The Letters of Queen Victoria Volume Iii Part 75

_The Earl of Malmesbury to Queen Victoria._

LONDON, 25th _January 1859_.

The Earl of Malmesbury presents his humble duty to the Queen, and regrets to say that he shares your Majesty's apprehensions. The Emperor is extremely irritated at our not concurring in his views on Italy, and Lord Malmesbury believes that nothing will restrain him but the public opinion expressed against them, in France.[7] Austria has, against all our advice and common prudence, made a false move by sending troops into the Papal States _against_ the wish of _the Pope_, and is now obliged to recall them. The speech of your Majesty is to be discussed in Cabinet to-day. Lord Derby intended to introduce a paragraph stating that your Majesty's Alliance with France remained "unimpaired," but it now appears to us that such a statement might provoke a question "_why_" it should be made a special one. Lord Malmesbury entirely agrees with your Majesty as to an allusion to Treaties.

[Footnote 7: Yet the Emperor had just written to Queen Victoria on 20th January: "Le corps legislatif va bientot s'ouvrir, presque en meme temps que le parlement; je tacherai d'exprimer dans mon discours tout le desir que j'ai de vivre toujours en bonne et sincere intelligence avec votre Majeste et son gouvernement." Early in February the pamphlet _Napoleon et l'Italie_, nominally written by M. de la Gueronniere, but inspired by the Emperor, foreshadowed the war in Italy, and attempted to justify it.]

[Pageheading: LORD CANNING]

_Queen Victoria to Lord Stanley._

WINDSOR CASTLE, _25th January 1859_.

The Queen thinks that the time is come when the bestowal of some honour or reward on Lord Canning ought no longer to be delayed. He has now nearly arrived at the end of his tremendous task of quelling the Rebellion, and has triumphed over all his many difficulties. If any man deserves an acknowledgment of his services at the hands of the Crown, it is surely he, and the Queen would be sorry that the grace of it should be taken away from her by questions being asked in Parliament when it is a.s.sembled again, which will now be the case very soon.

A step in the Peerage and the G.C.B. appear to the Queen an appropriate reward. Perhaps a pension should be awarded to him? Lord Elphinstone also ought not to be left unrewarded, and a step in the Peerage with the G.C.B. does not appear too high an honour for him, for he also has greatly contributed to the saving to the Indian Empire.[8]

[Footnote 8: Lord Canning was made an Earl and Lord Elphinstone (who had been Governor of Bombay during the Mutiny) a Peer of the United Kingdom, and both received the G.C.B.]

[Pageheading: THE QUEEN'S FIRST GRANDCHILD]

_Queen Victoria to the King of the Belgians._

BUCKINGHAM PALACE, _2nd February 1859_.

MY DEAREST, KINDEST UNCLE,--Accept my warmest thanks for your most kind letter of the 28th. I know how pleased you would be at the safety of our dear Vicky, and at the birth of our first grandson![9]

Everything goes on so beautifully, Vicky recovering as fast and well as I did, and the dear little boy improving so much and thriving in every way.... The joy and interest taken _here_ is as great almost as in Prussia, which is _very_ gratifying.

I _think_ that _the Speech_ will do good, but it has not been easy to frame it, as the feeling _against_ the _Emperor here_ is _very strong_. I think _yet_ that if _Austria_ is _strong_ and _well prepared,_ and _Germany strong_ and _well inclined_ towards _us_ (as _Prussia certainly_ is), France will _not_ be so eager to attempt what I _firmly_ believe would _end_ in the _Emperor's_ downfall! Old Malakhoff _himself_ said to the d.u.c.h.ess of Wellington that if the French had the _slightest defeat ce serait fini avec la Dynastie!_ A pretty speech for an Amba.s.sador, but a _very true one!_

Pray say everything most kind to your dear children and believe me ever, your devoted Niece,

VICTORIA R.

We are just arrived here, and go back to Windsor to-morrow _afternoon_.

[Footnote 9: Frederick William Victor Albert, now German Emperor, born on the 27th of January.]

_Queen Victoria to the Earl of Malmesbury._

BUCKINGHAM PALACE, _3rd February 1859_.

The Queen has this moment received Lord Malmesbury's letter. As she has not yet written (only telegraphed) to announce to the Emperor the birth of our grandson (we being in the habit since we know the Emperor and Empress personally to communicate to one another _reciprocally family events_), the Queen has an opportunity or a pretext for writing to the Emperor, and is therefore prepared to do so _to-morrow_. But as the terms to be used are of the most _vital_ importance, she would wish Lord Malmesbury to consult forthwith with Lord Derby, and to let her have "the matter" to be put into the letter _before_ the Queen _leaves town_, which we do at half-past four this afternoon.

[Pageheading: LETTER TO THE EMPEROR NAPOLEON]

_The Earl of Derby to Queen Victoria._

ST JAMES'S SQUARE, _3rd February 1859_.

(_Thursday_,1 P.M.)

Lord Derby, with his humble duty, and in obedience to your Majesty's commands, received within this half hour through Lord Malmesbury, submits the accompanying very hastily drawn sketch of the language which, in his humble opinion, your Majesty might hold in a private and confidential letter to the Emperor of the French. Lord Derby is not sure that it is what your Majesty desired that he should submit; but he trusts that your Majesty will be pleased to receive it as an attempt to obey your Majesty's commands, and will excuse its many imperfections on account of the extreme haste in which it has unavoidably been written.

"I cannot refrain from taking this opportunity of expressing confidentially to your Imperial Majesty my deep anxiety for the preservation of the peace of Europe, nor can I conceal from myself how essentially that great object must depend upon the course which your Imperial Majesty may be advised to take. Your Majesty has now the opportunity, either by listening to the dictates of humanity and justice, and by demonstrating unmistakably your intention to adhere strictly to the faithful observance of Treaties, of calming the apprehensions of Europe, and restoring her confidence in your Majesty's pacific policy; or, by permitting yourself to be influenced by the ambitious or interested designs of others, of involving Europe in a war, the extent and termination of which can hardly be foreseen, and which, whatever glory it may add to the arms of France, cannot but interfere materially with her internal prosperity and financial credit. I am sure that your Majesty will not doubt the sincerity of the friends.h.i.+p which alone induces me to write thus unreservedly to your Majesty, and if anything could add to the sorrow with which I should view the renewal of war in Europe, it would be to see your Majesty entering upon a course with which it would be impossible for England to a.s.sociate herself."[10]

[Footnote 10: The Queen accordingly wrote a letter, which is printed in the _Life of the Prince Consort_, a.s.suring the Emperor that rarely had any man had such an opportunity as was now his for exercising a personal influence for the peace of Europe, and that, by faithful observance of Treaty obligations, he might calm international anxieties.]

_The King of the Belgians to Queen Victoria._

LAEKEN, _4th February 1859_.

MY DEAREST VICTORIA,--... Heaven knows what dance our Emperor _Napoleon Troisieme de nom_ will lead us. In a few days he will have to make his speech. I fear he is determined on that Italian War. The discussions in Parliament may influence him; I fear party spirit in lieu of a good and right sense of what is the interest of Europe. It was praiseworthy that you said in your Speech that _treaties_ must be respected, else indeed we return to the old _Faustrecht_ we have been striving to get rid of. It is curious that your speech has made the funds fall again: I presume they hoped at Paris that you would have been able to say that you congratulated Parliament on the prospect of peace being preserved. For us poor people who find ourselves _aux premieres loges_, these uncertainties are most unsatisfactory. Your devoted Uncle,

LEOPOLD R.

[Pageheading: THE INDIAN ARMY]

[Pageheading: THE QUEEN AND LORD STANLEY]

_Queen Victoria to the Earl of Derby._

WINDSOR CASTLE. _5th February 1859_.

With regard to a decision which will have to be taken when the report of the Indian Army Commission shall have been received, the Queen thinks it inc.u.mbent upon her not to leave Lord Derby in ignorance of her firm determination not to sanction, under any form, the creation of a British Army, distinct from that known at present as the Army of the Crown.