The Sun.
London, England, 1838-08-05 00:00:00

factory conclusion, he considered it proper that he should, without
further delay, insist upon the performance of the. King's promise in
this respect to his master. Upon this disclosure, Marshal Blucher,
as the representative of Prussia, declared, that if the works of
art belonging to the Kingdom of the Netherlands, were to be
restored to_the King of those countries, he (Marshal Blucher)
must insist upon a similar restoration being made to his master,
the King of Prussia. These two claims having been so strongly
put forward, the Duke of Wellington felt that it was his duty in
fairness to all interests concerned to require without any further loss of
time, that in the event of the King of the Netherlands and the King of
Prussia being allowed the works of art in the Louvre belonging
to them respectively, an option should be secured for all other
Powers interested in the same question to reclaim suelt works as
belonged to them if they should think proper to do so. The requi-
sition of the two first mentioned claimants being adhered to, it soon
became evident that the dissolution of the galleries was inevitable,
. and serious discussions on the subject immediately ensued between
the Duke of Wellington and the Duke de Richlieu, at that time the
Prime Minister of France. From the Duke de Richlieu he obtained
no satisfactory decision, and subsequently had au audience of the
King, which was as little decisive in its result ; the effectual part of
the King's promise was evaded, and the Duke was again referred by
his Majesty to the Duke de Richlieu upon this momentous and still
undecided question. • By the Duke de Richlieu the Duke was at
length referred to Denon (the principal officer of the Government as
regarded the Fine Arts). A great deal of discussion ensued, and
ultimately, when Denon found that there appeared to be no eseepe
from thisdemand upon the French Government, he said to the Duke.
If you are to have the galleries you must take them. This settled
the question, and a guard, either Fnelish or Austrian, or both, was
immediately placed over the Louvre, 'el preparations made for re-
moving all these works which were claimedanfinconsequence of the origi-
nal promise of Louis XVIII. to the King the
noce. Netherlands. The ex.
traordinary excitement which this
occurrence
must be impressed upon the memory of maninstElnl.l7(ischrnetaetnedwihnoPwaerirt
at that time in that city. The bitter hatred many
the Prussians
an
tthee d
French, appeared to be superseded by the virulence which mitself in a few hours against the English on this occasion, assthe
supposed
to the vanity int yppaenad,
s exultation
fro lo
t h o
enlaCtudt,,d with respect to these
bi4pehsieedh athuethFocsen ocfhtl hiiasdfo arlriataidyasbl been
iupossessions; and the Duke of Wellington, who,
above true statement of facts to have been perfectly immeetit 'of ar,y •
spoatirricous assault upon the Louvre, became the subject of the
most unmeasured and opprobrious invective. From this unmerited and
painful position the Duke could in an instant have relieved himself,
and have transferred the fury to which he was exposed to the red
instigators of the movement, it' he had chosen to state the fart, that
Louis XVIII. had falsified his word by fist voluntarily Fromising in
part to demolish the galleries, and then practically opposing the ex-
ecution of that promise; but it needed not one-tenth part of the pene-
tration and sagacity of the Duke of Wellington to enable him
clearly tv foresee what would have bcch the caet upon the interests