Page:The invasion of the Crimea vol. 2.djvu/108

 78 CAUSES INVOLVING !■ RANCH AND KNGLAXD CHAP, war's sake, Austria, from motives of a liigher and '__ more cogent sort (for she saw her interests vitally touched, and her safety threatened), was eager and determined to take such steps as might be needed for delivering the Principalities. Prussia agreed with her. It was nothing but the impa- tience and forwardness of France and England which relieved Austria from the necessity of taking the lead ; for the wrong which had to be redressed was one from which she of all the great Powers was the most a sufferer ; and she had the concurrence of Prussia not only in regard to the existing state of things, but even as to the ulterior objects of the war which her resolve might bring upon Germany. Proofs of The proofs of all this abound. By the repeated tliis drawn t ■■, ^ ii jii from trans- words of respousiblc statesmen, by despatches, by actions ante- riortothe collcctive notcs, by protocols, by solemn treaty of Speech. offensive and defensive alliance against Pussia, by peremptory summons addressed to the Czar, and, finally (so far as concerns Austria), by the application of force, the German I*owers disclosed and executed their policy ; and the policy which they so disclosed and executed was the same policy as had been avowed by the Western Powers. It has been seen that in that early period of the troubles, when the Czar had scarce yet crossed the Pruth, Austria took upon herself to endeavour to form a league for forcing the Czar to relinquish the Principalities;* and from that hour down to • ' Invasion of the Ciiniea,' vol, i. pp. 208 ami 210 of Cab- iu'it Eilition.