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Treaty of Vienna
April 26 -- Mr. Whitbread, having enquired of ministers whether
war was to be made on Napoleon Bonaparte, and that no peace was
to be concluded with him so long as he remained in possession of
the supreme authority in France.
Lord Castlereagh acknowledged that the association of the allies
had certainly been made for the purpose of destroying the power
of Bonaparte; but said that the treaty was only binding on the
allies so long as they chose to make it so. Of course, they might
agree to treat of peace, if they should hereafter think it
prudent to do so.
Mr. Whitbread was not satisfied with this answer. When the
address was voted, the House was told there was an alternative of
peace; he would ask the noble lord, therefore, if there was any
probability of war being avoided?
Lord Castlereagh said he would leave probabilities to the
honorable gentleman; the parties could release themselves when
they pleased. The engagement entered into between the allied
powers might be dissolved, but its object, at the time it was
formed, certainly was to destroy the power of Bonaparte, and to
make no peace with him.
Mr. Whitbread recollected that when the message had come down
from the House, the noble lord has spoken of an alternative of
peace or war, and notwithstanding several assertions which has
since found their way to the public, he had understood, down to
the present moment, that an alternative of peace with France, in
her present state, remained. He, therefore, now wanted to know
whether, there was a possibility that the engagement entered into
by the allies should be broken, and that peace should be, not
made, but maintained with France in the situation in which she
was now placed.
Lord Castlereagh could only s ay that there was a possibility
that the engagement might be dissolved. As to the probability of
such an occurrence, the honorable gentleman could easily form an
opinion from the appearance of things.
Mr. Whitbread had rendered his question as plain as possible, and
the noble lord, as usual, had given a reply as equivocal as he
possibly could. Those who thought that no peace could be made
with Bonaparte would interpret his answer as stating that war was
unavoidable. Those who inclined to the other side of the question
would infer from it that an alternative still remained. His own
interpretation was, that the allies, when they concluded the
treaty, intended to go to war with Bonaparte, and that if they
had not yet carried that plan into execution, it was in
consequence of some other circumstances which had arisen since,
and which the noble lord hoped might be got over, that war should
ensue. He wished the House to be well informed on this subject
before another message should come down, and that the noble lord
should willingly do that which the House would be obliged to do
without his assistance. If it was not conceived too early, he
would tomorrow, but certainly on some day of the present week,
take the sense of Parliament on the most important question of
peace or war.
Lord Castlereagh assured the honorable gentleman that if he
wished to take the sense of the House, he had only to make a
motion, and that he should be prepared to meet him.
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-Napoleon Bonaparte
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