288 RECOLLECTIONS OF FORTY YEARS. 



" It appears from all I can gather that there is not, 

 as I had foreseen, much help to be expected from 

 official diplomacy, and that we must rather look to the 

 accomplishment of facts which in due course will re- 

 ceive the sanction of diplomatists, because it will then 

 be their interest to concern themselves with what has 

 been done. In the meanwhile you may rest assured 

 that it would be dangerous rather than otherwise for 

 a spontaneous diplomatic intervention, which might 

 have the effect of alarming the Yiceroy, and lowering 

 his situation in Egypt under the pretence of taking 

 guarantees against him. There was already some talk 

 of taking these guarantees at the conferences which 

 have been held, upon the ground that the making of 

 the canal would increase his power. Therein, I repeat, 

 resides, to my mind, the most serious difficulty which 

 we have to foresee and take into serious consideration. 

 As matters stand, the object which we have to keep 

 in view is to induce the European Governments, that 

 of England in particular, to place no obstacle in the 

 way of the ratification which the Viceroy has asked 

 for from the Sultan, and which the latter is disposed 

 to grant him. This once obtained, we are masters of 

 the situation, and we avoid the danger which I have 

 pointed out to you. Talk the matter well over with 

 Prince Metternich and Baron de Bruck. You may be 

 certain that if the Yiceroy saw that any Power had 

 the least idea of lowering his regular authority, he 

 would give up all idea of getting Europe to assist in 



