Old Days in Diplomacy
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OLD DAYS IN DIPLOMACY AV/VV//V, f /" //r/f/-/ff/// /t- '///VA' //;////<//? Old Days in Diplomacy Recollections of a Closed Century BY THE ELDEST DAUGHTER OF THE LATE Sir Edward Cromwell Disbrowe, G.C.G. EN. EX. MIN. PLEN. WITH A 1'REKACE }!Y M. Montgomery=Campbell SANS PEUR. ET SANS REPROCHE LONDON JARROLD & SONS, 10 & n, WARWICK LANE, E.G. [All Rights Reserved} 1903 cbtcafton TO The Honourable Mrs. Richard Boyle. (E. V. B.) To "E. V. R" My Dear Cousin, With your kind permission I dedicate to you these rambling recollections of the daughter of an old Diplomatist. Yours very affectionately, C A. A. DISBROWE. ERRATA. ige 54, line 15, for "officer" read '-that officer. 67, ,, 13, ,, -'Trinite" ,, Trinite.'V' >, 70, ., 27, ,, "ami" ,, '-ame.*' ,, 142, ,, 10, ,, "cut" "eat.'V ,,245, " ,,20,,. "PoflFerje",, Poffertje.'VX CONTENTS. PART I. CHAPTER PAGE PREFACE ... ... ... ... ... 9 I. EARLY MISSIONS OF SIR EDWARD CROMWELL DISBROWE, G.C.G. ... ... ... .... 2^ II. FROM THE PENINSULA TO ST. PETERSBURG ... 51 III. AT THE COURT OF ST. PETERSBURG ... ... 7! IV. DEATH OF THE EMPEROR ALEXANDER ... ... 89 v. SIR EDWARD'S MEMORANDUM OF THE CONSPIRACY OF 1825 ... ... ... ... ... 105 VI. CONCERNING THE DUKE OF WELLINGTON ... 115 VII. DEATH OF LADY STRANGFORD AND ARRIVAL OF THE DUKE OF DEVONSHIRE ... ... .... 127 VIII. MOSCOW AND THE CORONATION ... 136 IX. LORD HERTFORD AND THE GARTER ... ... 156 CONTENTS. PART II. CHAPTER PACK I. FROM WALTON TO W0RTEMBERG ... ... l66 II. MORE ABOUT STUTTGART . ... ... 176 III. AN ADVENTUROUS VOYAGE ... ... ... IQO IV. IN SWEDEN ... ... ... ... ... 2OI V. HOMEWARD BOUND ... ... ... ... 22O VI. THE NETHERLANDS ... ... ... ... 237 VII. MORE ABOUT THE HAGUE ... ... 2J2 VIII. EVENTS IN ROYAL CIRCLES ... ... ... 266 IX. COURT FESTIVITIES ... ... ... 283 X. THE YEAR OF REVOLUTIONS ... ... ... 298 XI. LAST DAYS AT THE HAGUE ... ... ... 307 PREFACE. HAVING had the privilege of being of some slight assistance to the authoress in preparing these most interesting reminiscences for the press, I am endeavouring, with her permission, to gather up diverse threads and to dwell on certain points in this preface which could not have been dealt with equally satisfactorily in footnotes. In the following pages, life at various foreign courts during the first half of the past century is brought before us in a series of realistic sketches, and in addition we are enabled to trace the diplomatic career of Sir Edward Cromwell Disbrowe from its eventful beginning amidst the storm and strife of 1810, to its peaceful ending at the Hague in 1851. To have been entrusted when still a mere youth with missions calculated to tax the powers of the most experienced of men, Sir Edward must have undoubtedly given early proof of very excep- tional abilities. Both when attached to Sir Charles Stuart during the Peninsular War, and later, when with Lord Cathcart and the Russian Headquarters, he was constantly the successful bearer of dispatches in circumstances of great danger and difficulty, and often found himself face to face with all the horrors io PREFACE. of war. It was thus in Southern Europe during Spain's gallant fight for freedom, and again in Germany, when the young diplomatist crossed the blood-stained field of Leipzic three days after the famous engagement. After following the allied armies to Paris, he was given the more peaceful post of Secretary of Legation at the Danish Court, yet here also great responsibilities, though of a different character from heretofore, were thrust upon him. Owing to the absence of the Minister, he was called upon to act as Charge d'Affaires. It seemed ever to be his destiny to be rewarded for work well done by fresh demands on his energy and capacity. The State papers relative to the Congresses of Vienna and Aix-la-Chapelle, which are embodied in this volume, give distinct indication of the confidence reposed in him by his various chiefs, by their singling him out to accompany them on occasions of such paramount importance. And this is fully confirmed by graphic touches in the faithful Eggert's letter concerning " " my gentleman's travels and undertakings. A further proof of the esteem in which Sir Edward or Mr. Disbrowe, as he then was was held by his official superiors, was his appointment as Minister Plenipotentiary and Envoy Extra- ordinary to the Court of St. Petersburg at a time when, as his daughter very justly points out, the slowness of international communication rendered it impossible for intricate questions, necessitating prompt action, to be referred to the authorities at home for their approval and sanction. PREFACE. it Lady Disbrowe's letters and Sir Edward's own memorandum deal with the remarkable events of the year 1825, including the conspiracy previous to the Accession of the Emperor Nicholas, an epoch to which reference has been made by various subse- quent writers as the period which marked, if not the birth of Nihilism, at least the first decisive mani- festation of a movement which has since left its mark on the history of the great Russian Empire. At the Court of the Netherlands, where he became so conspicuous a favourite and enjoyed the personal friendship of King William II., considerable demands were again made on Sir Edward's tact and power of reconciliation on his first arrival. This was owing to the strained relationship which had existed for some years between England and the Netherlands by reason of the different attitudes assumed by the two Courts in reference to, the Belgian revolution. Both the pacific nature of his influence and his thoughtful guardianship of British interests showed that he was fully equal to the occasion. Proof had already been given by the authorities at the Foreign Office of crediting him with skill in completing commercial treaties by his having been sent to Stockholm to negotiate a reconciliation between the French and Swedish Governments, in which he had been successful, and on which occasion he had been instructed to endeavour if possible to establish commercial relations with Sweden. In reference to this he " has himself left the following note : I had the good fortune to succeed, and obtained the approbation 12 PREFACE. both of the Foreign Office and the Board of Trade. I returned to Sweden in 1834 charged to negotiate a which circumstances but before I treaty, delayed ; left the country all the preliminary difficulties were got over and nearly so as affected Norway, and for the completion of the details a Norwegian pleni- potentiary followed me to London. On my arrival in Holland I was instructed if possible to engage the Dutch to enter into a commercial treaty, an attempt that had failed on several occasions. The result was the Treaty of Commerce and Navigation, which I signed in 1837, and which I am happy to be able to add has been found very beneficial to British navigation." During the years spent at the Hague (from 1836 to his death on October 29th, 1851), Sir Edward was actively employed in the negotiations for the twenty-four articles by which England, France, and Austria, guaranteed the Independence of Belgium, as also the Grand Duchy of Luxemburg and the Duchy of Limburg to the King of the Netherlands. He was still engaged in negotiations connected with the Dutch navigation laws, when death closed his life of unremitting effort and usefulness in the service of his country. From many letters in my own possession, I have been enabled to form a clear picture of the singular beauty of his character in private life, as a devoted husband and father, a good son and son-in-law, and faithful and devoted friend. In the Russian letters, of which it has often been only possible to produce extracts, it has been necessary almost entirely to omit the domestic side PREFACE. 13 for the sake of chronicling public events, and giving as much space as possible to descriptions of social life in St. Petersburg and Moscow at a very interesting period. Had it been possible to introduce many of the more homely touches contained in these letters, it would have been seen that his loyal devo- tion to public duties never caused Sir Edward to forget his little girls, left at Walton Hall, that he sent them tender messages in every letter, and that the question of effecting a reunion with dear ones at home was ever in his thoughts as in those of his wife. It was a sore trouble to them both that the uncertainty of the length of their stay in Russia made it a question of constant discussion as to whether their children should be brought to join them or not. One delightful touch of domesticity I cannot omit. Writing to his father-in-law, and " speaking of his own dear babes," Sir Edward adds : " But I must not talk or write of them, I hardly dare trust myself. How delighted they seem to have been with their work-boxes and so delightful also. I am now looking forward with pleasure to hearing how they received my little present of combs and brushes for their dolls. The dressing-case is quite my idea." Of the impressions made on a wider circle by Sir Edward's life, the following extract from a Hague paper, dated November 2nd, 1851, gives a clear impression. From supplementary evidence it is easy to gather that it was written in all sincerity, and it corroborates how truly worthy he was of the respect and reverence with which his daughters cherish his memory : i 4 PREFACE. "The Demise of His Excellency, Sir Edward C. Disbrowe, Envoy Extraordinary and Minister Plenipotentiary of H.M. the Queen of Great Britain, has awakened universal regret.