a independent and strong; as
a Liberal constitutional country, opposing a barrier alike to
unenlightened and absolute as well as revolutionary principles--and
this she has a right to expect us to support her in.

But _what_ she wants to obtain from Austria is not clear. She has no
right, however, to expect further assurances from us on wishes which
she seems even to be afraid to state distinctly.

It is clearly impossible to ask Austria to give up a portion of Italy
to her, if nothing has occurred to make this necessary to Austria. At
any rate Sardinia can have lost nothing, but on the contrary must
have gained by the position which she is placed in as an ally of the
Western Powers.

[Footnote 2: British Minister at Turin, and an enthusiastic
sympathiser with Cavour. The latter had complained to him that
if the Austrian proposals were accepted, and peace were made,
Sardinia could expect no realisation of her cherished hopes,
viz. Anglo-French support against Austria and against Papal
aggression, increased political consideration in Europe, and
the development of Constitutional Government.]

_Queen Victoria to the Earl of Clarendon._

WINDSOR CASTLE, _11th January 1856_.

The Queen now returns the draft[3] to Lord Bloomfield, which she could
only write about in haste yesterday, as being of a nature not to be
sanctioned by her. It is quite natural and excusable that our patience
should at last be worn out by the miserable policy which Prussia is
pursuing, but it can never be our interest openly to quarrel with her.
This would be simply playing the game of Russia, who would thus be
relieved from all attacks upon her and see the theatre of the war
transferred to Germany; all other complications (which would arise
therefrom)--ruinous to the best interests of the Western Powers
as they would be--the Queen need not refer to. But when the draft
concludes with a declaration to Prussia that England "_considers her
neutrality as now at an end_," this is tantamount to a declaration of
_war!_ The late articles in our newspapers, and the language of Count
Walewski to Lord Cowley, make the Queen doubly anxious to warn the
Government not to let themselves be drawn on to such a policy.

[Footnote 3: The draft expressed disapproval of the silence
maintained by the Prussian Government towards England with
regard to the Austrian proposals, of the active measures
adopted to induce t