Conversation Was Never More
Interesting Than Just Now, In This Great Crisis Of The World's
Affairs.
Mr. Emerson was here and seemed to enjoy [it] much.
Friday, March 17th
Things look rather darker in France, but we ought not to expect a
republic to be established without some difficulties. . . . You
cannot judge of the state of France, however, through the medium of
the English newspapers, for, of course, English sympathies are all
entirely against it. They never like France, and a republic of any
kind still less. A peaceful and prosperous republic in the heart of
Europe would be more deprecated than a state of anarchy. The
discussion of French matters reveals to me every moment the deep
repugnance of the English to republican institutions. It lets in a
world of light upon opinions and feelings, which, otherwise, would
not have been discovered by me.
Sunday, March 19th
Yesterday we breakfasted at Mrs. Milman's. I was the only lady, but
there were Macaulay, Hallam, Lord Morpeth, and, above all, Charles
Austin, whom I had not seen before, as he never dines out, but who
is the most striking talker in England. He has made a fortune by
the law in the last few years, which gives him an income of 8,000
pounds. He has the great railroad cases which come before the House
of Lords. . . . On Tuesday came a flying report of a revolution in
Berlin, but no one believed it. We concluded it rather a
speculation of the newsmen, who are hawking revolutions after every
mail in second and third editions. We were going that evening to a
SOIREE at Bunsen's, whom we found cheerful as ever and fearing no
evil. On Monday the news of the revolution in Austria produced a
greater sensation even than France, for it was the very pivot of
conservatism. . . . On Thursday I received the letter from A. at
eight A.M., which I enclose to you. It gives an account of the
revolution in Berlin.
LETTER: To T.D.
March 31
The old world is undergoing a complete reorganization, and is
unfolding a rapid series of events more astonishing than anything in
history. Where it will stop, and what will be its results, nobody
can tell. Royalty has certainly not added to its respectability by
its conduct in its time of trial. Since the last steamer went,
Italy has shaken off the Austrian yoke, Denmark has lost her German
provinces, Poland has risen, or is about to rise, which will bring
Russia thundering down upon Liberal Europe. . . . Our whole
Diplomatic Corps are certainly "in a fix," and we are really the
only members of it who have any reason to be quite at ease. Two or
three have been called home to be Ministers of Foreign Affairs, as
they have learned something of constitutional liberty in England.
England is, as yet, all quiet, and I hope will keep so, but the
Chartists are at work and Ireland is full of inflammable matter.
But England does love her institutions, and is justly proud of their
comparative freedom, and long may she enjoy them.
Enter page number
PreviousNext
Page 48 of 60
Words from 24351 to 24870
of 30995
