104 RECOLLECTIONS OF FORTY YEARS. 



opinion as to any allegation of wrong done ; that it 

 was merely instructed to examine my conduct, that 

 it was not constituted into a tribunal, and that, so 

 far as it was concerned, there was neither accuser nor 

 accused. I did not insist any further, and merely ob- 

 served that as the Minister of Foreign Affairs had 

 not made any definite allegation of a kind to involve 

 the responsibility of his agent to a tribunal, it seemed 

 to me strange that he should have had recourse to 

 the Council of State to decide whether I had dis- 

 charged my duties well or badly. I added that, 

 without disrespect to the councillors of the State, 

 it might be held that they were not in a position to 

 judge of a diplomatic negotiation, especially as they 

 did not summon witnesses or hear counsel, and as 

 they take no account of what they have styled " out- 

 ward circumstances and external commentaries." 



This matter having been discussed, the President 

 read out the instructions which had been handed to 

 me on the 8th of May by M. Drouyn de Lhuys. M. 

 Yivien and myself both of us pointed out in the same 

 breath, that in the copy communicated by the Ministry 

 there was a phrase which was not to be found in 

 the instructions which I have given at page 14 of 

 this chapter, The phrase inserted was as follows : 

 "Everything which will hasten the end of a regime 

 destined by the force of events to perish." 



I at once submitted to the Council the original of 

 my instructions, signed by M. Drouyn de Lhuys, 



