Page:English Historical Review Volume 37.djvu/118

 110 ARCHDUKE FERDINAND MAXIMILIAN January sovereigns and their dynasties ', and as to the kingdom of Greece itself, he could assure me he entirely approved the policy pursued by Austria when the monarchy was created. I here observed that it was no longer a question of creation but of continuation, and that it was with this view Her Majesty's Government were anxious to see placed upon the throne of Greece a sovereign connected with this great and powerful Empire who would be able to assist in the development of its resources and in whose hands the Ionian Islands would be safe. His Imperial Majesty replied that he had deeply considered the whole bearings of the question, and he had been glad to have time to do so before seeing me, but he must inform me he could not depart from his original impression, though he should have been glad to do what was agreeable to Her Majesty's Government, with whom it was his most earnest desire to act in strict concert on all questions, especially those concerned with the East, but to entertain the proposal of which I was the bearer would only be to create new difficulties for Austria. She was unpopular at Athens. Russia and Italy were incessantly at work endeavouring to counteract the influence of Austria in Greece and its dependencies ; would they not be violently opposed to the establishment of an archduke as sovereign ? ' Besides,' said His Imperial Majesty, ' you must permit me to observe it is not very flattering, after proposals of this kind have been bandied about Europe, that the archduke should have been thought of when all else had failed.' Had the proposal been made immediately after the Queen had declined the offer of the throne to Prince Alfred, a determina- tion on the part of Her Majesty which he should always regret, it certainly would have been much more agreeable to him. I here said that I was not aware that Her Majesty's Government had made any communication except to King Ferdinand of Portugal and to the Duke of Coburg, and that although His Imperial Majesty objected to the present proposal, I begged leave to draw his attention to the political advantage which the possession of the throne of Greece by an archduke would procure to Austria in all questions connected with the East, to say nothing of that which would be derived from the annexation of the Ionian Islands, and that if an archduke were sitting upon the Greek throne, more favourable terms would be obtainable in respect to the private property of King Otho, and other Bavarian interests. The Emperor answered that he could only repeat his regret to be unable to entertain the proposal which had been submitted to him, that he must decline it for the reasons he had already given ; moreover it included a question of Right and Principle, and that he could not depart from the established policy of his Government in such cases, whilst the sentiments of his own honour and dignity prevented him from considering a project in which the immediate interests of the House of Bavaria were so deeply concerned. Some further details relative to this audience are contained in a private letter * which Lord Bloomfield addressed to Russell on 19 February. He here says : From the first words of Count Rechberg on the subject, I feared the project 1 Foreign Office List, 356 : 38.