The herald., 1896-01-26


policy and probably by its direction, he
Immediately forced upon his subjects an
election law that practically abolished rep
resentative government in France.
Absolutism was now riding easily upon
the smooth waters Of European politics.
Prussia, Russia, Austria, Spain, Portugal,
Italy, Turkey and France were ruled by
divine right, and, except in England and
among impotent revolutionists, constitu-
tions were regarded as gracious gifts from
the sovereign, by whom they might be
withdrawn at will. But, as often happens,
the political waters were not so quiet
deeper down as upon the surface. Soon
after the congress of AK adjourned the
holy alliance was startled by successful re-
publican revolts in Spain, Portugal and
Naples. This prompted a call for third
congress, which met at Troppau in 1920.
Its utterances were more candid than those
of its predecessors. To 'give greater lib
berty to thought and action to legitimate
sovereigns," and to enable them to con-
solidate and strengthen themselves, were
its declared aim and object; and states in
which the sovereign had been overthrown
by rebellion were warned that they would
be treated by the powers as hostile to all
lawful government. The czar's original
draft of the holy treaty could hardly have
been more explicit of despotic purpose.
After this declaration the Troppau con-
gress adjourned to Laybach, whence Aus
trian troops received the orders under
which they replaced the king of Naples
upon his absolute throne and put down the
constitutional government of Piedmont.
The fourth congress of monarchs con-
vened at Vienna and adjourned to Verona.
When it assembled in 1922 the holy alli-
ance was at the height of it's power and ar
rogance, and doubtless intended to drag
that congress into dealing with all ''rebels''
~ h0 Vox yhn0h h
dealt with the Neapolitans and the Pied
montese. There was more work in this
line, however, than could be safely under
taken at once. In Europe. Spain was
struggling to maintain her constitution.
PortuRal's king had accepted a constitu-
were fighting for freedom from Turkish
rule; while across the Atlantic, Brazil had
declared her independence and Spanish
America had set up republican govern.
ments. Spain was chosen for the first at
tack. An epidemic of yellow fever there
placing an army along the Spanish frontier
as sanitary guard" and upon the abate-
ment of the epidemic his troops had been
retained as an "army of observation" for
defense against encroachments caused by
civil commotions across the line. This
was the situation when the congress of
Verona met. Immediately after its adj
journment the holy alliance gave the sig
nal for an invasion by causing Prussia,
Russia and Austria to withdraw their am
bassadors from Spain. and in a short time
the French "army of observation" had re-
established despotism in Spain.
DISSOLUTION OF THE HOLY ALLIANCE.
This apparent triumph for the holy alli-
ance was really the beginning of its disso-
luton. Whom the svhenae for authorizing
France to invade Spain leaked out at the
Of
and when, after the object of the invasion
had been accomplished, it transpired that
the holy alliance proposed assembling
congress of absolute monarchs to deliber-
ate upon the affairs of the Spanish repub-
lies of South America. with view of Civ
took steps to head off the royal conspiracy.
George Canning, the British prime min
lister, first proposed to the American min
lister, Richard Rush, joint declaration to
the effect that neither Great Britain nor
the United States could see the Spanish re-
publics transferred to any foreign power
with Indifference. The American minister
was without authority to join in such a
declaration, but offered to risk the approval
of his government if Great Britain would
acknowledge the independence of those
republics, as the United States had already
to defy the holy alliance, and sought an
other method of limiting that England's
hostility must be expected if the Spanish
republics were molested. This he found
through a correspondence with the French
minister, whose sovereign was a member
of the Holy Alliance, and advised
his fellow conspirators of England's atti-
tude. Canning also sent consuls to
the South American states, not in formal
recognition of their independence, but for
the convenience and protection of British
trade in those quarters. Meanwhile, his
correspondence with Mr.. Rush mad come to
the attention of President Monroe and
prompted that declaration in the message
of 1928 now known as the Monroe doc
trine. which warned the holy alliance that
the United States would ''consider any at
tempt on the part of the allied powers to
extend their system to any part of this
hemisphere az. dangerous to our peace and
liberty"
This was different situation from what
the holy alliance had reckoned upon, and
its plans against South America were
abandoned. But it did not dissolve until
late in the summer of 1880. When the
first ambassador from Louis Philippe, the
constitutional king whom the July revolu-
ton had given to the people of France, ap-
peared at the Austrian court. Metternich
cretly though he cherished the thought, this
shrewd servant of despotism knew that
''ancient Europe" as he called it, was now
at an end, that the paternal dreams
of the holy allies could never be
realized; and Metternich always bowed to
the inevitable. So the ambassador from
the citizen king of the French was officially
admitted to the presence of the Austrian
emperor. By that act the emperor aban-
ton was dissolved. LOUIS F. PosT.