The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1919-03-24
HOW PEACE TREATIES
FORMERLY WERE MADE
BY Lady Diana Manners.


London. March i5.---.The good old
times are often praised and some
times blamed. Assuredly. some things
were better in the past, some things
were worse. most things were very
much the same. The reare Confer
ence is the subject of the hour. so let
us recall for moment a Peace Con-
ference of the past by the standard
OF which we may Judge the Peace
Conference of the present.
Now all eyes are turned on Paris,
There the master spirits of the age
are deciding the fate of empires and
the future of contents. A hundred
years ago Vienna occupied the proud
position which Paris holds today. For
in Vienna during the winter 1S14-la
assembled the most famous of all
Peace Conferences. which had 10 set
tie the destines of a Europe recently
delivered from, the tyranny of Ma
poleon. who was languishing an exile
in the island of Eiba-
Tho French revolution had pro-
duced nothing but military despotisr'
in France and twenty-onc years war
in Europe, But now the war was over,
the revolution was defeated. the king
Of France had come home again and
the tyrant was a prisoner.
Rule OF Gaicty.
The whole of Europe was suffused
with happiness. and at the congress of
Vienna happiness reached its height
For there were gathered together all
who had suffered most from the past,
all who had most to hope from the
future
When the Prince de Ligne was ask
ed how the congress was progressing
he replied: The congress does not
4p
did-~night after night-always pro-
longing the ball until dawn. and some
times Gar into the following day. Etn-.
perors and kings, BSinccs AND am
bassadors, strove 10 surpass each other
N the splendor of their entertain
ments. Never was the rule of gaiety
so absolute. never was pleasure SO
universally hailed as queen.
1t was determined that nothing
should be allowed to mar the general
Joy, and when the Queen of Naples
died. although she was the aunt and
mother law of the emperor OF Aus
tria, whose cour. was the center of
the festivities, her death was flushed
up and no announcement was made
to the public lest il should cast A
gloom on the proceedings.
The six months of the congress
were consumed in a series of fetes.
No known form OF amusement was
omitted. and many were iuveAted for
the occasion.
An indispensa BILE feature at every
ball was the .'lottery"---a dance In
the course of which each cavalier was
assigned by lot some gift. usually
valuable jewel, sometimes an orna-
ment or a work of art. which he had
the pleasure OF presenting to his
favor1te partner. Tableaux viyants
were extremely popular, and amateur
theatricals, in which even royalty
played it's part were not omitted
from the program of delights.
Rivals In Splendor.
Nor was the round Of pleasure con-
fined within n compass OF four walls,
During the DAY all sports and pas
times of the open air were practised.
Riding and driving called forth rival
~ In beauty Of horses and maSnifi-
cence Of equipage. In this respect
Lord Stewart, the English am bassa-
dor, was acknowledged to hold the
palm.
Shooting was also extremely popu-
lar. Ladies' took part, and the en-
press of Austria was particularly
deadly shot.
Falconry, an almost forgotten art.
was revived again. lest any form Of
sport. should be wanting to that In
finite variety Of distractions. Most
magnificent of all was a tournament.
arranged In imitation of the serious
encounters OF the Middle Ages. In
which the richest and noblest young
men in Europe disported themselves
on the finest steeds for the pleasure
of court OF beauty composed OF
the loveliest women of the day.
But behind this glitterinK curtain
OF pleasure a deep play OF politics
was taking place. Though Meter
mich was the soul Of suavity, though
Talleyrand preserved the polished
manners Of a former generation. and
Castleragh was the best dressed man
at the congress, mono OF these were
there for pleasure. and the eyes Of
all searched In vain their impenc-
trable faces for any sign OF the vary
ing fortunes at the great game they
played.
Alexander. the young emperor OF
Russia. was perhaps the most promi-
nent and vivid dxure Of All. Strick-