Page:Coubertin - France since 1814, 1900.djvu/95

 The presence of such men was a certain pledge that nothing would be done contrary to the Charter; and, indeed, Polignac meditated no illicit adventure of the kind. In a beatitude of self-satisfaction he imagined that, on the contrary, he had united these discordant elements very skilfully ; and he dreamed, moreover, of accomplishing great things abroad. In fact, the situation was unique. After the Treaty of Adrianople, signed on the 14th of September (1829), the alliance of France was simultaneously solicited by Russia and by England, then in agreement with Austria. We were in a position to choose, with the certainty that on either side we had an equal chance of a speedy amendment of the treaties of 1815. The taking of Algiers somewhat strained our relations with England ; so it was towards Russia that our policy had to incline. To do Polignac justice he felt this, and prepared to act accordingly. As for the King, in the joy of possessing a Ministry after his own heart, he asked nothing but that it might last, and he was ready, if necessary, to sacrifice the ideas if he could only keep the men of his choice.

But the nation could not be expected to