INTRODUCTION. XXVU 



sidered it was indispensable to exclude from the deliberations of the 

 Congress all territorial questions of dispute. 



In consequence of this declaration by Austria, it fell to the lot 

 of Lord Clarendon to announce to the European Governments 

 invited to participate in the Congress, the abandonment of the 

 Congress, and of all hopes of 'maintaining the general peace, which 

 was communicated in a despatch of commendable moderation, 

 dated 3rd June, 1866; and the following extract deserves record- 

 ing:— 



" Her Majesty's Government do not feel called upon to pronounce 

 any judgment on the course that the Austrian Government has 

 pursued in this matter. But they cannot do otherwise than feel the 

 greatest regret that apparently the last expedient for preserving the 

 Peace of Europe has been renounced without a trial, and that there 

 remains nothing more for the Neutral Powers at the present moment 

 to do than to look on with sorrow at the misery and ruin by which 

 it is probable that some of the fairest countries in Europe will be 

 overwhelmed." 



Undaunted by this failure in 1866, Lord Clarendon made a more 

 determined effort in 1869, when Minister for Foreign Affairs in the 

 Government, under the premiership of the Right Hon. W. E. 

 Gladstone. At this period the relations of France and Prussia were 

 severely strained, owing, as events subsequently proved, to the 

 resolute determination of Prussia to refuse to carry out the compact 

 at Biarritz, wherein the neutrality of France was secured in the 

 Austro-Prussian War of 1866, on the understanding that, if Prussia 

 was successful in the struggle with Austria, a rectification of frontiers 

 would be secured, by which either Belgium, or Holland, or the 

 Rhine provinces, should be annexed, with the connivance of 

 Prussia, by France. 



Whatever may have been the character of the arrangement 

 between France and Prussia, whether the neutrality of France was 

 purchased by Prussia by a secret Treaty, or not, there is no doubt 

 that their relations were very menacing, and Lord Clarendon, fearing 

 that war was sooner or later inevitable, endeavoured to prevail 

 on the two Governments, to agree upon a basis for a mutual 

 disarmament. 



Unfortunately the overtures of the British Government were 

 unsuccessful, for, although the Government and Emperor of France 

 cordially reciprocated the pacific intentions of England, and con- 



