The sun., 1891-12-13
Tnlleyrand's Memolrs.

The fourth volume OF the Memoirs of the
Ifincs de 1dLslraad. an English translation
Of which Is boirg published by tho Putnams.
deals exclusively with the results OF the revo-
luton OF 1880 in Belgium. We need not re-
peat what has been said IL tho reviews Of tho
former fnstallments OF this work about the
cloud cast on It's authenticity by the EDITORS
failure to produce the original manuscript.
None Of the explanations offered suffices to
make good this fundamental shortcoming.
The suspicion. however. that the previous Gus
todisn OF tho papers, N. De Bucourt. dealt with
them pretty much as he liked need not seri-
ously trouble tho reader Of the present vol
ume, whose materials consisting largely Of
letters botween Tallcyrnnd and othor diploma
lists must be capable Of veriiication In tho ar
chves Of European foreign Offices.
The political situation in which Talleyrand
was o conspicuous figure during the period
covered by tho present volume was as follows:
Tho deposition OF Charles X. and Louis
philippos assumption OF the title Of King OF
the French had with good reason alarmed the
powers which had asserted reactlonary prin-
ciples at the Congress OF Vienna The shock
caused by the Fronch revolution OF 1880 had
been felt all over central and southern Europe.
and especially in Belgium. which repudiated
its compulsory union with Holland. The Bel
Gians had been French subjects under the
Napoleonlo regime. and many OF them wore
desirous'of revcrting to that status. Tho party
dominant in Brussels would have preferred
complete Incorporation with France. but II
that should provo impracticable they wanted
70 make one OF the sons Of Louis Philippe King
OF tho BelgtanS The wish expressed by Bel
gium had Of course the ardent sympathy OF
the French people. which. however. found
Inadequate expression In the Legislature and
Tt.tn knk khar 4
shisa There is no doubt. however. that Louis
Philippe would have annexed Belgium had he
dared. but the frat overt step In that direc.
tion would have provoked armed resistance on
the part OF the reactionary powers. whose
policy was moulded bv Gear Nicholas and Met
tsrninh. Nevertheless. II England could have
been persuaded to side with Franco. the latter
country would probably have confronted the
- chances OF European war. What would
Enelapd do-that was the great question in
1881. and 1t forms the subject OF the corre-
spondence In this volume between Gen. sebas-
tint. the French Minister for Foreign Affairs.
and Talleyrand. the French Ambassador
at the court Of st. James As 1t Is
well known. tho Belgian problem WAS
ultimately solved by an agreement boz
tween France and England that tho new
crown should be given to Prince Leopold
OF Raxe-Coburg- -Gotha. and that marriage
should be arranged between him and the eld-
est daughter Of Louis Philippe. This solution
was mainly due to Talleyrand. who never wa
versd In his preference for Prince Leopold. and
who considered the separation OF Belgium
from Holland Of greater Importance to France
than the choice OF q sovereign There Is In
deed no doubt that the French gained great
advantages by the substitution Of two weak
powers for ono strong power on their north
east frontier by the naturalization OF Belgium
and by the demolition OF u certain number OF
Belgian fortrcsscs.
Another outcome OF the Paris revolution OF
1880 had been tho Polish insurrecton. and the
bstlliant victories OF the Poles In Lithuanla ex-