The way in which Austria had hoodwinked the Western negotiators, and
played into the hands of Russia, became at last evident; and Lord John
Russell was forced to leave the English ministry. There were other
results of the conference, and these rapidly developed themselves. It
was no doubt a conviction on the part of the Russian government that its
duplicity throughout these negotiations, and its falsehood in accepting
as a basis the four points, had deprived it of all moral influence
in Europe, that led to the crafty and deceptive circular of Count
Nesselrode, already referred to, in which he sought to persuade the
world that Russia was--as some of the English peace lecturers frequently
represented--a most ill-used nation. If no other result than that of
unmasking Russia--even to the Peelites and their supporters--were
attendant upon those conferences, it was so much gained for the prospect
of a more united public opinion in England. But these negotiations tore
the mask from Austria; she was evidently not an ally of the Western
powers, but an accomplice of the foe; she dreaded Russia, but she was
still more afraid of France.
When the people of the united kingdom and their representatives in the
commons had time to review all these things, the outcry against Lord
John Russell was as great as it had been before against Lord Aberdeen.
The popular voice stopped the pens and silenced the tongues of the
diplomatists, and negotiations gave place to fierce and sanguinary war.
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