Page:English Historical Review Volume 37.djvu/116

108 ARCHDUKE FERDINAND MAXIMILIAN January Their first step was to try to ascertain the views of Napoleon III, and the first document dealing with the negotia- tion is the copy of a telegram l from Russell to Earl Cowley, the British ambassador in Paris, dated 11 February 1863. This reads, ' Would the Emperor of the French support the Archduke Maximilian for the throne of Greece ? ' On the following day Russell sent a second telegram 2 to Cowley : ' Act upon my instruction of yesterday. The Archduke Maximilian has no children, but might adopt an heir who would embrace the Greek church.' At 7 p.m. on the 14th Cowley was able to reply : 3 ' The Emperor is quite favorable to the Arch Duke Maximilian.' Meanwhile earlier in this day (14 February) Russell had communicated by telegram with Lord Bloomfield, the British ambassador in Vienna. The message 4 read : Endeavour to ascertain whether the Arch Duke Maximilian, the brother of the Emperor, would accept the crown of Greece. Speak to Rechberg 5 and if necessary to the Emperor on the subject. 'The Arch Duke would have all the influence of England in his favour and Her Majesty's Government would consider the Ionian Islands 6 safe in his hands. On the 15th, having now received Cowley's reply, Russell was able to send a further telegram to Vienna informing Bloomfield that ' The emperor of the French is quite favorable to the Arch Duke Maximilian '. Having now launched their project the British cabinet were not left long in ignorance of its fate. During the evening of 15 February, Bloomfield forwarded to Russell the following telegraphic dispatch : 7 The Emperor, deeply penetrated at this proof of friendship and con- fidence on the part of the Queen and Her Majesty's Government, regrets that it is not in his power to accept the proposal that the Arch Duke Ferdinand Maximilian should become a candidate for the throne of Greece. I communicated the substance of your lordship's telegram last night to Count Rechberg. His Excellency has just given me the above answer, and on my asking the reason why the Emperor declined the offer, he answered that the relations of His Imperial Majesty with the House of Bavaria rendered it impossible, and that a communication had been lately received from Munich, showing the fixed determination of the Bavarian dynasty not to resign their claims to the Greek throne. I then enquired if the Emperor would be disposed to grant me an audience, that perhaps His Imperial Majesty would reconsider his decision. His Excel- 1 Foreign Office List, 27 : 1477. 2 Ibid. 27 : 1477. 3 Ibid. 27 : 1486. 4 Ibid. 1 : 648. 5 Count Rechberg was the Austrian minister for foreign affairs. 8 The British government had already decided to terminate their occupation of the islands, as the islanders were desirous of becoming members of the kingdom of Greece. 7 Ibid. 7 : 651.