118 CAUSES INVOLVING FRANCE AND ENGLAND CHAP. X. Message fiom the French Kinperor to the Chanibeia. On the 27t]i of March a message from tlio Emperor of the French informed liis Senate and Legislative Assembly that the last determination of the Cabinet of St Petersburg had placed France and Eussia in a state of war. In his Speech from the Throne at the opening of the session* he had already declared that war was upon the point of commencing. 'To avoid a conflict,' he said, 'I ' have gone as far as honour allowed. Europe
- now knows that, if France draws the sword, it
- is because she is constrained to do so. Europe
' knows that France has no idea of aggrandisement; ' she only wishes to resist dangerous encroach- ' ments. The time of conquests has passed away, ' never to return. This policy has had for its ' result a more intimate alliance between England ' and France.' It is curious to observe that only a few hours after the time when England became inextricably engaged with him in a joint war against Eussia, and in the same speech in which he announced the fact, the French Emperor ac- knowledged the value and the practicability of the wholesome policy which he had just then superseded by drawing the Cabinet of London into a separate alliance with himself; but when lie was declaring, in words already quoted, that
- Germany had recovered her political indepen-
' dence, that Austria woiild enter into the alli- ' ance, and that the Western Powers would go to ' Constantinople along with Germany,' he had the happiness of knowing that the baneful sunnnons ' March 2.
