Page:English Historical Review Volume 37.djvu/117

1922 AND THE CROWN OF GREECE, 1863 109 lency replied that the Emperor would see me with pleasure if I desired it, but His Imperial Majesty had spoken so positively that he could not encourage the supposition that there was at present any likelihood of his changing his mind. He added that the Emperor had ordered him to make known by telegraph to the Arch Duke Ferdinand Maximilian, which was already done, the answer he was to give me, and that he had also telegraphed to Count Apponyi. 1 However, Palmerston and Russell were not disposed to accept this refusal as final. On the 16th Russell again made use of the telegraph in order to forward a further instruction 2 to Bloomfield. The wording of this was : Ask Rechberg to procure an audience of the Emperor, or permission to address yourself directly to the Arch Duke Maximilian. Say that Her Majesty's Government have been greatly disappointed by the answer of Austria. King Otho and the Bavarian dynasty are excluded by a vote of the Greek assembly declaring the throne vacant, and the Bavarian dynasty cannot be restored by force, and never will be restored without force. An Austrian king might induce the Assembly to grant liberal terms to King Otho in respect of his private property. Any other prince to be chosen would be less favourable to Bavaria and the Arch Duke's refusal will not help the Bavarian dynasty. A treaty might be proposed to Bavaria after the recognition of a new king by Great Britain and France. These two Powers are quite agreed in wishing the Arch Duke to accept. It will be a happy termination of the difficulty in Greece if the Arch Duke can agree to accept if chosen. Acting on this instruction Bloomfield secured an audience of the emperor. This took place on 18 February and .forms the subject of the British ambassador's dispatch 3 no. 86 of the same date. This reads : I was summoned to the Palace at I o'clock this day and most graciously received. The Emperor at once commenced the conversation by desiring me to express to Her Majesty's Government his deep regret (desespoir was the word used) not to be able to meet their wishes that the Arch Duke Ferdinand Maximilian should become a candidate for the throne of Greece. His Imperial Majesty said he had immediately communicated to his brother the view he took of the proposal of Her Majesty's Government, and that the Arch Duke entirely adopted the reasons which had induced His Imperial Majesty to decline it. The Emperor continued that his rela- tions with the House of Bavaria rendered it totally impossible to entertain the project, that King Otho had not abdicated, and had not, according to the last information he had received from Munich, any intention of doing so. ' But ', I observed to His Imperial Majesty, ' the Greek Assembly has declared the throne vacant.' ' This might be,' replied the Emperor, but ' le cdte du droit est avec le Roi Othon ', and the principles of Austria's policy in this respect were unchanged. ' We stand by the rights of 1 Austrian ambassador at the court of St. James. 1 Foreign Office List, 7 : 648. * Ibid. 7 : 651.