"I regret with my whole heart that my good intentions have been so misconstrued and rewarded by ingratitude; but, since I share this fate with the majority of mortals, I shall learn to console myself and by degrees forget what once I aimed at, in intercourse with congenial spirits. I shall accept the address of the Chamber to-morrow, a masterpiece of Phanariot perfidy, the contents of which will reach you through the papers. The only circumstance which can justify my acceptance of a document in which a legislative body dares to speak to the Sovereign of conditional allegiance is the serious financial situation of the country, threatened as it is by bankruptcy. Just as in private life the disapproval of an action can only affect the agent, so in this case the entire responsibility falls on the shoulders of those who do not understand how to honour the Prince whom they have themselves chosen--a man dishonours himself when he does not know how to respect that which he has himself created. "C." A series of passionate debates, which at times threatened to end in violence, resulted in a vote of no confidence in the Ministry on December 24. Prince Jon Ghika succeeded in forming what must under the circumstances be termed a strong Ministry, and declared that his policy lay in effecting a compromise between the Prince, who had lost all confidence in the country, and the representatives of the people. The North German Consul-General handed the following letter from Prince Bismarck to the Prince on January 19, 1871, dated from Versailles, January 10: "... I cannot form an opinion of the internal conditions of Roumania, nor of the means at the disposal of your Highness for conquering the prevailing difficulties and establishing your government on a secure footing. "I must assume that the impediments, due to the character and previous history of the nation, almost prohibit an orderly existence for the State, since the noble intentions and the pure ideals which animate your Highness have hitherto failed to create institutions which would assist the execution of your plans. Your Highness alone can judge whether any hope still exists that these institutions may yet be created.... "No matter what the causes are, nor how many misunderstandings and misrepresentations have contributed to the result, it is certain that the distrust of the Porte has not been allayed, and that it is still unconvinced that the union of the Principalities under the rule of your Highness is not dangerous to its suzerainty. Nor is it confident that the conditions, which might force your Highness to abdicate, will be more disquieting to the peace of the East than the present situation.