Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1815-11-11

icSui'S VIII luIulSu TIC means CT promoting
a concurrence ofinterests and OF influence
| difficult to reconcile.
We had allowed ourselves to think thai
| the hrst declaration of the congress %,
was the precipitate work of confused feet
ings. which they were unable to restrain.
Self love, every motive of vanity, and q
pride, were thrown into action, and pro
duccd, as it were by surprise, an involun-
taiy denunc'ation. Exaspcrated also by
their connexions, old auimositics fe-assum-
ed their former vindictiveness but it was
permitted to hope that wisdom would finally
succeed in making herself heard in their
councils, aud that, the passions gradually
suhsitling, they would be induced to listen
to the voice oereason. Your majesty was
pleased to cherish this hope, and it is not
without regret that you f:nd yourself com
PEELED to renounce il.
Such is almost the inevitable conse-
quence of acting upon first Impressions
The difficulty of rctracing a false step. in
duces them to SO forward and the mise
ries OF the people ought to explain to the
world the pretended infallibility of princes
In other respects, demonstrations of enmi-
ty, carried beyond certain bounds, some
times serve to disguise deliberate combi-
nations, and in that case hatred itself be-
comes subject of calculation. 1t is, in
contestibly, from this double principle that
proceed the determinations of the allied
powers.
The first consequence of their declara-
ton OF the 18th of March was the conclu-
sion Of the treaty of the 25th of the same
month. The one and the other of these
were dictated by the same spirit. Al
though it has been pretended in England
that at that epoch the powers supposed
that the royal court would have quilted
Paris, positive data, drawn from the dis
patches themselves of the plenipotentia-
res of Francea the congress, have made
known to your majesty the falsity of this
assertion. 1t was, then, still passion which,
on the 25th OF March, signed the treaty at
Vienna but it was cold blood which rati-
fed it at London on the 9Th of April.
Public opinion has already pronounced
final judgment concerning the nature of
this convention, the nsid Gus tenor of which
reiterates, without ceasiDg, the name of
peace, in order to found upon it declara-
ton of war. To represent this convention
as renewal of the treaty of Chaumout,
(c) is a masterpiece of ridiculous reason
ing, which pretends to find in the sub
stance Of an act to which the peace of Pa
ris has left nothing but a defensive cha
racter, the elements of an aggressive al
lance.
have the honor to place before the eyes
of your majesty this convention of the o5.h
of March, accompeni d by some observa-
tons ca npon those points which are the
most shocking and the most contradictory
in the stipulations of which it is composed,
and in the motives alledged to justify them.
The substance of all these motives is a
proGigious affectation of inquietude for the
future and from these fears for posterity,
they draw the inference that it is necessa-
ry to disturb the present generation They
disguise the attack under the mask of de-
fence they conceal the sword behind the
buckler.
If we are authorised to believe that it is
the chagrin of deceived presumption
which retains some cabinets in the false
route in which they have engaged their So
veregBs, there is one OF them upon Which
these secondary causes do not operate, and
from which profound policy constantly
directs all their proceedings. This cabi-
net is that of London. It's politics have in
variabiy but one object, the abasement of
French greatness that which the British
government has always been on the watch
to effect. And, since it sees a chance TO
raise up enemies against us, It may be in
terred that it would fear to bebray its du-
ties if it neglected to profit of the occasion.
From the first moment it was easy to per-
ceive that the resolutions of the English
Ministry were fixed and 6rmly decided
upon. The answer of Lord Cas;lereagh (e)
to the letter which / addressed TO hin on
the 9TH Of April, did not leave a Coub. in this
H. nao nt,,,,, 81 = II
Letter to the sovereigns assembled at Wen
ma, he appeared to make his decision de-
pend on that of the allies but, in effect, it
was hisinAuence which governed the move
ments Of the continental powers. To
transmit our propositions to Vienna, was
to submit them to tribunal of which all
the votes were at his disposal: 1t was
asking for calm where he himself had
raised a tempest, and seeking for peace in
the midst of the elements of war
AT the same time that the British 90
vernment made an insignificant reply to
the notification Of which had been the or
gan, it occupied itself with activity in its
own preparations, and was contriving the
means Of accelerating the preparations of
other powers. In the early part Of April.
without declaring whether the question of
peace or war, had been at that time deci-
de- upon, it was engaged in adopting all
those measures which the certainty Of war
would render necessary. 1t obtained the
re-establishment of the Income Tax, the
suppression of which had besn produced
-
az Denouneng Napoean as IN outlaw and eie-
Ing h'm up to tie tindctiys fury the people. Il
ha been published.
&C The treaty of Chaumont was entered into
bttween the allied powers in the year 1914, and by
II each OF them was TO furnish contingent Of troops
ln form an nrrnr IN u.cr.rL IL. .1or-...l...-.- "a