The Letters of Queen Victoria, Volume 1 (of 3), 1837 to 1843)

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[Footnote 30: Under this treaty (14th September 1829) the
Danubian principalities were made virtually independent
States, the treaty rights of Russia in the navigation of the
Bosphorus and Dardanelles were confirmed, and Greek affairs
were arranged, by incorporating in the treaty the terms of the
Protocol of 22nd March 1829.]

[Pageheading: A THREATENED CRISIS]

_Queen Victoria to Viscount Melbourne._[31]

WINDSOR CASTLE, _26th September 1840._

This is certainly awkward; but the latter part about Peel is most
absurd; to him I can never apply, we must do everything but that. But
for God's sake do not bring on a crisis;[32] the Queen really could
not go through that _now_, and it might make her _seriously ill_ if
she were to be kept in a state of agitation and excitement if a crisis
were to come on; she has had already so much lately in the distressing
illness of her poor Aunt to harass her. I beseech you, think of _all_
this, and the consequences it might cause, not only to me, but to all
Europe, as it would show our weakness in a way that would be seriously
injurious to this country.

[Footnote 31: The letter, to which this is a reply, seems not
to have been preserved. The Queen's letter, having been shown
to Lord John Russell and copied by him, has hitherto been
supposed to be a letter from Lord Melbourne to Lord John
Russell. _See_ Walpole's _Russell_, vol. i., chap. xiii.]

[Footnote 32: The Cabinet met on the 28th to consider
the Oriental Question. The Government was on the verge of
dissolution, as Lord Palmerston and Lord John Russell were in
conflict. The meeting was adjourned till 1st October.]

[Pageheading: FRANCE AND THE EAST]

_Queen Victoria to the King of the Belgians._

WINDSOR CASTLE, _26th September 1840._

MY DEAREST UNCLE,--I have unfortunately very little time to-day, but
I will try and answer your kind letters of the 13th and 19th briefly.
You know now that the sufferings of good excellent Aunt Augusta
were terminated on the 22nd of this month. I regret her _very, very_
sincerely, though for herself we are all most thankful for the release
of such unexampled sufferings, borne with such unexampled patience.
Almost the last thing she said when she was still conscious, the day
before she died, was to Mr More (the apothecary), who wrote me every
morning a Report: "Have you written to my darling?" Is this not
touching? The Queen-Dowager had her hand in hers when she died, and
closed her eyes when all was over; all the Family were present.

I have seen your letters to Palmerston, and his answer to you, and I
also send you a paper from Lord Melbourne. I assure you that I _do_
give these affairs my _most serious_ attention: it would be indeed
_most_ desirable if France could _come back to us_, and I think what
Metternich suggests very sagacious and well-judged.[33] You must allow
me to state that _France_ has _put herself_ into this unfortunate
state. _I_ know (as I saw _all_ the _papers_) how she was engaged
to join us--and I know how strangely she refused; I know also, that
France _agrees_ in the _principle_, but only doubts the _efficacy_ of
the measures. Where then is "_La France outragee_"? wherefore arm when
there is _no_ enemy? wherefore raise the war-cry? But this has been
_done_, and has taken _more_ effect than I think the French Government
_now_ like; and _now_ she has to undo all this and to calm the general
agitation and excitement, which is not so easy. Still, though France
is in the wrong, and _quite_ in the wrong, still _I_ am most anxious,
as I am sure my Government also are, that France should be pacified
and should again take her place amongst the five Powers. I am sure she
might easily do this....

Albert, who sends his love, is much occupied with the Eastern affairs,
and is quite of my opinion....

[Footnote 33: Metternich's suggestion was that if other
means of coercion failed, the allies should renew their
deliberations in conjunction with France.]

_Viscount Melbourne to Queen Victoria._

WINDSOR CASTLE, _30th September 1840._

Lord Melbourne presents his humble duty to your Majesty. He is quite
well, and will be ready at half-past one.

The Prince's[34] observations are just, but still the making an
advance to France now, coupled with our constant inability to carry
into effect the terms of our Convention, will be an humiliating step.

Lord Melbourne sends a letter which he has received this morning from
Lord Normanby, whom he had desired to see Lord Palmerston and Lord
John Russell, and try what he could do.

Lord Melbourne also sends a letter which he has received from Lord
Lansdowne.

Lord Melbourne would beg your Majesty to return them both.

[Footnote 34: Prince Metternich.]

_Viscount Melbourne to Queen Victoria._

DOWNING STREET, _1st October 1840._

Lord Melbourne presents his humble duty to your Majesty. We have had
the Cabinet and it has passed over quietly. We have agreed to make
a proposition to France founded upon the communication of Prince
Metternich to the King of the Belgians.[35] Palmerston will propose
to-morrow to Neumann,[36] the Prussian Minister, and Brunnow,[37] that
he should write to Granville, authorising him to acquaint Thiers that
if France will concur in respecting the principle of the treaty, we,
without expecting her to adopt coercive measures, will concert with
her the further course to be adopted for the purpose of carrying the
principle into effect. This is so far so good. Lord Melbourne trusts
that it will get over the present entanglement, but of course we must
expect that in a matter so complicated and which we have not the power
of immediately terminating, further difficulties will arise.

[Footnote 35: _See_ p. 231. (Ch. IX, Footnote 33)]

[Footnote 36: Austrian Minister.]

[Footnote 37: Russian Minister.]

[Pageheading: MEHEMET ALI]

_Viscount Melbourne to Queen Victoria._

DOWNING STREET, _2nd October 1840._

Lord Melbourne presents his humble duty to your Majesty. We have just
had another Cabinet,[38] which was rendered necessary by Brunnow
and the Prussian Minister refusing to concur in what we determined
yesterday without reference to their Courts and authority from
them. This makes it impossible for us to take the step in the way
we proposed, but we have now settled that Palmerston should direct
Granville to submit the proposition to Thiers, and ask him how he
would be disposed to receive it if it were formally made to him. This,
so far as we are concerned, will have all the effect which could have
been attained in the other way.

Very important despatches of the 14th inst. have come from
Constantinople. The Ministers of the Porte held the last proposition
of Mehemet Ali as a positive refusal of the terms of the Convention,
and proceeded by the advice of Lord Ponsonby[39] at once to divest
Mehemet Ali of the Pashalik of Egypt; to direct a blockade of the
coasts both of Syria and Egypt, and to recall the four Consuls from
Alexandria. These are serious measures, and there are despatches from
Lord Beauvale[40] stating that Prince Metternich is much alarmed at
them, and thinks that measures should be immediately taken to diminish
and guard against the effect which they may have in France. Lord
Melbourne humbly begs your Majesty's pardon for this hurried scrawl
upon matters of such importance, but Lord Melbourne will have
the opportunity of speaking to your Majesty more fully upon them
to-morrow.

[Footnote 38: The peace party in the Cabinet were defeated and
Palmerston triumphant.]

[Footnote 39: British Ambassador at Constantinople.]

[Footnote 40: Frederick James Lamb, younger brother of Lord
Melbourne, and his successor in the title (1782-1853). He
was at this time Ambassador at Vienna, having previously been
Ambassador at Lisbon.]

[Pageheading: PALMERSTON AND FRANCE]

[Pageheading: VIEWS OF LOUIS PHILIPPE]

_The King of the Belgians to Queen Victoria._

WIESBADEN, _2nd October 1840._

... There is an idea that Mehemet Ali suffers from what one calls _un
charbon_, a sort of dangerous ulcer which, with old people, is never
without some danger. If this is true, it only shows how little one can
say that the Pashalik of Aleppo is to decide who is to be the master
of the Ottoman Empire in Europe and Asia, the Sultan or Mehemet? It is
highly probable that if the old gentleman dies, his concern will go to
pieces; a division will be attempted by the children, but that in the
East hardly ever succeeds. There everything is personal, except the
sort of Caliphate which the Sultan possesses, and when the man is
gone, his empire _also goes_. Runjeet Singh[41] is a proof of this;
his formidable power will certainly go to the dogs, though the Sikhs
have a social link which does not exist in the Egyptian concern. If we
now were to set everything in Europe on a blaze, have a war which may
change totally all that now exists, and in the midst of it we should
hear that Mehemet is no more, and his whole _boutique_ broken up,
would it not be _really laughable_, if it was not _melancholy_? And
still the war _once raging_, it would no longer put a stop to it, but
go on for _other reasons_.

I cannot understand what has rendered Palmerston so _extremely hostile
to the King_ and Government of France. A _little civility_ would have
gone a great way with the French; if in your Speech on the 11th of
August some regret had been expressed, it would have greatly modified
the feelings of the French. But Palmerston _likes to put his foot on
their necks_! _Now, no statesman must triumph over an enemy that is
not quite dead_, because people forget a real loss, a real misfortune,
but they won't forget _an insult_. Napoleon made great mistakes that
way; he hated Prussia, insulted it on all occasions, but still _left
it alive_. The consequence was that in 1813 they rose to a man in
Prussia, even children and women took arms, not only because they had
been injured, but because they had been treated with _contempt_ and
_insulted_. I will here copy what the King wrote to me lately from
Paris:

"Vous ne vous faites pas d'idee a quel point l'approbation publique
soutient les armements, c'est universel. Je regrette que cela aille
bien au-dela, car la fureur contre l'Angleterre s'accroit et un
des points que je regrette le plus, c'est que tout notre peuple est
persuade que l'Angleterre veut reduire la France _au rang de Puissance
secondaire_, et vous savez ce que c'est que l'orgueil national et la
vanite de tous les peuples. Je crois donc bien urgent que la crise
actuelle se termine bientot pacifiquement. Plus je crois que l'union
de l'Angleterre et de la France est la base du repos du monde, plue je
regrette de voir susciter tant d'irritation entre nos deux Nations.
La question est de savoir ce que veut veritablement le Gouvernement
Anglais. J'avoue que je ne suis pas sans crainte et sans inquietude a
cet egard quand je recapitule dans ma tete tout ce que Lord Ponsonby
a fait pour l'allumer et tout ce qu'il fait encore. Je n'aurais aucune
inquietude si je croyais que le Gouvernement suivrait la voix de
sa Nation, et les veritables interets de son pays qui repoussent
l'alliance Russe et indiquent celle de la France, ce qui est
tout-a-fait conforme a mes v[oe]ux personnels. Mais ma vieille
experience me rappelle ce que font les passions personnelles, qui
predominent bien plus de nos jours que les veritables interets, et ce
que peut le Gouvernement Anglais pour entrainer son pays, et je
crains beaucoup l'art de la Russie ou plutot de l'Empereur Nicolas
de captiver, par les plus immenses flatteries, les Ministres Anglais,
preuve Lord Durham. Or si ces deux Gouvernements veulent ou osent
entreprendre _l'abaissement_ de la France, la guerre s'allumera, et
pour _mon compte alors je m'y_ jetterai _a outrance_, mais si comme
je l'espere encore, malgre mes soupcons, ils ne veulent pas la guerre,
alors l'affaire de l'Orient, s'arrangera a l'amiable, et le cri de
toutes les Nations fera de nouveau justice de ces humeurs belliqueuses
et consolidera la paix generale, comme cela est arrive dans les
premieres annees de mon regne."

I think it right to give you this extract, as it is written from
the very bottom of the King's heart, and shows the way in which he
considers the present position of affairs. Perhaps you will be so
kind to read it or to let it be read by Lord Melbourne. It is
this _abaissement de la France_ which now sticks in their throats.
Chartres[42] has quite the same feeling, and then the refrain is,
_plutot perir que de souffrir cette ignominie!_

Really my paper is abominable, but it is a great shame that in the
residence of such a rich Prince nothing can be had. My letter being
long, I conclude it with my best blessings. Ever, my dearest Victoria,
your devoted Uncle,

LEOPOLD R.

[Footnote 41: Runjeet Singh, known as the Lion of the Punjab,
had died in 1839, having consolidated the Sikh power. As an
outcome of the Sikh wars in 1846 and 1848, the Punjab was
annexed by Great Britain in 1849.]

[Footnote 42: Ferdinand, Duke of Orleans, who died 13th July
1842, was generally called Chartres in the family circle; this
title, which he had previously borne, was conferred on his
younger son, born 9th November 1840.]

[Pageheading: NEGOTIATIONS WITH FRANCE]

_Viscount Melbourne to Queen Victoria._

CLAREMONT, _6th October 1840._

Lord Melbourne presents his humble duty to your Majesty. The King's
letter to Lord Melbourne is in many respects just and true.[43] The
practical measure which it recommends, namely, that Lord Granville
should make to Thiers a general proposition for settling the whole
matter, is very much the same as that which we agreed upon at the
Cabinet should be adopted. Lord Melbourne expects that this has been
carried into effect, and if it has not, Lord Melbourne has urged that
it should be done without delay.

These affairs are very troublesome and vexatious, but they are,
unfortunately, more than troublesome, they are pregnant with danger.

[Footnote 43: The King of the Belgians had written a letter
to Lord Melbourne on 1st October, which he had sent to
Queen Victoria, asking her to read it and forward it to Lord
Melbourne.]

_The King of the Belgians to Queen Victoria._

WIESBADEN, _6th October 1840._

... It is to-day the poor King of the French's birthday; he is
sixty-seven years old, and these last ten years he has had a pleasant
time of it. And now he has this serious and difficult complication to
deal with, and still I find him always fair and amiable in his way
of looking at all these things, and bearing the almost unbearable
annoyance and plagues of his arduous position with a degree of
firmness and courage worthy of kinder treatment from the European
Powers than he has received....

_Viscount Melbourne to Queen Victoria._

SOUTH STREET, _9th October 1840._

Lord Melbourne presents his humble duty to your Majesty. Lord John
Russell has directed a Cabinet to be summoned for to-morrow at three
o'clock, at which he intends to propose that "Instructions should be
sent to Lord Granville to ascertain from the French Government what
terms France would consider satisfactory for the immediate arrangement
of the affairs of the East."

That if such terms shall appear satisfactory, Mr Henry Bulwer[44] or
some person of similar rank should be sent to Constantinople to urge
their acceptance on the Sultan, and that our Allies should be invited
to co-operate in that negotiation.

That the French Government should be informed that the only mode in
which the pacification can be carried into effect is by Mehemet Ali's
accepting the terms of the treaty and then receiving from the Sultan
the terms which shall have been previously agreed upon by his Allies.

Lord Melbourne feels certain that Lord Palmerston will not accede
to these proposals, and indeed Lord Melbourne himself much doubts
whether, after all that has passed, it would be right to submit the
whole matter, as it were, to the decision and arbitration of France.
Lord John Russell seems very much determined to press this question
to a decision to-morrow, and Lord Melbourne much fears that such a
decision may lead to serious consequences.

Lord Melbourne is much grieved to have to send your Majesty
intelligence which he knows will greatly disquiet your Majesty, but
there is no remedy for it.

Lord Melbourne's lumbago is somewhat better to-day but not much. His
being compelled to attend at the House of Lords yesterday prevented
him from recovering. He has remained in bed to-day, and hopes to be
better to-morrow.

[Footnote 44: Henry Bulwer (1801-1872), afterwards Lord
Dalling, then First Secretary of the Embassy in Paris, became
Minister to Spain, 1843-1848; to the United States, 1849-1852;
to Tuscany, 1852-1855; and Ambassador to Turkey, 1858-1865.]

[Pageheading: PACIFIC INSTRUCTIONS]

_Viscount Melbourne to Queen Victoria._

SOUTH STREET, _9th October 1840._

Lord Melbourne presents his humble duty to your Majesty. He has just
received your Majesty's box. He will do all he can to put everything
together, and it does not appear to him that there is any necessity
on any side for a decisive step at present. A letter is arrived to-day
from Bulwer, which states that the instructions given to Guizot are,
through the interposition of the King, of a very pacific character. It
would surely be well to see what they are, and whether they will not
afford the means of arranging the whole affair.

Lord Melbourne thought with your Majesty that the letter to Lord
Granville upon Prince Metternich's proposition was a great deal too
short and dry and slight, but the importance of this step is now a
good deal superseded by what has taken place, and the position
of affairs has already become different from that in which it was
resolved upon.

Lord Melbourne very much thanks the Prince for his letter, which may
do much service and have an effect upon the antagonists.

Lord Melbourne has just seen Dr Holland.[45] Lord Melbourne is very
much crippled and disabled. Lord Melbourne does not think that the
shooting has had anything to do with it. His stomach has lately been
out of order, which is always the cause of these sort of attacks. Lord
Melbourne will come down on Sunday if he possibly can, and unless he
should be still disabled from moving.

[Footnote 45: Dr (afterwards Sir) Henry Holland,
Physician-in-Ordinary to the Queen, 1850-1873, father of Lord
Knutsford.]

_Viscount Melbourne to Queen Victoria._

SOUTH STREET, _10th October 1840._

Lord Melbourne presents his humble duty to your Majesty. ... All
the question at the Cabinet to-day as to whether we should write
a communication to France was fortunately put an end to by Guizot
desiring to see Palmerston in the morning and making a communication
to him. This communication is very much in substance what Mr. Bulwer's
note had led us to expect. It is a strong condemnation of the act
of the Porte depriving Mehemet Ali of the Government of Egypt,
an expression of satisfaction at having already learned from Lord
Palmerston and Count Apponyi[46] that Austria and England are not
prepared to consider this act as irrevocable, and a threat on the
part of France that he considers the power of Mehemet Ali in Egypt a
constituent part of the balance of Europe, and that he cannot permit
him to be deprived of that province without interfering. It was
determined that this intimation should be met in an amicable spirit,
and that Lord Palmerston should see the Ministers of the other Powers
and agree with them to acquaint the French that they with England
would use their good offices to induce the Porte not to insist upon
the deprivation of Mehemet Ali as far as Egypt is concerned. Lord
Melbourne hopes that this transaction may lead to a general settlement
of the whole question.

Lord Melbourne feels himself much fatigued to-night. Though better, he
is yet far from well, and he knows by experience that this malady when
once it lays hold of him does not easily let go. It was so when he was
younger. He fears, therefore, that it will not be prudent for him to
leave town so early as Monday, but will do so as soon as he can with
safety.

[Footnote 46: Born 1782; at this time the Austrian Ambassador
in France.]

[Pageheading: MEHEMET ALI]

_Viscount Palmerston to Queen Victoria._

PANSHANGER, _11th October 1840._

Viscount Palmerston presents his humble duty to your Majesty.

Viscount Palmerston submits to your Majesty some interesting letters,
which he received some days ago from Paris, showing that there never
has been any real foundation for the alarm of war with France which
was felt by some persons in this country.

Viscount Palmerston also submits a despatch from Mons. Thiers to Mons.
Guizot which was communicated to him yesterday by Mons. Guizot,
and which seems to open a prospect of an amicable and satisfactory
understanding between France and the Four Powers.

Viscount Palmerston also submits a note from Mr Bulwer intimating that
the French Government would be contented with an arrangement which
should leave Mehemet Ali in possession of Egypt alone, without any
part of Syria, and Viscount Palmerston submits that such is the
arrangement which it would on all accounts be desirable to accomplish.
There seems reason to think that the bombardment of Beyrout[47] and
the deposal of Mehemet Ali by the Sultan have greatly contributed to
render the French more reasonable on this question, by exciting in
their minds an apprehension that unless some arrangement be speedily
effected, the operations now going on in the Levant will end in the
entire overthrow of Mehemet Ali.

[Footnote 47: On 10th October Ibrahim was defeated by
the Allies, and next day Beyrout was occupied by British,
Austrian, and Turkish troops.]

[Pageheading: GUIZOT AND THIERS]

_Viscount Melbourne to Queen Victoria._

SOUTH STREET, _11th October 1840._

Lord Melbourne presents his humble duty to your Majesty. He has not
written before to-day, because he had nothing new to lay before your
Majesty. Lord Melbourne anxiously hopes she feels some confidence
that the present state of the Eastern affairs is such as may lead to
a speedy, amicable termination--at the same time, with a nation so
irritable as the French, and with the Constitution which they have and
which they are unused to exercise, it is impossible to feel secure
for a moment. Guizot, when he gave the despatch of Thiers to Lord
Palmerston, said that he had nothing to do with the reasonings of that
despatch, and would not enter into any argument upon them.

He delivered them only in his official capacity as the Ambassador of
the King of France. All he would say was that they were the result of
a great effort of that party in France which was for peace. This was a
sufficient intimation that he himself did not approve of them, but it
was not possible to collect from what he said upon what grounds his
dissent was founded. Lord Melbourne has since heard that he says, that
he considers that France has taken too low a tone and has made too
much concession, and that he could not have been a party to this step
if he had been one of the King's Ministers. The step is also probably
contrary to the declared opinion of M. Thiers; whether it be contrary
to his real opinion is another question. But if it was written
principally by the influence of the King, it is a measure at once bold
and friendly upon his part, and the success of which will much depend
upon its being met in an amicable spirit here.

Lord Melbourne returns the letter of the King of the Belgians. Lord
Melbourne kept it because he wished to show it to Lord John Russell,
and some others, as containing an authentic statement of the feelings
of the King of the French, which it is well that they should know....

_Queen Victoria to Viscount Palmerston._

WINDSOR CASTLE, _12th October 1840._

The Queen in returning these letters must express to Lord Palmerston
her very great satisfaction at the favourable turn affairs have taken,
and the Queen earnestly trusts that this demonstration of returning
amity on the part of France will be met in a very friendly spirit
by Lord Palmerston and the rest of her Government. The Queen feels
certain that this change on the part of France is also greatly owing
to the peaceable disposition of the King of the French, and she thinks
that in consideration of the difficulties the King has had to contend
with, and which he seems finally to have overcome, we should make
some return; and indeed, as Lord Palmerston states, the arrangement
proposed is the best which can be desired.

[Pageheading: FEELING IN FRANCE]

_Viscount Melbourne to Queen Victoria._

SOUTH STREET, _12th October 1840._

Lord Melbourne presents his humble duty to your Majesty. He is much
better to-day, free from pain and difficulty of moving, but he thinks
that it would not be prudent, and that he should run the risk of
bringing back the complaint, if he should leave town to-morrow.