Theodore Martin

“ The 25th of March, 1642, came, and not a single commissioner made his appearance either at Münster or Osnabrück. The possibility of arranging political and religious dissensions in this novel manner seemed not to be believed as yet at any of the European Courts, and suspicion was still as rife as ever. On the part of the people, however, the cry for peace had by this time become all-powerful; it was twenty-four years now since the most hideous war that the world had seen since Attila’s times had begun to ravage Europe, threatening the destruction of all civilisation. ”

“ But nobody came; the idea of a peace-congress being entirely new to the political mind of the rulers of Europe, and even suspected by some as a snare to entangle them into fresh aggressive alliances. France, above all, held the proposed Congress at Cologne to be, as her prime minister expressed it, “un piège pour la séparer de ses alliés;” and to prevent any possible evil effects, the same statesman invited Sweden to a counter meeting at Hamburg, where, after some delay, the representatives of those two powers met in 1638. ”

“ The whole policy of Europe had, indeed, become changed by the accession of Charles; for, instead of the preponderance of France, it seemed that it was now that of Austria which was chiefly threatening the Balance of Power. Consequently, in less than a month after the death of Kaiser Joseph, overtures for peace were made to Louis XIV., both by Great Britain and Holland; and the preliminary conditions having been accepted by the French monarch, at the beginning of 1711, a general meeting of the belligerent powers was fixed to take place in the course of the same year. ”

“ There is nothing apparently more simple; and yet, unfortunately, history does not inform us of its having been acted on generally. The word Congress does not occur in the annals of Europe till about the beginning of the sixteenth century, when the ambassadors of the Pope, the Kaiser, the kings of France and of Arragonia, and other princes, assembled at Cambray to devise the best scheme for despoiling the flourishing republic of Venice. To make war, therefore, was the first object for which the plenipotentiaries of various States met together in council ”

“ The whole civilised world soon began gazing with wonder and astonishment at this galaxy of distinguished men, curious beyond expression, whether they would succeed in solving the great and unusual task which they had undertaken. ”

“ Of the hundred or more commissioners present at the Congress of Münster and Osnabrück, not more than one-tenth seemed to have been really inclined for peace, or to have had bonâ fide instructions to conclude it; and among this minority there were, as it turned out, not more than two persons energetic enough as well as willing to meet the host of silent or open adversaries. ”

“ On this, the French commissioners, in a note dated January 3, 1798, demanded the immediate interference of the German Diet, declaring that if Russia were allowed to occupy the territory of the empire without being seriously opposed by troops, this would be regarded as a breach of neutrality, and, as a first consequence, the Congress would be broken up immediately. The message spread general consternation among the envoys of the smaller German States, all of them sincerely desirous of peace; and they replied that they would remit directly the demand in question to the Diet. ”

“ The British commissioners, who had more pressing instructions for hastening on the desired peace than any of the other envoys, were greatly irritated at this unwarranted delay, and to make up for lost time, they soon after directed a kind of ultimatum to the French, Dutch, and Austrian plenipotentiaries, submitting final propositions. To these the first two powers assented; but the Kaiser being as reluctant as ever to come to terms, it was determined finally to leave him to his fate, and to make peace without him. ”

“ However, to us now, who look through the vista of two centuries at the meeting of Münster and Osnabrück, this delay, long though it was, will not appear surprising, seeing that this first of modern European congresses had to solve problems more gigantic than any which had ever before occupied the attention of statesmen and philosophers. A religious as well as political war of unheard-of duration had shaken the whole of Central Europe to its very base ”

“ This was in the spring of 1709, after the War of Succession had been raging for about eight years, extending over the whole of Spain, Italy, Germany, and Holland. France was very much weakened at this time, and the nation grew clamorous for peace; but the allied Powers being far less exhausted, and feeling themselves in the ascendent, believed themselves to be justified in refusing the conditions offered by De Torcy, in consequence of which Louis XIV. most reluctantly had to begin the struggle again. Fortune now favoured him anew, if not on the field, at least in the Cabinet ”

“ On the morning of that day the French and Swedish ministers, accompanied by the commissioners of most of the other states, rode in solemn procession to the palace occupied by the imperial envoys at Osnabrück, and appended their signatures to the instrument of peace; this being accomplished, the ambassadors of the Kaiser, in their turn, proceeded to the residences of the representatives of France and Sweden, and went through the same formality. ”

“ The Protestant and Catholic states of the Empire to be on a footing of perfect equality, and all past offences to be extinguished by a complete amnesty on both sides, extending to princes as well as subjects. ”

“ This change seemed to be at first very successful in accelerating the negotiations; and already was the draught of a complete treaty of peace drawn up between the plenipotentiaries, when suddenly the news reached Rastadt that the Czar of Russia had declared war on France, and that a body of 25,000 Russians, commanded by Prince Ferdinand of Wurtemberg, had already crossed the frontier and arrived, November 26, 1798, at Brünn, in Moravia. ”