310 AMERICAN DIPLOMATIC QUESTIONS 



Such was the color of political creeds in Europe when the 

 ambassadors of the four powers forming the Quadruple Alli- 

 ance, in accordance with their agreement of 1815, met in 

 . conference at Aix la Chapelle, October 1818. At this meet- 

 I ing it was decided to withdraw the allied army of occupa- 

 1 tion from France, that country having been thoroughly 

 won back to the principles of absolutism, and having a legiti- 

 mist on the throne. France was therefore taken into the alli- 

 ance that was originally formed against her, making thereby 

 a quintuple alliance. At Aix, the allies made a declaration 

 that the tranquillity of Europe depended largely upon the 

 united action and watchfulness of the five sovereigns com- 

 posing the league, and that the league " has no other object 

 than the maintenance of peace and the guarantee of those 

 transactions on which the peace was founded and consoli- 

 dated." "The repose of the world will be constantly ^uo^ 

 motive." Thus it will appear that the allies had virtually! 

 constituted themselves into a society for the regulation j)fj 

 European politics. The league had not yet declared the 

 specific object of suppressing all popular movements against 

 absolutism, but the reactionary movement in that direction 

 throughout Europe had left its impress upon the hearts of 

 the legitimate rulers, and, barring the English, the five rulers 

 I in question were firm adherents to the theory that royal 

 ! power is based on divine right. 



The exact meaning in the declaration of the allies at Aix 

 was not altogether clear, but it pointed in the direction of 

 assuming control of all European political affairs, and of 

 insuring monarchical institutions. To this the English cabi- 

 net looked askance, remembering that " we have a parlia- 

 ment and a public, to whom we are responsible, and that we 

 cannot permit ourselves to be drawn into views of policy 

 which are wholly incompatible with the spirit of our govern- 

 ment." Soon after the adjournment at Aix, the allies were 

 called upon to act, and therefore to interpret, the true mean 

 ing of their vague declarations. It then became fully evi- 

 dent that they considered themselves the guardians of 

 Europe, of its peace, its progress, its religion, and its 



