no umbrage 

 ut that. 1'roinl of her admirable unity, of her inde- 

 >l)le nationality, she ought not to oppose or to 

 !ii' work of assimilation which has just been 

 accomplished, nor to subordinate to jealous feelings 

 the principles of nationality which she represents and 

 professes in respect of peoples. The national senti- 

 ment of Germany being satisfied, her uneasiness is 

 dissipated, her enmities disappear. By imitating 

 France she has taken a step toward and not from us. 

 lu the south, Italv, whose long bondage (servitude) 

 has not extinguished patriotism, is placed in posses- 

 sion of all her elements of national greatness. Her 

 existence profoundly modifies the political condition 

 rope ; but, notwithstanding unreflecting sus- 

 ceptibilities or momentary injustice, her ideas, her 

 principles, her interests draw her nearer to the na- 

 tion which has shed its blood to assist her in con- 

 quering her independence. 



The interests of the Pontifical throne are assured 

 by the convention of the 15th of September. That 

 convention will be loyally executed. In withdrawing 

 hU troops from Home the emperor will leave in their 

 as a guaranty for the security of the Holy 

 V.ithrr the protection of France. In the Baltic as in 



-diterrancan are growing up navies of the sec- 

 ond rank, which are favorable to the freedom of the 

 eas. Austria, released from her German and Italian 

 t.-ndencies, employing no longer her forces in barren 

 rivalries, but concentrating them on Eastern Europe, 

 still represents a power with thirty-five millions of 

 souls, which no hostility or interest separates from 

 France. By what singular reaction of the past upon 

 the future should public opinion see, not the allies, 

 but the enemies or France, in those nations enfran- 

 chised from a past which was hostile to us summoned 

 to a new life, governed by principles which are our 

 own, and animated by those sentiments of progress 

 which are the peaceful bond of modern societies? A 

 Europe more strongly constituted, rendered more 

 homogeneous by more precise territorial divisions, is 

 guaranty for the peace of the Continent, and is 

 neither a danger nor an injury to our nation. This 

 nation with Algeria will shortly reckon more than 

 40,000,000 of inhabitants ; Germany, 87,000,000, of 

 whieh 29,000,000 are in the Northern Confederation 

 and 8,000,000 in the Southern Confederation ; Aus- 

 tria, 35,000,000 ; Italy, 26,000,000; Spain, 18,000,000. 

 "N\ hut is there in this distribution of European forces 

 which can disnuiet us? 



An irresistible power can it be regretted ? impels 

 peoples to unite themselves in great masses by caus- 

 ing the disappearance of minor States. This ten- 

 dency arises from a desire to assure to the general 

 .nterests inure efficacious securities. Perhaps it may 

 bo inspired by a kind of providential anticipation of 



the destinies of the world. \Vhil.- the ancient pop- 

 ulations of the continent within their restricted ter- 

 ritories increase but slowly, Russia and the United 

 States of America may each before another century 

 has expired contain 100,000,000 of inhabitants. Al- 

 though the progress of these two great empires can- 

 not be to us a source of uneasiness, and while, on 

 iiitrary, we applaud their generous efforts on 

 behalf of oppressed races, it is proper that, with a 

 wise foresight in respect of the future, the nations 

 of Central Europe should not remain parcelled out 

 into so many different States, without strength and 

 without public spirit. Political science should rise 

 above the narrow and paltry prejudices of a past age. 

 The emperor docs not believe that the greatness of 

 one country depends upon the weakening of neigh- 

 boring peoples, and sees no real balance of power, 

 save in the satisfied wishes of the nations of Europe. 

 In that he follows his ancient convictions and the 

 traditions of his race. Napoleon I. foresaw the 

 changes which are now taking place upon the Eu- 

 ropean continent. He planted the germs of new 

 nationalities in the Peninsula by creating the king- 

 dom of Italy; in Germany by causing the disappear- 

 ance of 253 independent States. If these consid- 

 erations are well founded and true, the emperor 

 was right in accepting the part of mediator, 

 which has not been devoid of glory, in order to pat 

 an end to useless and lamentable bloodshed, to mod- 

 erate the victor by his friendly intervention, to mod- 

 ify the consequences of reverses, to bring about, 

 despite many obstacles, the restoration of peace. 

 He would, on the other hand, have mistaken his 

 great responsibility if, violating a promised and pro- 

 claimed neutrality, he had rushed suddenly into all 

 the risks of a great war, one of those wars which 

 revive the hatreds of races, and in which entire na- 

 tions are engaged. What really could have been 

 the object of such a contest voluntarily entered upon 

 with Prussia, and necessarily with Italy ? A con- 

 questa territorial aggrandizement. But the Im- 

 perial Government has long since applied ^its prin- 

 ciples in respect to an extension or territory. It 

 understands it has understood annexations dic- 

 tated by an absolute necessity uniting to the coun- 

 try populations having the same customs, the same 

 national spirit as ourselves, and it sought for the 

 free consent of Savoy and the county of Nice to the 

 reestablishment of our national frontiers. France 

 can only desire those territorial aggrandizements 

 which will not affect her coherent power: but she 

 must always strive for moral and political aggran- 

 dizement by employing her influence for the great 

 interests of civilization. 



Her part is to cement the union between all the 

 Powers that desire at the same time to maintain the 

 principle of authority and to favor the cause of pro- 

 gress. The alliance will take from revolution the 

 prestige which has been claimed for it of furthering 

 the cause of freedom for the people, and will pre- 

 serve to great enlightened States the wise direction 

 of the democratic movement which manifests itself 

 throughout Europe. 



Nevertheless, there is in the emotion which has 

 been evoked in the country a legitimate sentiment 

 which it is right to acknowlcge and to define. The 

 results of the last war contain a grave lesson, and 

 one which has cost nothing to the honor of our arms. 

 They point out to us the necessity, for the defence 

 of our territory, of perfecting without delay our mil- 

 itary organization. The nation will not be wanting 

 to this task, which can be a menace to no one; it 

 has a just pride in the valor of its armies; its sus- 

 ceptibilities awakened by the recollections of its mil- 

 itary pomps, by the name and the acts of sovereigns 

 who jgovern it, are but the expressions of its en- 

 ergetic will to maintain against all attempts its rank 

 and its influence in the world. 



In short, from the elevated point of view from 

 which the Imperial Government regards the destinies 



