Page:The invasion of the Crimea vol. 2.djvu/166

 13G CAUSES INVOLVING FKANCE AND ENGLAND CHAP, belief that she would never take up sueli a ground ^^" as might enable Austria to act freely on her southern frontier, and so drive him out of the Principalities. And although, until after the outbreak of the war between Paissia and the Western Powers, Prussia did not at all hang back,* it is nevertheless true that the Czar's policy was shaped upon a knowledge of the King's weak nature. Therefore the temperament and mental quality of the Prussian monarch must be reckoned among the causes of the war. Prussia also, in the same degree as Austria, must bear the kind of repute that was entailed upon her by the conduct of her Secretary of Lega- tion at St Petersburg, for he also sanctioned by liis presence the thanksgivings oli'ered up for Sinope. Another fault attributable to Prussia was her invincible love of metaphysical or rather mere verbal refinenients. When this form of human error is brought into politics it chills all human sympathies, and tends to bring a country into contempt, by giving to its policy the bitter taste of a theory or a doctrine, and so causing it to be misunderstood. An instance of this vice was given by the First jMinister of the Prussian Crown, in a speech of great moment which he aildressed to the Lower Chamber on the 18th of March 1854, After an abundance of phrases of a pacilic tendency. Baron ^Manteuffel said that Prussia was resolved ' faithfully to aid any menil)C!r of the Confedera- • The state of Wiir began on the 19th of Jlarcli. Prussia first began to bang back about the 21st of July. See ante.