ued to be lulled in the most perfect confi- the news arrived. It had reached Paris by dence, making no exertions, because they telegraph, and an express, with a copy of believed none to be necessary. On that the Moniteur,' containing the startling day, however, the plenipotentiaries met, paragraph, was instantly despatched to brought their deliberations to a close, and London. He saw at once that he had been signed the convention, Baron Bulow and all! 'What then,' the reader may exclaim, 'was the Prussian ambassador guilty of an untruth, when he said he had not received his new credentials?' By no means; he had not received them; but the young King of Prussia had, immediately on his accession, written him a letter, authorizing him to act in all cases as if nothing had happened. He did not, therefore, require any new credentials: a fact with which the intriguer, on whose sagacity M. Guizot depended, was not acquainted.

the dupe of his own vanity, of that compound vanity which he felt, partly as a Frenchman and partly as a diplomatist. He had persuaded himself that France was too great a power to be set at nought by the rest of Europe, and that he himself was too great a diplomatist to be outwitted by any person in the world. This conceit, it was now clear, had placed him in a very humiliating position, and his indignation was exactly proportioned to the credulity and weakness he had previously displayed. He read over the paragraph in the 'Moniteur' again and again, his dark complexion growing each time darker and darker, till at length, having wrought himself up into a towering passion, he saliied forth to vent his fury on the diplomatic body.

Such is an exact history of the part played by M. Guizot in the affair of the treaty of July; and from this it will, we think, ap pear, that his diplomatic abilities are not of the first order. Had he possessed far greater capacity than has fallen to his share, he would not, we think, have succeeded in counteracting the influence of Great Britain, but a more skilful and daring intriguer might, nevertheless, have thrown so many obstacles in the way of the negotiators, that a great deal of valuable time might have been lost. As it was, we firmly believe that the efforts of M. Guizot did not retard the signature of the convention by a single hour.

The hopes of diplomatists, however, are not easily quenched. It immediately occurred to the French ambassador and his friends that active operations could not possibly commence in the Levant till the contracting parties should have exchanged ratifications, which, considering the distance of Constantinople and St. Petersburg, it was calculated they could not do in less than two months. Now, two months from the 15th of July would bring them to the 15th of September, and then it would require at least a fortnight to collect the fleets on the coast of Syria; but by that time the winds would begin to blow, which render naval operations impracticable on that coast. It was therefore argued, that nothing could possibly be done till the ensuing season, and that France would consequently enjoy ample leisure and opportunities to bring her influence to bear upon events, and discon- On the 29th of October of the same year, cert the designs of the allied powers. This M. Guizot became a member of the new was extremely ingenious reasoning, but it French Cabinet; or, perhaps, it would be was rendered nugatory by one single act of more correct to say, became its chief, unthe British minister, who had taken care to der the designation of minister for foreign append to his treaty a protocol, empowering affairs. Now, then, it may be said, he ochim to act at once. Within an hour, there- cupied a position which would enable him fore, after the signature of the convention, to give solid proofs of his hostility to the the order was on its way to the admiral's, slave-trade, by hastening the conclusion of to proceed without delay to the coast of the treaty, which, as ambassador, he had Syria, and commence operations. It would be beside our purpose to enter upon the recapitulation of events which must be fresh in the memory of the public. It may be sufficient to observe, that both the French ambassador and his government remained in entire ignorance of the course it was intended to pursue, as well as of the moment of action, till the intelligence of the bombardment of Beyrout came to open their eyes. M. Guizot was still in London when

negotiated, for confirming and extending the Right of Search. But the mutual relations of Great Britain and France had assumed an untoward aspect. The latter country felt, or fancied, that a slight had been put upon her by the allied powers, at the instigation of England, and she was consequently, not in the humor to treat with us on any subject, much less on one so replete with difficulties as the Right of Search. Our own cabinet perceiving this

to be the case, suffered the whole matter to remain in abeyance, until the affairs of the Levant was settled, and French excitement had had time to subside into its ordinary channels. A convention was then set on foot, the chief object of which was to supply France with a pretext for quitting that attitude of menace which she had rashly and foolishly assumed, and soon found extremely irksome: we allude to the treaty of the Dardanelles, ultimately concluded at London, July 13, 1841.

in question, which was to bind together the leading powers of the world for the purpose of delivering humanity from the most grievous infliction, and from the deepest disgrace which has ever been heaped upon it, belonged altogether to Lord Palmerston. It was he who set the negotiations on foot, who rendered the project palatable to Austria, Russia, France, and Prussia; who overcame all but the final obstacle, which was not based on irresistible circumstances, which arose out of no misunderstanding Having thus apparently smoothed the between nations or princes, which was not way, the British cabinet returned to the suggested by any apprehension entertained subject of the Right of Search, and pro- by any of the contracting parties-the only posed that the treaty which had been nego- obstacle which Lord Palmerston could not tiated during the early part of the preced- surmount, was the wounded pride and peting year, should forthwith be signed and tifogging revenge of M. Guizot. There are ratified. And now we come to speak of able and honorable men who give this perone of the most characteristic acts of M. son credit for having been once sincere in Guizot's whole life, one of those acts which his hostility to the slave-trade. We regret reveal a man's real principles, which dis- our inability to adopt this favorable opinion close to us his secret theory of honor and of him, not that we pride ourselves upon good faith, which, in short, stamp him as any Machiavellian rule of interpretation, what he is for the present age, and deter- when we desire to explain the acts of mine the place he is to hold in the estima-statesmen, but that in the present case, the tion of posterity. The British ambassa- lower we pitch the motive, the more likely dor in Paris, having been instructed to is it to square with the truth. For ourrenew his representations to the French selves, therefore, we fear we must believe, government, on the subject of the means that M. Guizot never cared any thing at all to be employed for the suppression of the about the suppression of slavery, and that slave-trade, received from M. Guizot the his sole object in putting himself promimost extraordinary reply ever made by any nently forward was to gratify his insatiable minister to a foreign ambassador. He could thirst of notoriety. Had it been otherwise, not, with all his Jesuitism, conceal from will any man believe that, when an opporLord Grenville the fact, that the diplomatic tunity presented itself of mitigating, at defeat inflicted on him in the July of the once, the woes of millions, he would have preceding year, still remained rankling in fallen back on the most pitiful party conhis breast. He had been beaten, and could siderations, and voluntarily put in jeopardy neither forgive nor forget it. He felt but the grand scheme, for the success of which too happy, therefore, that the state of the he once pretended to be so solicitous? Nay, negotiations on the subject of the Right of as far as France is concerned, it may with Search, enabled him to aim a blow which truth be affirmed, that M. Guizot comhe fancied must tell at his enemy, Lord pletely shipwrecked the hopes of Africa; Palmerston, and, through him, at the whole for had he, when applied to, in 1841, by Melbourne administration. The state of the Whig cabinet, consented to the immehis feelings, on this occasion, could not possibly be mistaken; indeed, he was at little pains to disguise it. He said, that as it was very clear the Whigs were going out of office, he should not pay them the compliment of signing the treaty with them, but reserve it for their successors, with whose views and principles he altogether sympathized.

diate signature and ratification of the treaty, no time would have been allowed for the organization of those infamous intrigues which afterwards led France to play so dishonorable a part, and cast upon the reputation of M. Guizot a stain, which all the sophistry he is master of and it is not a little-will never be able to obliterate. But because the disgrace of this transaction is

minister of foreign affairs, we must proceed with our narrative of events.

We request the reader, desirous of un-not entirely monopolized by the French derstanding what manner of man M. Guizot is, to reflect a little on this proceeding. The original idea of the great convention

It has been seen, that in order to avenge

a personal defeat, brought about by legiti- ranks several distinguished philanthropists, mate means and for a legitimate object, M.as Sir Harry Inglis, Lord Ashley, and so on, Guizot extended, in 1841, his most active it might very reasonably have been expected patronage to the slave-trade. By complet- that they would lose no time in bringing ing an act which he had himself commenced, to a close negotiations undertaken solely for he might have gone far towards putting an the repression of human misery. Even the end to it, at least such was the profound gratification of vanity it might have been persuasion of all the leading statesmen in supposed would have impelled them immeEurope, a persuasion which he himself, also,diately to conclude an affair, which, for the had always professed to cherish; but when reasons already stated, their predecessors the time came to put his sincerity to the were unable to accomplish. But, in the test, when Providence had moulded events, exultation of victory, Sir Robert Peel and and placed them in a posture so favorable his colleagues entirely lost sight of the Right that it required only a single act of a single of Search. They were too happy to find man's will to render them adequate to the themselves in Downing-street, and devoted production of the greatest results for human- the time to chuckling and rubbing their ity, that man, because his pride had been hands, and receiving the felicitations of humbled a year before by a British states- their friends. What were the wretched man, refused to perform his duty, let the Africans to them? They had beaten the consequences to humanity be ever so de- Whigs, and got an overwhelming majority, plorable. We invite any man, we invite M. and had before them the prospect of disGuizot himself, to give, if he can, any other pensing for years the whole patronage of the feasible version of this affair. Well, then, empire. Was that a moment to disturb M. Guizot refused to sign his own treaty their repose with troublesome contests about during the whole summer of 1841, because negroes, and cruisers, and treaties excesthe Whigs were in office. The horrors en-sively hard to be concluded? Lord Abercountered by thousands of men on both deen resolved to take warning from the fate sides of the Atlantic, and in the middle of his predecessor. The latter had devoted passage, weighed nothing with him when night and day to business, had concluded cast into the balance with his personal innumerable conventious advantageous to pique against Lord Palmerston. Better, he commerce and to humanity, had augmented, thought, that those unhappy beings should by his genius and untiring activity, the exwrithe, and pine, and die in the floating ternal influence of the empire: yet, what dungeons prepared for them by fiendish had been his reward? Parliamentary despeculators, than that he should accede to feat, and exclusion from office. The Tory the wishes of the liberal cabinet of England, foreign secretary, mindful of the classical and not reserve what he himself regarded precept, resolved to learn wisdom at another simply as a compliment for their presumed man's expense. As Lord Palmerston had successors. We wish M. Guizot all the joy lost office by diligently and boldly performwhich sober reflection on this subject can ing his duty, Lord Aberdeen determined to afford him. He may not, perhaps, be able retain it by doing nothing. That this was to get up the statistics of the question, and the rule by which he secretly shaped his determine how many Africans, men, wo- course, any one may convince himself who men, and children, were sacrificed to his will examine the history of the Peel adminignoble egotism; but when his approaching istration. Had it felt any solicitude for the retirement from office supplies him with the suppression of the slave-trade, it would innecessary leisure, he may, by instituting a stantly have applied to France to seal and careful inquiry into the matter, make some ratify the treaty which the malice of M. approximation towards the number of his Guizot had prevented the Whigs from convictims. cluding. There was now no obstacle in We have remarked already that the crim- their way. Their friend over the channel inal delay which took place in signing the would have been happy at once to pay them treaty of 1841, was not attributable alto- the compliment which he had reserved for gether to the French minister. The Tories them. The juncture was, in all respects, came into office on the 3rd of September, the most favorable that could have been and considering the lavish professions of desired. The French Chambers were not humanity which, as a party, they had for assembled. There was no particular exsome years been in the habit of making, citement in the country, so that the cabinet considering, too, that they have in their was quite free, as it was quite ready, to act

upon its own responsibility. But Lord was in preparation, the American ambassaAberdeen had adopted for his guidance the dor was constantly observed circulating to maxim, 'slow and sure,' though he has and fro between his own hotel and the resinever realized more than the first half of it; dence of the foreign minister, with the tip and, therefore, delayed above three months of a roll of manuscript frequently peeping to invite his friend, M. Guizot, to sign and forth from his pocket. Day after day they ratify the important treaty already so fre- were closeted for hours together, and the quently referred to. No objection was subject of their amicable discussion was, in made; and the Count St. Aulaire, in con- most cases, the treaty recently signed in junction with the ambassadors of Austria, London. M. Guizot laid open all the diffiPrussia, and Russia, readily affixed his sig-culties of his position to the American, nature to the document, on the 20th of December. Seven days after this act, the French Chambers assembled, and all the arts and resources of intrigue were called into play to prevent its ratification.

and, with those powers of logic which he must be acknowledged to have at his command, soon convinced him of two things; first, that it would be highly politic for General Cass to vulgarize and father M. Guizot's pamphlet; and, second, that it would be advantageous to both parties for him still to affect, some time longer, hostility to the slave-trade. Having thus come to an understanding, the two great diplomatists proceeded forthwith to play their respective parts-the American to get up a powerful and wide-spread agitation against the Right of Search, and the Frenchman gradually and gracefully to yield to the force of public opinion.

The United States had, at this period, in Paris, an ambassador congenial in feelings and principles to M. Guizot-we mean General Cass. It would betray us into too intricate a labyrinth of details, to explain all the secret manoeuvres of the diplomatic general, and the diplomatic Huguenot, who, about this time, labored strenuously in common, to attain an object ardently desired by both. They who have been accustomed to give M. Guizot credit for sincerely desiring the suppression of the slave-trade, Of conduct like this what shall we say? would be slow to conjecture what that ob- We know of no parallel to it in private life, ject was; though the peculiar character of save that of giving a bill with the determiAmerican diplomacy might, if carefully con- nation to dishonor it when it comes due. sidered, serve as an unerring index to the And what were the interests thus sported truth. M. Guizot had hitherto figured in with by pettifogging and profligate intrigu the political world as an ardent abolitionist, ers? No less than the interests of two and, as such, would undoubtedly have been great divisions of the earth. For if Africa lynched by General Cass, had he caught be depopulated by the nefarious traffic in him any where convenient' in the back- slaves, if her wild and ferocious hordes of woods. But the necessities of office, like heathens are plunged into a depth of barbathose of poverty, make men acquainted with rism and demoralization greater than that 'strange bed-fellows.' Thus, in the winter in which they were originally found, Amerof 1841-42 we find the abolitionist Guizot, ica, inhabited for the most part, by men and the anti-abolitionist Cass, without a calling themselves Christians, is no less single thought of lynching each other, cor- widely and profoundly demoralized by the dially co-operating together for the accom- servile population she receives, and the plishment of some common purpose. Their practices to which she is driven in order to numerous conferences soon proved prolific. hold them in subjection. Nor, in all probThe worthy general conceived the idea of ability, is this the whole of the penalty that becoming an author; and having been long she will be called upon to pay for the crime in labor with a manuscript, was at length of dealing in human beings. In the slaves delivered of it, and astonished the world that people her territories, she may reckon by the prodigious birth. It was a pamphlet so many enemies, who treasure up, and against the Right of Search. Every one transmit from father to son the debt of venwho knew the reputed author, felt surprised geance, which will be paid in blood and at the cleverness of his supposed production. slaughter at last. The history of ancient It was profoundly profligate, but became slavery furnishes what may possibly prove to popular in France through the dash of be a parallel case. For, in the course of genclever vulgarity which pervaded it. But erations, circumstances enabled the victims was General Cass really the author? The of oppression to turn their chains into horreader shall judge. While the pamphlet rid arms against their torturers, and to VOL. V.-No. I.

2

carry them away captive, and make them a single rush for popularity out of doors. servants of servants, till the whole detesta- For M. Guizot is not one of those who enble race was extinguished. Let America tertain any partiality towards the people, bear this fact in mind; far as she lies from or who would even take a single step to the great seats of civilization, punishment purchase their good opinion or co-operation, will sooner or later reach her. Providence so long as it might be possible to do withhas a long arm, and chastisement may come out it. But society is made up of shifting when she least expects it and is least pre- materials in France, and M. Guizot soon pared to ward off its consequences. And found that he could not afford to affect the what we say to America, we say to all stoic and despise popularity. He beheld those who aid and abet her in her crimes, forming in Paris, and throughout the kingwho, for money, or place, or authority, af- dom, a secret association, having for its obford facilities to the miscreants that prowl ject the maintenance of slavery. The about the African coast to kidnap the ig-germ of this infamous society is said to norant and helpless natives, and consign have been imported from Cuba, whose merthem to hopeless slavery in a distant part chants, together with those of Porto Rico, of the world, or to death in its most cruel collected by subscription a very large sum or revolting form on the middle passage. of money, and sent it by secret emissaries In this guilt our Tory rulers have largely to the French capital for the purpose of participated. We have proved, that, in the buying over the demagogues of the press autumn of 1841, they might easily have ob- and the Chambers, to get up, if possible, tained from France the ratification of the a national agitation against the Right of Right of Search treaty which would have Search. These public-spirited efforts compelled her to co-operate with us in put- quickly excited emulation among congenial ting down the infamous traffic. Bu they minds in France. The slave-merchants voluntarily allowed the opportunity to slip of Nantes and Bordeaux, and of every port by. Their friends and protégés across the in the kingdom, felt the most earnest symChannel would not at the moment referred pathy with the gentlemen of the Spanish to have refused them any thing, because West Indies, and by their contributions M. Guizot had not yet made the discovery, greaily enriched the fund destined to purthat more was to be gained by playing into chase logic and eloquence in the Parisian the hands of the United States, than by act- market, where both greatly abound, and are ing honorably towards Great Britain, and generally venal. keeping the faith which he had pledged. By these means a violent storm was soon M. Guizot when he first came to office, raised against the ministers, still supposed finding the Conversative party in great to be swayed by British influence, synonystrength, and generally disposed to promote mous in the case under consideration with a good understanding with England, con- the influence of virtue and morality. The tinued to take the same views on the Right hirelings of the press, and the hirelings of of Search as he had been in the habit of af- the Chambers, vied with each other in fecting for some years, regarding this step tempestuous patriotism. People on this as calculated to strengthen him in his posi- side of the Channel, not at all suspecting the tion. M. Thiers had fallen through the source of the inspiration, wondered at the prevalence of English influence. He had prodigious hatred which the mint-masters paid the penalty of seeking to bring about of public opinion in France had suddenly a rupture between the two countries. M. conceived for us. Every day our pride, Guizot understood this, and shaped his own our ambition and our perfidy were celebracourse accordingly. He systematically ted in a hundred journals, while the Chamseparated himself from all the partisans of bers rang with a succession of furious war, and studied with the greatest assiduity speeches all equally complimentary to our to discover fresh grounds upon which the character. It seemed that a moral epideminterests of the two countries might approx-ic had seized upon the inhabitants of imate and coalesce. At first he was ena-France. And this was actually the case; bled to avail himself of this element of for although the originators of the disease strength without sacrificing any other. introduced it, as smugglers do contraband That is to say, he could exhibit his leaning goods, for gain, the infection was soon towards England without diminishing his transmuted out of an artificial into a real support in the Chambers, and so long as one, and spread through the population this continued to be the case, he cared not more rapidly than the plague virus. To