. Outlines of nineteenth century history. he monar-chical restoration of 1815, the spiritwhich controlled the Congress ofVienna, was incarnate in the cele-brated Austrian minister, PrinceMetternich. Metternich hated the Revolu-tion, which to him was the spiritof evil let loose in the democratic spirit he declaredto be the spirit of disorder whichcould not fail to change daylight into darkest night. Thedemand of the people for a share in government he regardedas presumptuous, and was wholly convinced that any concessionto their demands could result in nothing save horrible confusionan
. Outlines of nineteenth century history. he monar-chical restoration of 1815, the spiritwhich controlled the Congress ofVienna, was incarnate in the cele-brated Austrian minister, PrinceMetternich. Metternich hated the Revolu-tion, which to him was the spiritof evil let loose in the democratic spirit he declaredto be the spirit of disorder whichcould not fail to change daylight into darkest night. Thedemand of the people for a share in government he regardedas presumptuous, and was wholly convinced that any concessionto their demands could result in nothing save horrible confusionand bloodshed. Metternichs system, therefore, was a system of repression. Hismaxim was, Let nothing be changed. A diplomatist of wonderfulastuteness, of wide experience, and possessed of an intimateknowledge of the public affairs of all Europe, Metternich ex-erted a vast influence upon the history of the years from 1815to 1848. This period might appropriately be called the Age ofMetternich. It was due largely to the Prince that during this. Fig. 1. — Prince Metternich.(From a painting by Sir Thomas Lawrence) METTERNICH AND THE HOLY ALLIANCE 7 period the old autocratic form of government prevailed so gen-erally in Europe. 4. Metternich and the Holy Alliance. — The activity of Met-ternich during the earlier portion of the period of his ascendancywas so closely connected with a celebrated league known as theHoly Alliance that we must here say a word respecting the originof this association. The Holy Alliance was a religious league formed just after thefall of Napoleon by the Tsar Alexander and having as its chiefmembers Russia, Austria, and Prussia. The ostensible object ofthe league was the maintenance of religion, peace, and order inEurope and the reduction to practice in politics of the maximsof Christ. The several sovereigns entering into the union prom-ised to be fathers to their people, to rule in love and with refer-ence solely to the promotion of the welfare of their sub
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