The Letters of Queen Victoria Volume Ii Part 68

[Footnote 47: Minister at Berlin.]

[Footnote 48: Lord Palmerston may have had this letter of the Queen's in mind when he wrote on the 22nd of November to Lord Cowley: "Her (_i.e._ Prussia's) partisans try to make out that the contest between her and Austria is a struggle between const.i.tutional and arbitrary Government, but it is no such thing." Ashley's _Life of Lord Palmerston_, vol. 1. chap. vi.]

[Pageheading: CONSt.i.tUTIONALISM IN GERMANY]

_Viscount Palmerston to Queen Victoria._

FOREIGN OFFICE, _18th November 1850._

Viscount Palmerston presents his humble duty to your Majesty. With respect to the maintenance of Const.i.tutional Government in Germany, Viscount Palmerston entirely subscribes to your Majesty's opinion, that a regard for consistency, as well as a sense of right and justice, ought to lead your Majesty's Government to give to the Const.i.tutional principle in Germany the same moral support which they endeavoured to afford it in Italy, Spain, Portugal, and elsewhere; but though he is conscious that he may be deceived and may think better of the Austrian Government in this respect than it deserves, yet he cannot persuade himself that rational and sound Const.i.tutional Government is at present in danger in Germany, or that the Austrian Government, whatever may be their inclination and wishes, can think it possible in the present day to re-establish despotic government in a nation so enlightened, and so attached to free inst.i.tutions as the German people now is. The danger for Germany seems to lie rather in the opposite direction, arising from the rash and weak precipitation with which in 1848 and 1849 those Governments which before had refused everything resolved in a moment of alarm to grant everything, and, pa.s.sing from one extreme to the other, threw universal suffrage among people who had been, some wholly and others very much, unaccustomed to the working of representative Government. The French have found universal suffrage incompatible with good order even in a Republic; what must it be for a Monarchy?

Viscount Palmerston would, moreover, beg to submit that the conflict between Austria and Prussia can scarcely be said to have turned upon principles of Government so much as upon a struggle for political ascendency in Germany. At Berlin, at Dresden, and in Baden the Prussian Government has very properly no doubt employed military force to reestablish order; and in regard to the affairs of Hesse, the ground taken by Prussia was not so much a const.i.tutional as a military one, and the objection which she made to the entrance of the troops of the Diet was that those troops might become hostile, and that they ought not, therefore, to occupy a central position in the line of military defence of Prussia.

The remark which your Majesty makes as to unanimity being required for certain purposes by the Diet regulations is no doubt very just, and that circ.u.mstance certainly shows that the free Conference which is about to be held is a better constructed body for planning a new arrangement of a central organ.[49]

[Footnote 49: War was staved off by the Conference; but the relative predominance of Prussia and Austria in Germany was left undecided for some years to come.]

[Pageheading: STATE OF THE CONTINENT]

_Queen Victoria to the King of the Belgians._

WINDSOR CASTLE, _22nd November 1850._

MY DEAREST UNCLE,--Accept my best thanks for your kind letter of the 17th, and the dear little English one from dear little Charlotte, which is so nicely written, and shows such an amiable disposition.

I send her to-day a little heart for the hair of our blessed Angel, which I hope she will often wear. Our girls have all got one. I have written to the dear child. You should have the dear children as much with you as possible; I am _sure_ it would be so _good and useful_ for _you_ and _them_. Children ought to have great confidence in their parents, in order for them to have any influence over them.

Yesterday Vicky was ten years old. It seems a dream. If she lives, in eight years more she may be married! She is a very clever child, and I must say very much improved.

The state of the Continent is deplorable; the folly of Austria and the giving way of Prussia are lamentable. _Our_ influence on the Continent is _null_.... Add to this, we are between two fires in _this_ country: a furious Protestant feeling and an enraged Catholic feeling in Ireland. I believe that Austria fans the flame at Rome, and that the _whole movement_ on the Continent is _anti-Const.i.tutional_, _anti-Protestant_, _and anti-English_; and this is so complicated, and we have (thanks to Lord Palmerston) contrived to quarrel _so happily_, separately with each, that I do not know _how_ we are to stand against it all!

I must now conclude. Trusting soon to hear from you again. Ever your devoted Niece,

VICTORIA R.

My longing for dearest Louise seems only to increase as time goes on.

_Queen Victoria to the d.u.c.h.ess of Norfolk._

Windsor Castle, _22nd November 1850._

MY DEAR d.u.c.h.eSS,--It is very remiss in me not to have sooner answered your letter with the enclosure, but I received it at a moment of great grief, and since then I have been much occupied.

I fully understand your anxiety relative to the proceedings of the Roman Catholic Clergy, but I trust that there is no _real_ danger to be apprehended from that quarter, the more so as I believe they see that they have been misled and misinformed as to the feeling of this country by some of the new converts to their religion. The real danger to be apprehended, and what I am certain has led to these proceedings on the part of the Pope, lies in _our own_ divisions, and in the extraordinary conduct of the Puseyites. I trust that the eyes of many may now be opened. One would, however, much regret to see any acts of intolerance towards the many innocent people who I believe entirely disapprove the injudicious conduct of their Clergy.

Hoping that you are all well, believe me, always, yours, affectionately,

VICTORIA R.

_Queen Victoria to the King of the Belgians._

WINDSOR CASTLE, _29th November 1850._

MY DEAREST UNCLE,--I have no dear letter to answer, but write to keep to the dear day, rendered so peculiarly dear to me by the recollection of our dearly beloved Louise.

We are well, but much troubled with numberless things. Our religious troubles are great, and I must just say that Cardinal Wiseman _himself_ admits that Austria not only approves the conduct of the Pope but is urging _on_ the _Propaganda_. I _know this_ to be so.

Our great difficulty must be, and will be, to steer clear of both parties--the violent Protestants and the Roman Catholics. We wish in no way to infringe the rights of the Roman Catholics, while we must protect and uphold our own religion.

We have seen General Radowitz,[50] with whom we have been much interested; his accounts are very clear and very able, and I must say, very fair and strictly const.i.tutional. You know him, I suppose? Might I again ask, dearest Uncle, if you would like to have a copy of Ross's picture of our angel Louise or of Winterhalter's?

Lady Lyttelton, who is returned, is very anxious in her enquiries after you.

I must now conclude, my dearest Uncle. Ever your devoted Niece,

VICTORIA R.

[Footnote 50: General Radowitz, who had been Minister for Foreign Affairs in Prussia, had just arrived in England on a special mission from the King of Prussia.]

[Pageheading: STATE OF GERMANY]

_Queen Victoria to the King of the Belgians._

WINDSOR CASTLE, _3rd December 1850._

MY BELOVED UNCLE,--Two of your dear letters are before me, of the 29th November and of yesterday. In the former you _give me a promise_, which I consider _most_ valuable, and which I shall _remind_ you of if you get desponding, viz. "I will to please you _labour on, and do all the good I can_." It is so pleasing to feel that one _does_ good and does one's duty. It sweetens so many bitter trials.

The state of Germany is indeed a very anxious one. It is a mistake to think the _supremacy of Prussia_ is _what is wished for_. General Radowitz himself says that what is necessary for Germany [is] that she should take the lead, and should redeem the pledges given in '48.

Unless this be _done_ in a moderate and determined way, a _fearful reaction_ will take place, which will _overturn Thrones_; to use Radowitz's own words: "_und nicht vor dem Thron stehen bleiben_."

Prussia is the _only large_ and powerful _really German_ Power there is, and therefore she must take the lead; but her constant vacillation--one day doing one thing and another day another--has caused her to be entirely distrusted. You are quite right in saying things should be done _d'un commun accord_, and I think that the other great Powers ought to be consulted. Unfortunately, _Lord Palmerston_ has contrived to make us _so hated_ by all parties abroad, that we have lost our position and our influence, which, considering the flouris.h.i.+ng and satisfactory state of this country during all the European convulsions, _ought_ to have been _immense_. This it is which pains and grieves me so deeply, and which I have so plainly been speaking to Lord John Russell about. What a n.o.ble position we _might_ have had, and how wantonly has it been thrown away!

Good Stockmar is well, and always of the _greatest_ comfort and use to us. His judgment is so sound, so unbia.s.sed, and so dispa.s.sionate. Ever your devoted Niece,