f war that they created. The Emperor agreed--so Lord
Clarendon wrote to Mr. Gladstone (Sept. 18, '69)--but went on to say that
during the King of Prussia's life, and as long as the present Prussian
system lasted, he thought no change of importance could be effected. Still
the seed by and by appeared to have fallen on good ground. For in January
1870, in a conversation with the British ambassador, the French foreign
minister (Daru) suggested that England might use her good offices with
Prussia, to induce a partial disarmament in order that France might disarm
also. The minister, at the same time, wrote a long despatch in the same
sense to the French ambassador at St. James's. Lord Clarendon perceived
the delicacy of opening the matter at Berlin, in view of the Prussian
monarch's idolatry of his army. He agreed, however, to bring it before the
king, not officially, but in a confidential form. This would compromise
nobody. The French ambassador in London agreed, and Lord Clarendon wrote
the draft of a letter to Loftus in Berlin. He sent the draft to Mr.
Gladstone (Jan. 31, 1870) for "approval and criticism." Mr. Gladstone
entered eagerly into Lord Clarendon's benevolent correspondence:--

_Mr. Gladstone to Lord Clarendon._

_31 Jan. 1870._--The object of your letter on disarmament is noble,
and I do not see how the terms of the draft can be improved. I
presume you will let the Queen know what you are about, and
possibly circumstances might arrive in which she could help?

_7 Feb._--The answer to your pacific letter as reported by Loftus
throws, I think, a great responsibility on the King of Prussia.

_12 Feb._--I hope, with Daru, that you will not desist from your
efforts, whatever be the best mode of prosecuting the good design.
I thought Bismarck's case, on Loftus's letter, a very bad one. I
do not think Lyons's objections, towards the close of his letter,
apply in a case where you have acted simply as a friend, and not
in the name and on behalf of France.

_18 Feb._--I return Bismarck's confidential letter on disarmament.
As the matter appears to me, the best that can be said for this
letter is that it contains matter which might be used with more or
less force in a conference on disarmament, by way of abating the
amount of relative call on Prussia. As an argument against
entertaining the subject, it is futile, and he ought at any rate