THE MISSION TO ROME. gi 



historical truth, to sum up and refute the principal 

 heads of complaint urged by M. Odilon Barrot. 



1st. The provisional arrangement of May 31st 

 compromised the honour of France and the dignity 

 of our arms. M. Barrot blamed me for having placed 

 France in a compromising position, and this in face of 

 the statement of facts which I have just made viz., 

 that I was careful from first to last to reserve the full 

 liberty of the Government, and that I scrupulously 

 avoided pledging it to a share in the work which I 

 believed to be in the interests of France both as 

 regards the present and the future. 



The treaty of May 29th only became binding if 

 ratified by the Government. If I had been over- 

 zealous it was easy to refuse ratification. 



But in what respect was this treaty open to the 

 severe criticism to which it was subjected ? I need 

 not make any secret now, as I had to do forty years 

 ago, of the unvarying idea which served as a rule to 

 all my actions, in the discharge of a mission which I 

 had not solicited. 



When, on leaving for Borne, I had put into my 

 hands, as my main guiding point, the Moniteur of 

 May 8th, which contained the resolution voted by the 

 Assembly, I supposed and I could not but suppose 

 that I was sent to carry out the wishes of the 

 Assembly. 



When the Minister of Foreign Affairs and the 

 Prince President of the Eepublic gave me their final 



