The Letters of Queen Victoria Volume Ii Part 67

_Queen Victoria to Lord John Russell._

OSBORNE, _19th October 1850._

The Queen is very glad of the result of the conflict with Lord Palmerston, of which Lord John Russell apprised her by his letter of yesterday's date. The correspondence, which the Queen now returns, shows clearly that Lord Palmerston in this transaction, as in every other, remained true to his principles of action.... But it shows also that Lord John has the power of exercising that control over Lord Palmerston, the careful exercise of which he owes to the Queen, his colleagues, and the country, if he will take the necessary pains to remain firm. The Queen does not believe in _resignation_ under almost any circ.u.mstances.

The Queen is very anxious about the Holstein question, and sends a copy of her last letter to Lord Palmerston on the subject.

_Lord John Russell to the Prince Albert._

PEMBROKE LODGE, _21st October 1850._

SIR,--I have just received this note from Lord Palmerston.[43]

The French Amba.s.sador, who has been here, confirms the news. We must consider the whole affair on Wednesday, and I shall be glad to learn what the Queen thinks can be done.

Mr Tennyson is a fit person to be Poet Laureate.

I have the honour to be, your Royal Highness's most obedient Servant,

J. RUSSELL.

[Footnote 43: The note was in reference to the affairs of Hesse-Ca.s.sel, and to the rumours of a Conference to be held in Austria for the settlement of German affairs.]

[Pageheading: THE TRACTARIAN MOVEMENT]

_Lord John Russell to Queen Victoria._

BISHOPTHORPE, _25th October 1850._

Lord John Russell presents his humble duty to your Majesty; he has read with attention the letter of the d.u.c.h.ess of Norfolk.[44] He has also read the Pope's Bull. It strikes him that the division into twelve territorial dioceses of eight ecclesiastical vicariats is not a matter to be alarmed at. The persons to be affected by this change must be already Roman Catholics before it can touch them.

The matter to create rational alarm is, as your Majesty says, the growth of Roman Catholic doctrines and practices within the bosom of the Church. Dr Arnold said very truly, "I look upon a Roman Catholic as an enemy in his uniform; I look upon a Tractarian as an enemy disguised as a spy."

It would be very wrong to do as the Bishop of Oxford proposed, and confer the patronage of the Crown on any of these Tractarians. But, on the other hand, to treat them with severity would give the whole party vigour and union.

The Dean of Bristol is of opinion that the Tractarians are falling to pieces by dissension. It appears clear that Mr Denison and Mr Palmer have broken off from Dr Pusey.

Sir George Grey will ask the Law Officers whether there is anything illegal in Dr Wiseman's a.s.suming the t.i.tle of Archbishop of Westminster. An English Cardinal is not a novelty.[45]

[Footnote 44: Two important events in the history of the English Church had just occurred. The Bishop of Exeter had refused to inst.i.tute Mr Gorham to a Crown living in his diocese, on the ground that his teaching on baptism was at variance with the formularies of the Church. This decision, though upheld in the Court of Arches, was reversed (though not unanimously) by the Privy Council. High Church feeling was much aroused by the judgment.

In September, Pius IX. (now re-established in the Vatican) promulgated a papal brief, restoring the Roman Catholic hierarchy in England, and dividing it territorially into twelve sees, and in October Cardinal Wiseman, as Archbishop of Westminster, issued his Pastoral, claiming that Catholic England had been restored to its...o...b..t in the ecclesiastical firmament. The d.u.c.h.ess of Norfolk, writing from Arundel, had criticised the proselytising action of certain Roman Catholic clergy. _See_ the Queen's reply, _post_, p. 277.]

[Footnote 45: Lord John wrote on the 4th of November to Dr Maltby, Bishop of Durham, denouncing the a.s.sumption of spiritual superiority over England, in the doc.u.ments issued from Rome. But what alarmed him more (he said) was the action of clergymen within the Church leading their flocks dangerously near the brink, and recommending for adoption the honour paid to saints, the claim of infallibility for the Church, the superst.i.tious use of the sign of the cross, the muttering of the liturgy so as to disguise the language in which it was said, with the recommendation of auricular confession and the administration of Penance and absolution.

Lord John was pictorially satirised in _Punch_ as the boy who chalked up "No popery" on the door and ran away.]

[Pageheading: UNREST IN EUROPE]

_The King of the Belgians to Queen Victoria._

ARDENNE, _10th November 1850._

MY DEAREST VICTORIA,--I write already to-day that it may not miss to-morrow's messenger. I came here yesterday by a mild suns.h.i.+ne, and the valley of the Meuse was very pretty. I love my solitude here, and though the house is small and not what it ought to have been, still I always liked it. There seems in most countries danger of agitation and convulsions arising. I don't know how it will end in Germany. In France it is difficult that things should not break up some way or other. I trust you may be spared religious agitation. These sorts of things begin with one pretext, and sometimes continue with others. I don't think Europe was ever in more danger, _il y a tant d'anarchie dans les esprits_. I don't think that can be cured _a l'eau de rose_; the human race is not naturally good, very much the contrary; it requires a strong hand, and is, in fact, even pleased to be led in that way; the memory of all the sort of Cesars and Napoleons, from whom they chiefly got blows, is much dearer to them than the benefactors of mankind, whom they crucify when they can have their own way. Give my best love to Albert; and I also am very anxious to be recalled to the recollection of the children, who were so very friendly at Ostende. How far we were then to guess what has since happened.... My dearest Victoria, your devoted Uncle,

LEOPOLD R.

_Queen Victoria to the Countess of Gainsborough._[46]

_Thursday morning_ [_November ..._] _1850._

DEAREST f.a.n.n.y,--This is a case of positive necessity, and as _none_ of the ladies are forthcoming I fear I must call upon you to attend me _to-night_. You did so once _in state_ before, and as it is not a _matter of pleasure_, but of duty, I am sure you will at once feel that you can have no scruple.

Whenever the Mistress of the Robes does not attend, I _always_ have three ladies, as they must take turns in standing behind me. Ever yours affectionately,

VICTORIA R.

[Footnote 46: Frances, Countess of Gainsborough, daughter of the third Earl of Roden, a Lady of the Bedchamber, and known till 1841 as Lady Barham.]

[Pageheading: ENGLAND AND GERMANY]

_Queen Victoria to Viscount Palmerston._

WINDSOR CASTLE, _18th November 1850._

The Queen is exceedingly sorry to hear that Lord Westmorland[47] is gone, as she was particularly anxious to have seen him before his return to Berlin, and to have talked to him on the present critical events in Germany; but she quite forgot the day of his departure. What is the object of his seeing the President at Paris? and what are his instructions with regard to Germany?[48]

Having _invariably encouraged Const.i.tutional_ development in other countries,... and having at the beginning of the great movement in 1847, which led to all the catastrophes of the following years, _sent_ a Cabinet Minister to Italy to _declare_ to all Italian states that _England_ would _protect_ them from Austria if she should attempt by threats and violence to debar them from the _attainment_ of their _Const.i.tutional_ development, _consistency_ would require that we should _now_, when that great struggle is at its end and _despotism_ is to be _re-imposed_ by Austrian arms upon Germany, throw _our weight_ into the scale of _Const.i.tutional_ Prussia and Germany.... The Queen is afraid, however, that all our Ministers abroad,--at Berlin, Dresden, Munich, Stuttgart, Hanover, etc. (with the exception of Lord Cowley at Frankfort)--are warm partisans of the _despotic_ league against Prussia and a German Const.i.tution and _for_ the maintenance of the old Diet under Austrian and Russian influence. Ought not Lord Palmerston to make his agents understand that their sentiments are at variance with those of the English Government? and that they are doing _serious mischief_ if they express them at Courts which have _already_ every inclination to follow their desperate course?

Lord Palmerston is of course aware that the old Diet once reconst.i.tuted and recognised, one of the main laws of it is that "_no organic change can be made_ without _unanimity_ of voices," which was the cause of the nullity of that body from 1820 to 1848, and will now enable Austria, should Prussia and her confederates recognise the Diet, to condemn Germany to a further life of stagnation or new revolution.