The Letters of Queen Victoria Volume Ii Part 36

The power I mean is "the power of united speech." In the year 1830 the use of this immeasurable power was criminally neglected. But now I think the danger is much more pressing than it was then. This power is divided among _us_ in equal portions. I possess the smallest portion of it, and your Majesty has by far the greatest share. That share is so great that your Majesty, by your powerful word, might alone carry out the task. But the certainty of victory lies, subject to the Divine blessing, solely in our utterance being united. This must be our message to France; "that all of us are cordial well-wishers to France; we do not grudge her all possible welfare and glory; we mean never to encroach on it, and we will stand by the new Government as by the old, _foi de gentils-hommes_. But the first breach of the peace, be it with reference to Italy, Belgium, or Germany would be, undoubtedly and at the same time, a breach with 'all of us,' and we should, with all the power that G.o.d has given us, let France feel by _sea_ and by _land_, as in the years '13, '14, and '15, what our union may mean."

_Now_ I bless Providence for having placed Lord Palmerston at the head of your Foreign Office, and keeping him there at this very moment.

During the last quarter of the past year I could not always cordially agree with him. His genuine British disposition will honour this open confession. All the more frankly may I now express the hopes which rise in me, from the very fact of _his_ holding that office at the present moment; for a more active, more vivid, more energetic Minister of foreign affairs, a man that would more indefatigably pursue great aims, your Majesty could probably never have. If at this grave hour he sets himself to proclaim that our forces are united; if he himself utters his message as befits St George, he will earn the blessing of millions, and the blessing of G.o.d and of the world will rest on your Majesty's sacred head. That I am your Majesty's and _Old England's_ most faithful and most devoted brother and companion, you are aware, and I mean to prove it. On both, knees I adjure you, use, for the welfare of Europe, "_Engellands England_."

With these words I fall at your Majesty's feet, most gracious Queen, and remain your Majesty's most faithfully devoted, most attached Servant and good Brother,

FREDERIC WILLIAM.

_P. S._--The Prince I embrace. He surely feels with me, and justly appraises my endeavours.

_Post scriptum, 28th, in the evening._

I venture to open my letter again, for this day has brought us news from France, which one can only call _horrible_. According to what we hear, there is no longer left a King in France. A regency, a government, and the most complete anarchy has ensued, under the name of the Republic--a condition of things in which, at first, there will be no possibility of communicating with the people, infuriated with crime. In case a Government should evolve itself out of this chaos, I conscientiously hold that the "united word" of the great Powers, such as I have indicated in the preceding pages, should be made known, _without any modification, to the new holders of power_. Your Majesty's gracious friends.h.i.+p will certainly not take amiss this addition to my letter, though it be not conformable to strict etiquette.

The fate of the poor old King, of the d.u.c.h.ess of Orleans, of the whole honourable and amiable family, cuts me to the heart, for up to this time we do not know what has become of any of them. We owe Louis Philippe eighteen happy years of peace. No n.o.ble heart must forget that. And yet--who would not recognise the avenging hand of the King of kings in all this?

I kiss your Majesty's hands.

[Pageheading: LETTER FROM QUEEN LOUISE]

[Pageheading: ANXIETY OF QUEEN LOUISE]

_The Queen of the Belgians to Queen Victoria._

BRUSSELS, _28th February 1848._

MY DEARLY BELOVED VICTORIA,--_What a misfortune! What_ an _awful, overwhelming, unexpected_ and _inexplicable catastrophe_. _Is it possible_ that we should witness _such events_, and that _this_ should be the end of nearly eighteen years of courageous and successful efforts to maintain order, peace, and make France happy, what _she was_? I have heard, I read hourly, _what has happened: I cannot believe it yet_; but if _my beloved parents_ and the remainder of the family are at least _safe_ I won't mind the rest. In the hours of agony we have gone through I asked G.o.d _only_ to spare _the lives_, and I ask still _nothing else_: but we don't know them yet _all_ saved, and till I have heard of my unfortunate parents, of my unhappy brothers far away, of all those for whom I would lay my life at any moment and whose danger I could not even share or alleviate, I cannot exist.

I was _sure_, my beloved Victoria, of all _you_ would _feel for us_ when you would hear of these awful events. I received yesterday your two kind, warm, sympathising letters of the 25th and 26th, and thank you with _all my heart_ for them, and for yours and Albert's share and sympathy.

_Our anguish_ has been _undescribable_. We have been _thirty-six hours without any news_, not knowing even if my parents and the family were still alive or not, and what had been their fate. Death is not worse than what we endured during these horrible hours. We don't know yet what to think, what to believe, I would almost say, what to wish; we are _stunned_ and _crushed_ by the awful blow. What has happened is _unaccountable, incomprehensible_; it appears to us like a _fearful_ dream. Alas! I fear my dear beloved father was led away by his _extreme courage_; by that same courage which had made his success and a part of his strength; for it is strange to say that even those that deplored most his resolution never to yield on certain things gave him credit for it. The exaggeration of the system of peace and resistance, or rather _immobility_, lost him, as that of war lost Napoleon. Had he shunned less war _on all occasions_, and granted in time some trifling reforms, he would have satisfied public opinion, and would probably be still where he was _only eight days ago_, strong, beloved, and respected! Guizot's accession has been _as fatal_ as his fall, and is perhaps the _first cause_ of our ruin, though my father cannot be blamed for having kept him in office, as he had the majority in the Chamber, and an overwhelming one. _Const.i.tutionally_, he could not have been turned out, and it was _impossible to foresee_ that when all was quiet, the country prosperous and happy, the laws and liberty respected, the Government strong, a _Revolution_--and _such a Revolution_--would be brought on by a few imprudent words, and the resistance (lamentable as it was) to a manifestation which, in fact, the Government had a right to prevent. _It was the Almighty's will: we must submit._ He had decreed our loss the day He removed my beloved brother[7] from this world. Had he lived still, all this would have turned otherwise. It has been also an immense misfortune that Joinville and Aumale were both away. They were both popular (which poor dear _never-to-be-sufficiently-respected_ Nemours was _not_), energetic, courageous, and capable of turning chance in our favour.

Oh! _how I long_ to know what is become of them! I cannot live till then, and the thought of my unfortunate parents _annihilates_ me! Poor dear Joinville had foreseen and foretold almost all that has happened, and it was the idea of the crisis he apprehended which made him so unhappy to go. He repeated it to me several times six weeks ago. Alas!

_n.o.body_ would believe him, and who _could believe_ that in _a day_, almost without struggle, _all would be over_, and the past, the present, the future carried away on an unaccountable storm! _G.o.d's will be done!_ He was at least _merciful_ to my dear Aunt, and I hope He will preserve all those dear to me!

Here everything is quiet: the horror general, and the best feeling and spirit prevailing. There is still now nothing to fear: but if _a republic really established_ itself in France, it is impossible to tell what may happen. For this reason your Uncle thinks it right that we should remove to some place of safety what we have of precious.

If you permit I will avail myself of the various messengers that are going now to send _under your care_ several boxes, which you will kindly send to Claremont to Moor, to keep with those your Uncle already sent. They contain your Uncle's letters and those of my parents--the treasure I most value in the world.

_29th._--MY DEARLY BELOVED VICTORIA,--This was written yesterday, in a moment of comparative quiet, when I thought my parents at least safe and in security in England. Albert's letter to your Uncle of the 27th, which arrived yesterday evening, says they were _not arrived yet_, and I am again in the most horrible agony. I had also yesterday evening details of their flight (_my father flying!!!_) by Madame de Murat, Victoire's lady, who has gone to England, which quite distracted me.

Thank G.o.d that Nemours and Clem at least _are safe!_I am quite unable to say more, and I hope the d.u.c.h.ess and Alexandrine will excuse me if I don't write to them. Truly, I _can't_. I thank you only once more, my beloved Victoria, _for all your kindness_ and _interest_ for my unfortunate family, and trust all the anxiety you feel for us won't hurt you. G.o.d bless you ever, with all those dear to you. Believe me always, my beloved Victoria, yours most devotedly,

LOUISE.

I send you no letter for my mother in the present uncertainty.

[Footnote 7: The Duc d'Orleans, who was killed on 13th July 1842.]

_Lord John Russell to Queen Victoria._

CHESHAM PLACE, _29th February 1848._

Lord John Russell presents his humble duty to your Majesty, and has the honour to transmit a short note from Lord Normanby, which is very satisfactory.

Lord John Russell declared last night that your Majesty would not interfere in the internal affairs of France. But in repeating this declaration, in answer to Mr Cobden, he added that the sacred duties of hospitality would be, as in all times, performed towards persons of all opinions. Both declarations were generally cheered. In extending this hospitality to members of the Royal Family of France, it is only to be observed that no encouragement should be given by your Majesty to any notion that your Majesty would a.s.sist them to recover the Crown. In this light it is desirable that no _Prince_ of the House of Orleans should inhabit one of your Majesty's palaces in or near London.

[Pageheading: THE NEW FRENCH GOVERNMENT]

_Queen Victoria to Viscount Palmerston._

(_Undated._)[8]

The Queen has perused the enclosed despatches and the proposed Minutes of a draft to Lord Normanby with Lord John Russell's remarks. She approves generally of the Minutes, but would like that amongst the laudable intentions of the new French Government, _that_ of keeping _inviolate_ the European Treaties should be brought in in some way.

In the paper No. 2, the expression "_most cordial friends.h.i.+p_" strikes the Queen as rather too strong. We have just had sad experience of _cordial_ understandings. "Friendly relations" might do better or the whole sentence might run thus: "that not peace only but cordial friends.h.i.+p with France _had been at all times_ [instead of "is one of the," etc.] one of the first wishes of the British Government, and that this _will_ remain," etc., etc., etc.

[Footnote 8: Apparently written at the end of February.]

[Pageheading: ESCAPE OF KING LOUIS PHILIPPE]

_Queen Victoria to the King of the Belgians._

BUCKINGHAM PALACE, _1st March 1848._

MY DEAREST UNCLE,--Every hour seems to bring fresh news and events.

Victoire and her children and Montpensier are at Jersey, and are expected to arrive to-morrow. About the King and Queen, we still know nothing, but we have some clue, and think _he may be_ somewhere on the coast, or even _in_ England. We do everything we can for the poor dear Family, who are indeed most dreadfully to be pitied; but you will naturally understand that we cannot _make cause commune_ with them and cannot take a hostile position opposite to the new state of things in France; we leave them alone, but if a Government which has the approbation of the country be formed, we shall feel it necessary to recognise it, in order to pin them down to maintain peace and the existing Treaties, which is of great importance. It will not be pleasant for us to do this, but the public good and the peace of Europe go before one's feelings. G.o.d knows what _one feels_ towards the French. I trust, dear Uncle, that you will maintain the fine and independent position you are now in, which is so gratifying to us, and I am sure you will feel that much as we all must sympathise with our poor French relations, you should not for that quarrel with the existing state of things, which however is very uncertain. There were fresh reports of great confusion at Paris, which is sure to happen.

All our poor relations have gone through is worthy only of a _dreadful_ romance, and poor Clem behaves beautifully, courageously, and calmly, and is full of resignation; but she can get no sleep, poor thing--and hears the horrid cries and sees those _fiend-like faces_ before her! The children are very happy with ours, but very unmanageable. I saw the d.u.c.h.esse de Montpensier to-day.

Now, with every wish for _all_ going on well, believe me ever, your devoted Niece,

VICTORIA R.

[Pageheading: MR FEATHERSTONHAUGH]