The national era. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1847-1860, 1855-05-03
For;the National Era. f2
"A SKETCH OF THE POLITICAL HISTORY
OF EUROPE,
From the CAPITALIZATION Of Paris, in 1914, till the
Present Time.
BY A FRIEND OF LIBEsrx



like disappearance of Napoleon upon the polti-
cal stage of Europe, having been dispelled by
the result of the battle of Waterloo, and by the
subsequent removal of that formidable warrior
to St. Helena, the Emperors of Russia and
Austria and King of Prussia FASTENED to adopt
a new and very remarkable measure, in order
to fortfy themselves against the caprices of for.
tune, and to maintain the regulations promul-
gated by the Congress of Vienna. They con-
Guided personally, and without the counter-sig-
nature of their Ministers on September l5,'
! 1915, while still in Paris, the Alliance"
to which was presumptuously added the epithet
of Holy"
| In the commencement of this treaty, the par
alel of which is not to be found in history, the
| declaration was made, that the three monarchs,
| in consequence of the great events Of the last
three years, had arrived at the full conviction
! that they ought to base all their acts upon the
sublime truths of the Christian religion; and
| to take, consequently, as their guidance in the
government Of their States, and in their politi-
cal relations, the precepts of justice, of peace,
and of Christian love. They declared that, in
conformity with the principles of Christianity,
they would remain united by the bonds of
true and indssoluble fraternity; that they would
consider themselves as compatriots, and render
one another assistance in every difficulty; and
that they would govern their subjects and di-
rect their armies, as whose brothers they re-
garded themselves in the same fraternal spirit
But they declared, moreover, that they viewed
themselves as the vicegerents Of Providence,
charged with governing different branches of
one and, tho ame'family, since they felt con-
vinced thaseAe Christian nations, of which they
and their subjects formed constituent parts,
had in reality no other sovereign than Him to
whom alone power belongs, namely, GOD and
Jesus Christ, the Word of the Most High, the
| Word of Life.
These declarations, the sincerity of xhich. |
do not intend to question, we're well calculated
to gain the admiration of the multitude, who
did not possess the sagacity and penetrati6hOeo
discover that they embraced doctrines the most
dangerous to popular freedom.
The Holy Alliance, in claiming divine au-
thority for the rulers, became in fact bulwark
of despotism and political system based upon
principles oil metrically opposed to the rights
of the people. It's members, considering them
Le4 q as delegates of Heaven, would not sub
UNIT to any limitation of their power, by any
laws enacted by the Legislative authority of their
subjects--of whom, on the contrary, they re-
auired implicit obedience. Claiming, if not
expressly, still tacity infalibility in all their
public acts, they resolved to view as criminal
every disapproval of the laws they might choose
to promulgate, or of the measures which they
might adopt; denouncing every attempt at op-
posing their will, high treason; and every
attempt at limiting their power, rebellion. In
the rigorous application of these principles,
they were by degrees involved in series of
enormities, which scarcely fell short of the most
atrocous deeds of the most blood-thirstY ty-
rants of antiquity.
All the European princes, except the Pope
and the Turkish Sultan, were invited to become
members of the Holy Alliance; and all the in
vited ones within a shorter or longer time ac-
copied the invitation, with the exception OF the
King of Great Britain, in whose name the
Prince Regent (snce George IV) declared that,
although approving personally Of the princt-
pies of the Holy Alliance, he could not, accord
ing to the English Constitution, enter into any
alliance or treaty with foreign soveregns, with
out the counter signature OF a responsible min
lister.
There can scarcely be any reasonable doubt
but that the powerful Princes who appear as
originators of the Holy Alliance were actuated
by gratitude towards the Supreme Ruler of
the World, for their ultimate victory over Napo-
leon, whose capacious and fertile genius had
so long frustrated all the combinations which
they themselves and England had formed, in
order to accomplish his destruction. In full
| consciousness of their own incapacity to exc
| cute such Herculean task, they were led to
attribute the success they had met with to the
interference of the Most High-overlooking
however, that that High Being had, as He in
deed always does, in regulating human affairs,
made use of secondary means in putting an
end to the victorious career of the great con-
queror. Either failing to perceive or unwill-
ing to acknowledge this important truth, they
acted as if they owed no gratitude to the nations
| by whose fundamentally Providence had af-
forded them the victory in their struggle with
Napoleon.
| Still there are many reasons for supposing that
the eminent personages, who were the recogni-
sed originators of the Holy Alliance, expected
| from this measure the most beneficial results to
the nations, as well as to the princes, of Eu-
rope; but, while the former were only the sec
ondary objects of their care, the latter in whose
| number they themselves were, enjoyed their
| first and chief solicitude. Besides, being men
of narrow views, and subject to many preju-
dices, they regarded the French revolution of
4
which Europe had been exposed during the
last twenty-five years. Hence, they were easily
persuaded by the crafty statesmen who were
| then at the head of the arstocratic party on
the continent Of Europe, and to some of whom
they had committed the real management of
their own affairs, that, in order to secure the
stability of their thrones, and to preserve gen.
eral tranquility, it was of the utmost import
ance to guard against the spreading of liberal
ideas, as being the only sources of popular dis
contentment, and as tending ultimately to sub
vert, everywhere, the power of the legitimate
rulers.
Thus it happened that the Holy Alliance,
instead of being blessing to the European
people, diffusing happiness and prosperity
wherever its influence was felt, became, within
few years from the time of its formation, a
curse, blasting the flowers which had already
| begun to make their appearance under the ge-
NAL influence of peace, and spreading blight
| and barrenness over regions which had INDUCED
hopes of political emancipation.
Such was the first effect Of the application of
the doctrine of diUine right-a doctrine teach
| ing that kings have received their power, not
from the people, but directly from God that
nations have no right to limit by laws the exer-
else of pripcely authority, or to dethrone their
rulers, however great tyrants they might prove
themselves.
This was, indeed, the doctrine which consti.
tuted the broad foundation of the Holy Alliance
and of the Germanic Confederation.
Still, eternal peace between the monarchs
themselves, and popular happiness, were set
forth as the great objects which the illustrious
members of the Holy Alliance aimed at but
care was, at the same time, taken to inform the
r