[Footnote 26:  In a recent work, Kaiser Wilhelm und die Begruendung des Reichs, 1866-1871, Dr. Lorenz tries to absolve Bismarck from complicity in these intrigues, but without success.  See Reminiscences of the King of Roumania (edited by S. Whitman), pp. 70, 86-87, 92-95; also Headlam’s Bismarck, p. 327.]

Such was the state of the case when the affair became known to the Ollivier Ministry.  Though not aware, seemingly, of all these details, Napoleon’s advisers were justified in treating the matter, not as a private affair between the Hohenzollerns and Spain (as Germans then maintained it was) but as an attempt of the Prussian Government to place on the Spanish throne a prince who could not but be friendly to the North German Power.  In fact, the French saw in it a challenge to war; and putting together all the facts as now known, we must pronounce that they were almost certainly right.  Bismarck undoubtedly wanted war; and it is impossible to think that he did not intend to use this candidature as a means of exasperating the French.  The man who afterwards declared that, at the beginning of the Danish disputes in 1863, he made up his mind to have Schleswig-Holstein for Prussia[27], certainly saw in the Hohenzollern candidature a step towards a Prusso-Spanish alliance or a war with France that might cement German unity.

[Footnote 27:  Busch, Our Chancellor, vol. i. p. 367.]

In any case, that was the outcome of events.  The French papers at once declaimed against the candidature in a way that aroused no less passion on the other side of the Rhine.  For a brief space, however, matters seemed to be smoothed over by the calm good sense of the Prussian monarch and his nephew.  The King was then at Ems, taking the waters, when Benedetti, the French ambassador, waited on him and pressed him most urgently to request Prince Leopold to withdraw from the candidature to the Spanish Crown.  This the King declined to do in the way that was pointed out to him, rightly considering that such a course would play into the hands of the French by lowering his own dignity and the prestige of Prussia.  Moreover, he, rather illogically, held the whole matter to be primarily one that affected the Hohenzollern family and Spain.  The young prince, however, on hearing of the drift of events, solved the problem by declaring his intention not to accept the Crown of Spain (July 12).  The action was spontaneous, emanating from Prince Leopold and his father Prince Antony, not from the Prussian monarch, though, on hearing of their decision, he informed Benedetti that he entirely approved it.