The Letters of Queen Victoria Volume I Part 56

This first Convention brought about the battle of Navarino and the second campaign of the Russians, which ended with, in fact, the demise of the poor old Porte, the _Treaty of Adrianople_.[30] Your Majesty was then afflicted with the age of ten, in itself a good age, and may not remember much about it except that in 1829 the affair about my going to Greece began, and that your affectionate heart took some interest in that. Lord Melbourne, however, you _must encourage to speak about this matter_. Canning's intention was this: he said we must remain with Russia, and by this means _prevent_ mischief. The Duke of Wellington, who came to me shooting at Claremont in 1828, really did cry, though he is not of a crying disposition, and said "_by this Convention the Russians will have the power of doing all they never would have dared to do single-handed_, and s.h.i.+elded by this infernal Convention, it will not be in our power _to stop them_."

Russia is again in this very snug and comfortable position, that _the special protection of the Porte_ is confided to its tender mercies--_la chevre gardant le chou_, the wolf the sheep, as I suppose I must not compare the Turcs to lambs. The Power which ruined the Ottoman Empire, which since a hundred and forty years nearly _pared_ it all round nearly in every direction, is to be the protector and guardian of that same empire; and we are told that it is the most scandalous calumny to suspect the Russians to have any other than the most humane and disinterested views! "_ainsi soit-il_," as the French say at the end of their sermons. This part of the Convention of the 15th of July 1840 strikes impartial people as strange, the more so as nothing lowers the Porte so much in the eyes of the few patriotic Turks who remain than the protection of the arch-enemy of the concern, Russia. I beg you to read this part of my letter to my good and dear friend, Lord Melbourne, to whom I beg to be kindly remembered.

[Footnote 29: Princess Augusta, second daughter of George III.

_See_ p. 230. (Ch. IX, 26th September 1840)]

[Footnote 30: Under this treaty (14th September 1829) the Danubian princ.i.p.alities 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 G.o.d'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 hara.s.s 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. .h.i.therto 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 a.s.sure 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 pa.s.sed 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 Amba.s.sador at Constantinople.]

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