[Footnote 11: See Novossiltzoff's Report in Czartoryski's "Memoirs,"
vol. ii., ch. iv., and Pitt's note developing the Russian proposals in
Garden's "Traites," vol. viii., pp. 317-323, or Alison, App. to ch.
xxxix. A comparison of these two memoranda will show that on
Continental questions there was no difference such as Thiers affected
to see between the generous policy of Russia and the "cold egotism" of
Pitt. As Czartoryski has proved in his "Memoirs" (vol. ii., ch. x.)
Thiers has erred in assigning importance to a mere first draft of a
conversation which Czartoryski had with that ingenious schemer, the
Abbe Piatoli. The official proposals sent from St. Petersburg to
London were very different; _e.g._, the proposal of Alexander with
regard to the French frontiers was this: "The first object is to bring
back France into its ancient limits or such other ones as might appear
most suitable to the general tranquillity of Europe." It is,
therefore, futile to state that this was solely the policy of Pitt
after he had "remodelled" the Russian proposals.]
[Footnote 12: "Corresp.," No. 8231. See too Bourrienne, Miot de
Melito, vol. ii., ch. iv., and Thiers, bk. xxi.]
[Footnote 13: This refusal has been severely criticised. But the
knowledge of the British Government that Napoleon was still
persevering with his schemes against Turkey, and that the Russians
themselves, from their station at Corfu, were working to gain a
foothold on the Albanian coast, surely prescribed caution ("F.O.,"
Russia, Nos. 55 and 56, despatches of June 26th and October 10th,
1804). It was further known that the Austrian Government had proposed
to the Czar plans that were hostile to Turkey, and were not decisively
rejected at St. Petersburg; and it is clear from the notes left by
Czartoryski that the prospect of gaining Corfu, Moldavia, parts of
Albania, and the precious prize of Constantinople was kept in view.
Pitt agreed to restore the conquests made from France (Despatch of
April 22nd).]
[Footnote 14: Garden, "Traites," vol. viii., pp. 328-333. It is clear
that Gustavus IV. was the ruler who insisted on making the restoration
of the Bourbons the chief aim of the Third Coalition. In our "F.O.
Records" (Sweden, No. 177) is an account (August 20th, 1804) of a
conversation of Lord Harrowby with the Swedish ambassador, who stated
that such a declaration would "palsy the arms of France." Our Foreign
Minister replied that it would "much more certain
|