The morning star and Catholic messenger., 1878-05-12

Tho Duke Of Gramont Replies to Prince Napoleon s
Story of the Events OF le'o
A sKILFUL PARRY OF rLoN PLoNs MA
LICIoUS CHARGE THAT THE CHURCH
COST FRANCE ALsACE AND LORRAINE.
The article of Prince Napoleon in the
Rcvue des Deur MOndeS, dealing with the
secret treaty negotiations, in le69-7O, be.
tween Franco, Austria and Italy, and
ascribipg the lose of Alsace and Lorraine
to the Ciericals, has not only provoked
much discussion in Europe, but has induced
the publication in the Rerue dc France of
reply signed by "Andreas Memor." Its
author, we are informed, is "the statesmaD
who had the most accurate knowledge OF
the diplomatic negotiations of that epoch,
ard who was mcst directly concerned in
them"-the Duke Of GramOnt, Napolecn's
Foreign Minister, OF course, beng the per
con. The general propositions OF the Duke
are that Prince Napoleon falsely imputes to
the Church the loss of Alsace and Lorraine;
that the Empire had no firm alliances when
It declared war in 1870, aud that if it did
not succeed in making such alliances after
the war broke out it was not because of
Napoleon's scruples about giving up Rome
TO Italy, but because of the rapidity with
which the Germans crushing blows fell
on an i'll prepared and badly led army.
The Duke takes no exception to the frin-
ce'B version of the uegutIntious of 1853.
The King ofItaly had at the last moment in
sisted on the evacuation of the papal terri
tory, but the Emperor did not think that
che state of Italy then was such as to afford
sufficient guarantee for the faithful exc
cution of the pledges OF the convention of
1864 against the revolutionary party, and
though the Cabinet at Florence made "let
ting go OF the Pope" sine qua non Of the
alliance and Count Won Beust yielded his
consent to ltaly's demands, Napoleon stood
out and the treaty waa not signed. "W hat.
ever was the French Governments desire
60 cOncud3 n treaty 30 favorable to it's in
forests, it would never buy it at such
price," "In the second week ofJuly, 1870"
says the Duke, "the Emperor did not have
30 take up again the pourpdricrs of 1869
Austria and Italy themselves brought on
the negotiations" Frances only pIacti-
cable course was to recall the brigade of
occupation from the pontifical territory
and, entering into an alliance with Italy,
to demand OF the latter moral aud political
assurances, the sincerity of which would
have been guaranteed by the alliance itself.
This the pontifical Government understood,
and the Italian Government being friendly
Napoleon ordered the evacuation, confid-
ing the papacy to Victor Emmanuel's
honor and loyalty in a personal letter.
This placed the Pope under the Kings
protection, fact which the Italian Minis
try resented somewhat as a sort of rehec-
tion on itself. So Victor Emmanuel wrote
TO Napoleon July III and it was arranged
that this correspondence should not be
mentioned, but that an official exchange of
dispatches that could be laid before the
Italian Parliament should take place be-
tween the cabinets Of Florence and Paris,
and that the two governments should re-
turn to the convention of September, 1854
The cabinets were even to revise the
drafts of each others notes, 80 complete
was the understanding.
Negotiations were now begun between
Austria, Italy and France, the official char
acter of the Austrian plenipotentiaries,
Prince Metternich and Count Vitzhum, be-
ing manifest, while Victor Emmanuels au
tograph letter Authorized Count de Vimer
oaH TO speak for him. The treaty pro:
posed N 1869 was to be signed, and as Ger
mary could not be expected to refer mat
ters to congress it wes decided, on the
..Austrians' proposition, that Austria and
Italy should summon Prussia to agree to
maintain in Germany the sfdtu quo on the
integral bases of the treaty of Prague. To
this Bismarck would inevitably return
refusal. Then Italy and Austria would
make public their alliance aud join France.
Italy agreed to put 1000 men in the field
at once and 40 600 more within few weeks,
this force to advance through the Austrian
Tyrol on Bavaria and occupy Munich,
while the Austrian forces were to be ready
in September and to take up their position
in Bohemia. These preliminaries being
settled, Vitzthum and Vimercati left for
Vienna and Florence to set the machinery
in action.
Up to this time the agreement about
Rome was that the French should evacuate
it on the basis of the convention of Sep
tember, 1864, involving it's protection 10y
Victor Emmanuel. One of the Italian
sovereign's aids, General Turr, GarlbaldIs
Hungarian associate, happened to be at
Paris and took, rot as yet clearly defined,
some part in the secret negotiations. His
participation WAS not regarded 10y the i'm
perial Government with particular pleas
ure. On the 2O:h he left Paris, and then
for the first time came the suggestion that
France should coucede to Italy something
more than @ simple return in the Roman
question to the convention of September,
1864. Won Beust tonk the initiative in u
note received July %, urging that the day
Franco evacuated Rome the ltaIiaus should
occupy it with tho assent of France aud
AustrIa. This demand startled tho Em
peror and saddened him. He had not ex.
peCted, aaVa the Duke that Anstria would