XXXIV 1838. 1 Plenipo. modification of the territorial cessions to Holland; and CHAP. Sébastiani's answer was: "I have again seen Lord Palmerston, but I could not prevail on him to modify the views of the English Cabinet. King Leopold must accept, purely and unconditionally, the twenty-four articles." The German powers, through M. Bresson, the French ambas- de France, sador at Frankfort, wrote in like manner, that no modi- Bretagne, fication of the treaty as to the frontier was possible, and Prussie, à la that Austria, Prussia, and Russia would insist on the full Ambassa payment of the indemnity stipulated to Holland by Bel- Belgique, gium. An official announcement to the same effect was 1838; Cap. ix. 417, made to the Belgian Government, in the strongest terms, 418. by Russia and Prussia.1* Grande and de deurs de la Nov. 28, of the 25. Notwithstanding these decided remonstrances from the great powers which surrounded them on all sides, the Obstinacy Belgian Chambers still held out. Their reliance was on Belgians, the numerous malcontents in the very countries from and military whom these remonstrances emanated. They were in of France close communication with the secret societies and republicans of France, who, although quiescent at the moment, were unceasingly carrying on their dark machinations: they relied on the profound feeling of discontent occasioned by the religious dispute in the provinces of Rhenish Prussia, and fomented in Ireland by the efforts of O'Connell * "Les Soussignés, plénipotentiaires d'Autriche et de Prusse, conjointement avec ceux de la France, la Grande Bretagne, et la Russie, ont remarqué avec regret, dans les actes publics qui viennent de paraître à l'ouverture des Chambres Législatives à Bruxelles, un langage annonçant hautement le dessein de se refuser à la restitution des territoires qui d'après le second des 24 articles arrêtés par la Conférence de Londres, le 18 Octobre 1831, doivent continuer à appartenir au Grand Duché de Luxembourg, ainsi que de la partie de la province de qui, conformément au quatrième des dits articles, doit appartenir à sa Majesté le Roi des Pays-Bas, soit en sa qualité de Grand-Duc de Luxem bourg, soit pour être réunie à la Hollande,-actes contre lesquels le Gouvernement Belge a omis faire valoir les engagemens contractés par un traité solennel, et les droits d'un tiers qui s'y oppose! Egalement, les Soussignés peuvent d'autant moins s'empêcher de voir dans ces manifestations une atteinte portée aux droits de la Confédération Germanique, qu'elles émanent d'une partie qui ne se trouvant que dans une possession provisoirement tolérée des territoires mentionnés, prétend de son propre chef convertir le fait de cette possession en un droit permanent, ce qui constitue dans le présent cas, un envahissement implicite. SEM. BULOW."-CAPEFIGUE, ix. 417, 418, note. preparations and Prussia. XXXIV. 1838. CHAP. and the Catholic Association; and they trusted to the cooperation of the English Radicals, whose ranks had been immensely swelled by the general suffering which had long prevailed from the contraction of the currency, and the numerous strikes among workmen in consequence of the fall of wages resulting from it, which amounted to little short of open insurrection. In a word, the Belgian republicans counted on a general revolt and war of opinion in all the States with which they were surrounded; and not without reason, for now, for the first time in history, by a strange combination of circumstances, the Papacy and Democracy were drawing in the same direction. In spite of all the warnings they had received, the Belgian Chambers abated nothing of their haughty spirit, and their military preparations continued without intermission. The allied powers in consequence also took up arms. A French army 25,000 strong was collected at Compiègne, and 30,000 Prussians were concentrated on the Meuse. Still the Belgian Chambers stood firm. "France," said M. Simmons, the deputy of Limbourg in the Chamber, 1 Ann. Hist. " can never see with indifference a people sacrificed at its 230; Cap. gates, which has lent it the hand. It is time to enter into more energetic relations with France and England, and, if their Governments abandon us, to appeal to the people."1 Everything breathed hostility, and possibly, notwithFailure of standing the apparent hopelessness of the contest, a Brussels, European war of opinion might have arisen at this ment of the period, instead of ten years later, when it was averted by an event which, although the natural consequence of the monetary crisis which was now producing such distress in England, had not been anticipated by the party which was calculating on its effects, and utterly disabled them from carrying their designs into execution. This was Nov. 14, the failure of the Bank of Brussels, which took place when the political crisis was at its height, and at once deprived the malcontents of their resources and means of action. For once insolvency produced effects the very xxi. 226 ix. 416-420, x. 17. 26. the Bank of and settle question. 1838. CHAP. XXXIV. 1838. reverse of those with which it generally is attended; it became the herald of peace, not the harbinger of war. In a manufacturing and industrious community, where credit was the soul of enterprise, and an adequate currency was the life-blood of the nation, the effects of this failure were incalculable. They were much enhanced by the failure of the Savings' Bank of Brussels, which immediately after ensued, and which was only appeased by the Government instantly and wisely coming forward and guaranteeing the sums in the Savings' Bank, which amounted to 1,500,000 florins (£150,000). This seasonable relief, however, only assuaged the terrors of the working classes; it did not restore the credit of their employers, which, participating in the monetary crisis, then at its height in England, was violently shaken. In these circumstances, to maintain the contest further on the part of Belgium was impossible. Silence succeeded to the vehement declarations of the tribune, and the Belgian standards were quickly replaced by the Dutch in the disputed territory. On December 11, a fresh protocol was signed Dec. 11. at London by the representatives of the four great Powers, by which it was stipulated that Holland should renounce all claim to the arrears of the 8,400,000 florins (£840,000) agreed to be paid to her by Belgium, from Protocol, the day on which the adhesion was given, and the pay- 1838; ments in future be reduced to 5,000,000 (£500,000). Dec. 13;' The territorial limits were left as before. This protocol April 19, was immediately accepted by the King of Holland, and 1839; Ann. on 18th February 1839 it was presented for acceptance 255, 267, by the Minister for Foreign Affairs to the Belgian Chron.; L. Chamber.1 A violent opposition was made,* but at 388, 389. length the necessity of the case prevailed; the merchants “Notre cause est celle des peuples; ils se lèveront en masse pour nous soutenir. Le premier coup de canon tiré en Europe sera le signal d'une conflagration générale. L'exemple sera dangereux pour l'absolutisme, qui redouterait le bien-être d'une nation vivant sous un régime de liberté. Dans l'intérêt de mon pays, et pour le repos de ma conscience, je vote contre le projet."-Paroles de M. le Comte de REYNIE, Ann. Hist., xxii. 267. Dec. 11, Moniteur, Treaty, Hist. xxii. 278, App. to Blanc, v. XXXIV. 1839. CHAP. of Ghent, Liege, and Antwerp represented that they would be ruined by war; the Finance Minister admitted the public funds could not support it; and on the 18th Mar. 18, March the adhesion to the treaty was carried by a majority of 58 to 42. It was immediately afterwards signed by the Belgian minister, and the Belgian question, at one time so threatening to Europe, finally set at rest. 1839. 27. The foreign transactions of France in this year were Differences signalised by an event honourable to the French arms, and Mexico, as well as creditable to their vigour, and which went far Nov. 27, to raise the prestige of the kingdom in the eyes of foreign of France 1838. nations. This was the successful bombardment of ST JUAN D'ULLOA in Mexico, by a fleet under the command of Admiral Baudin, under whose orders the King's youngest son, the Prince de Joinville, made his first essay in arms. The French Government had become involved in a serious dispute with the Mexican, in consequence of some piratical acts committed on French subjects by the inhabitants, and a refusal on the part of their government to admit the French to the privileges enjoyed by other nations. Negotiations having failed to produce any effect on those hot-headed republicans, who were as ignorant of the strength of their enemies as they were incapable of developing any of their own, a squadron, consisting of three line-of-battle ships, La Néréide, La Gloire, and L'Iphigénie, the Creole frigate, and two bomb-vessels, approached Vera Cruz; and not having succeeded in bringing the Mexican authorities to terms, Admiral Baudin prepared for an immediate attack on the fort of St Juan d'Ulloa, which commanded the entry to that 1838; Ann. town. The vessels approached the fort at 2 P.M., and 129; App. opened their fire. Such was the vigour of the cannonade to Chron. that at six the white flag was hoisted, the walls being a Cap. 1. 15; mere heap of ruins. During the four hours that the fire 1 Traite, Nov. 28, Hist. xxii. and 227; L. Biane, v. teur, Dec. 24, 1838. 370; Moni- lasted, the five ships engaged threw 8000 round shot and 520 bombs into the place: the Iphigénie alone, from its broadside of 50 guns, threw 3400 balls, or, on an average, 1839. fourteen a-minute, during the whole time! Not content CHAP. with this success, Admiral Baudin landed a strong body of XXXIV. marines, under the command of the Prince de Joinville, which, advancing towards Vera Cruz, soon compelled the submission of that city. It was stipulated that all the Mexican troops, excepting a thousand, should leave the city, and the French evacuate St Juan d'Ulloa, and the privileges contended for by the French for their subjects were conceded. 28. on the at defences by The experience of war has not yet determined whether or not the improvements of fortification, which have been Reflections so signal of late years, especially among the Russians, tack of land have enabled works at land successfully to resist the most sea forces." formidable attacks from ships. Many considerations may be urged, and many examples cited, on both sides. On the one hand, it is certain that a powerful three-decker of one hundred or one hundred and twenty guns can concentrate a weight of metal, in her broadsides, superior, at short range of one hundred or one hundred and twenty yards, to any battery, even of three tiers, which can be brought to bear upon it, and that the splintering of stone from ordinary embrasures is more dangerous to life than from the wooden sides of a ship. Add to this, that, by the application of steam to ships of war, a concentrated fire from several vessels can be brought to bear on a single bastion; and the flank fire of other bastions can be taken off till the requisite impression is produced on the main point of attack, by the fire of the ships specially charged with that part of the undertaking. On the other hand, a three-decker, which will burn or sink, seems hardly a match for a stone bastion which will neither burn nor sink; and the skill of the Russian engineers has discovered the means of protecting the mouth of the gun, by net-works of ropes and other defences, from almost every danger, except round shot of heavy calibre, and left only an aperture a few inches in diameter for the sight of the commander of the gun. |