Rassegna storica del Risorgimento

760
Kenneth Bourne
This convictiou puts in a clearer liglit his polìcy towards the quarrcl for it shows that his anxiety uot to hecome involved in it was based lese upou his fear of war than upon the fear of being dragged iuto any negotiations about Rome. Stanley was right about the course of events for the expeot-ed clash between the Frcnch and Italiau troops in papal territory did not materialise.
Stanley conld not avert the direct French approach but he was able to delay his conscnt on the grounds that some firm basis for the conference must first be agrecd upon.*) In the interval he concerted with Bismarck so that the Protestant Powers should present a united front of opposition to Mou-stier's proposal. He already knew that Bismarck had no wish to he called in to repair the mistakes of others 2) so Stanley knew that they would bet­ween them be able to escape Napoleon's web. Stanley's policy was essen-tially cautious but that his Government's sympathies lay with Italy was ma de clear by the reference to her quarrel with France in the Queen's Ad-dress to ParKament on 19 November. 8) Together Stanley and Bismarck based their arguments against the conference on the necessity of a prior agree­ment on its terms and these the Eraperor dared not provide; for, evcn if the conference were successfui, he would then stili, in the eyes of Italian patriots and French Catholics, bear the responsibility, as its author, for a settlement which must disappoint the extreme desircs of both parties. He could not himself propose the bascs for the conference and he could not persuade anyone else to undertake that task. This refusai confused Stanley but his guesses carne near to the truth (Document VII). The idea of a conference was ai-ready doomed whén, on 5 Deccmber. Thiers forced Rouher to declare that Italy would never have Rome. That declaration more than anything else convinced Stanley that his policy was cminently justified (Document Vili).
KENNETH BOUHNE
DOCUMENTS
I. Lord Stanley to Lord Bloomfield, British Ambassador in Vienna, private, 1 August 1866, Bloomfield Papers, F. 0. 356/33.
... If they [the Italian Government] have senso, they will not press their ad-vantage too eagerly, France is against them, Prussia has gol ali that site cares jor. English sympathies are on their side, but England is a long voay off, and does not as they know mean to interfere aetìvely. I cannot but consider the peace as made, ali signs to the contrary nottoithstanding.
il Lord Stanley to Lord Lyon, Britìsli Ambassador ni Paris, no; 17, 4 November 1867, F. O. 27/1655. J
2) Lord Lotta, Britisb Ambussador in Berlin, to Lord Stanley, no. 456, 2 Novem­ber 1867, F. 0. 64/624.
3) Banssrd, Parliamenlary Debaias, Tbird Serica, CXG, 4.