"God bless you, my dear Lord. I hope to reach England before
October, and am ever your most faithful friend and servant,
"EXMOUTH."
THE HOLY ALLIANCE (1816).
=Source.=--_Annual Register, 1816._
The hon. member rose to move for the production of a copy of the
treaty concluded at Paris on September 26th between Austria,
Russia, and Prussia. By the tenor of this treaty, expressed in the
most devout and solemn language, the three potentates, members of
three different Christian churches, declared in the face of the
world their resolution both in the administration of their own
states, and in their political relations with other Governments,
to take for their sole guide the precepts of the holy religion
taught by our Saviour. In consequence, they signed an agreement
to three articles, the first of which bound them to a fraternity
of mutual friendship and assistance, and the common protection of
religion, peace and justice, which in the second was explained in
a kind of mystical strain, to notify that they regarded themselves
as delegated by Providence to govern three branches of one and the
same Christian nation, of which the Divine Being under his three
characters was the sole real sovereign; and the third declared a
readiness to receive into this holy alliance all the powers who
should solemnly avow the sacred principles which had dictated it.
Politicians were much at a loss to conceive the occasion and
purpose of a treaty, at the same time so serious and so indefinite,
which appeared to bind the subscribers to nothing more than to
act upon those general principles which, as Christian princes,
they had always held forth as the rule of their conduct. It was
understood that its immediate cause was an impression made upon the
mind of the emperor Alexander, whose peculiar zeal in the project
was displayed by a manifesto issued on Christmas day, and signed
by his own hand, in which he made public the engagement which the
three powers had entered into, and which he interpreted to be a
reciprocal league of peace and amity upon Christian principles for
the general good.
_Mr. Brougham_ prefaced his motion with reasons why he thought it
material that inquiry should be made respecting the above treaty,
instancing the circumstances of its having been contracted by
three powers, our allies, without our participation; of its having
received the signatures of the sovereigns themselves, whereas all
other treaties had been ratified by the medium of diplomatic
agents; of being apparently uncalled for, since the attachment
of the contracting parties to the Christian religion had never
been questioned. He adverted to the union of the same powers for
the partition of Poland, on which occasion the empress Catherine
had employed in the proclamations language similar to that of the
treaty.
He concluded by moving an address to the Prince Regent, that he
would be pleased to give directions that a copy of the treaty would
be laid before the House.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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