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Article MONTHLY CHRONICLE. ← Page 5 of 9 →
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Monthly Chronicle.
could derive from any acquisition of territory ; and that it followed , if France , when under a Regal form of GovernmeiU , Avas a very just and constant object of attention , not to say of jealousy , to the other powers of Europe , France ( admitting his axiom ) was a much more reasonable object of jealousy and attention , imder its present Constitution , than it ever had yet been , and that no addition to its dqniinions could he seen by its neighbours , but under impressions of alarm for their own future safety , and for the general tranquillity of Europe . M . Delacroix ' s answer to this was so remarkable , that I must beg leave to insert it
, in what I believe to be nearly his own words : — " Dans le terns Re-jolutionnaire , tout ee que vous diles , at lord , cloil vrai—rien n ' cgaknt noire puissance ; mats ce terns n' . xisle plus . Nous ne pouvons plus lever la Nation en masse pour voter au secours de la palrie en danger . Nous ne pouvons plus engager nos concitoyens d'ouvrir tears bourses pour le verser dans le iresor national et de se privet- memo du nccessaire pour le bien de la chose publique . " And he ended by saying , that the French Republic , when at Peace , necessarily must become the most quiet and pacific Power in Europe . I only observedthatin this casethe of the Republic from
, , , passage youth to decrepitude had been very sudden ; but that still I never could admit that it could be a matter of indifference to its neighbours , much less one of necessary security to itself , to acquire such a very extensive addition to its frontiers as that , he hinted at . This led M . Delacroix to talk of offering au aquivalent to the Emperor for the Austrian Netherlands ; and it was to be found , according to his plan , in the secularization of the Three Eclesiatical Electorates , and several Bishoprics in Germanyaud in Italy . ' \
, He talked upon this subject as one very familiar to him , and on which his thoughts had been frequently employed . He spoke of making new Electors , and / named , probably with a view to render his scheme more palatable , the Sladtholder and the Dukes of Brunswick and Wirtemberg , as persons proper to replace the three Ecclesiastical Electors which were to be re-formed . It would be making an ill use of yoiir Lordship ' s time to endeavour to repeat
to you all he said on this subject ; it vent in substance ( as he himself confessed ) to the total subversion of the present Constitution of the Germanic Body ; and and it militated directly against the principle which both his Majesty and the Emperor laid down so distinctly as the basis of the Peace to be made for the . Empire . I contented myself with reminding . him of this ' circumstance , particularly as it is impossible to discuss this point with an ' v propriety till his Imperial Majesty becomes a party to the Negotiation . I took this oooortunity of hintingthat ifon all the other pointsi-iance agreed to the proposals
now-, , , marie , it would not be impossible that some increase of territory might be ceiled to her on the Germanic side of her frontiers , and that this , in addition to the Dutchy of Savoy , Nice , and Avignon , - would be a very great acquisition of strength and power . M . Delacroix here again reverted to the Constitution , and said , that these countries were alread y constitutionally annexed to France . I replied , that it was impossible , in the Negotiation which we were beginning , for the other Powers to lake it from periodbut that whichimmediately
up any , , preceded the war ; and that any acquisition or diminution of territory which had taken place among the Belligerent Powers since it first broke out , must necessarily become subject matter for Negotiation , and be balanced against the other in the final arrangement of a general Peace . ' You then persist , " said M . Delacroix , " in applying this princi ple to Belgium ? " I answered , " Most certainly ; anil I should not deal fairly with you if I hesitated to declare , in the outset of our Negotiation , that , on this point , you must entertain no exthat his will relax
pectation Majesty , or consent lo see-the Netherlands remain a part of France . M . Delacroix replied , lie saw no prospect , in this case , of our ideas ever meeting , and he despaired of the success of our Negotiation . He returned again , however , to his idea of a possible equivalent to be found for the Emperor ; b-jt as all he proposed was the alienation or dismemberment of countries not biriangiiiJ to France , even by conquest . I did not consider it as deserving attention , anil it is certainly not worth repealing to your Lordship , vol . vm . ,
Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software.
Monthly Chronicle.
could derive from any acquisition of territory ; and that it followed , if France , when under a Regal form of GovernmeiU , Avas a very just and constant object of attention , not to say of jealousy , to the other powers of Europe , France ( admitting his axiom ) was a much more reasonable object of jealousy and attention , imder its present Constitution , than it ever had yet been , and that no addition to its dqniinions could he seen by its neighbours , but under impressions of alarm for their own future safety , and for the general tranquillity of Europe . M . Delacroix ' s answer to this was so remarkable , that I must beg leave to insert it
, in what I believe to be nearly his own words : — " Dans le terns Re-jolutionnaire , tout ee que vous diles , at lord , cloil vrai—rien n ' cgaknt noire puissance ; mats ce terns n' . xisle plus . Nous ne pouvons plus lever la Nation en masse pour voter au secours de la palrie en danger . Nous ne pouvons plus engager nos concitoyens d'ouvrir tears bourses pour le verser dans le iresor national et de se privet- memo du nccessaire pour le bien de la chose publique . " And he ended by saying , that the French Republic , when at Peace , necessarily must become the most quiet and pacific Power in Europe . I only observedthatin this casethe of the Republic from
, , , passage youth to decrepitude had been very sudden ; but that still I never could admit that it could be a matter of indifference to its neighbours , much less one of necessary security to itself , to acquire such a very extensive addition to its frontiers as that , he hinted at . This led M . Delacroix to talk of offering au aquivalent to the Emperor for the Austrian Netherlands ; and it was to be found , according to his plan , in the secularization of the Three Eclesiatical Electorates , and several Bishoprics in Germanyaud in Italy . ' \
, He talked upon this subject as one very familiar to him , and on which his thoughts had been frequently employed . He spoke of making new Electors , and / named , probably with a view to render his scheme more palatable , the Sladtholder and the Dukes of Brunswick and Wirtemberg , as persons proper to replace the three Ecclesiastical Electors which were to be re-formed . It would be making an ill use of yoiir Lordship ' s time to endeavour to repeat
to you all he said on this subject ; it vent in substance ( as he himself confessed ) to the total subversion of the present Constitution of the Germanic Body ; and and it militated directly against the principle which both his Majesty and the Emperor laid down so distinctly as the basis of the Peace to be made for the . Empire . I contented myself with reminding . him of this ' circumstance , particularly as it is impossible to discuss this point with an ' v propriety till his Imperial Majesty becomes a party to the Negotiation . I took this oooortunity of hintingthat ifon all the other pointsi-iance agreed to the proposals
now-, , , marie , it would not be impossible that some increase of territory might be ceiled to her on the Germanic side of her frontiers , and that this , in addition to the Dutchy of Savoy , Nice , and Avignon , - would be a very great acquisition of strength and power . M . Delacroix here again reverted to the Constitution , and said , that these countries were alread y constitutionally annexed to France . I replied , that it was impossible , in the Negotiation which we were beginning , for the other Powers to lake it from periodbut that whichimmediately
up any , , preceded the war ; and that any acquisition or diminution of territory which had taken place among the Belligerent Powers since it first broke out , must necessarily become subject matter for Negotiation , and be balanced against the other in the final arrangement of a general Peace . ' You then persist , " said M . Delacroix , " in applying this princi ple to Belgium ? " I answered , " Most certainly ; anil I should not deal fairly with you if I hesitated to declare , in the outset of our Negotiation , that , on this point , you must entertain no exthat his will relax
pectation Majesty , or consent lo see-the Netherlands remain a part of France . M . Delacroix replied , lie saw no prospect , in this case , of our ideas ever meeting , and he despaired of the success of our Negotiation . He returned again , however , to his idea of a possible equivalent to be found for the Emperor ; b-jt as all he proposed was the alienation or dismemberment of countries not biriangiiiJ to France , even by conquest . I did not consider it as deserving attention , anil it is certainly not worth repealing to your Lordship , vol . vm . ,