A war might solve the unionist problem which was insoluble in time of peace; and a _casus belli _was at hand.
[Footnote 21: Bismarck, _Reminiscences_, vol.ii.pp.

41, 57 (Eng.
edit.).] [Footnote 22: _Ib._ p.

58.] Early in July 1870, the news leaked out that Prince Leopold of Hohenzollern was the officially accepted candidate for the throne of Spain, left vacant since the revolution which drove Queen Isabella into exile in 1868[23].

At once a thrill of rage shot through France; and the Duc de Gramont, Foreign Minister of the new Ollivier Ministry, gave expression to the prevailing feeling in his answer to a question on the subject in the Chamber of Deputies (July 6):-- [Footnote 23: The ex-queen Isabella died in Paris in April 1904.] We do not think that respect for the rights of a neighbouring people [Spain] obliges us to allow an alien Power [Prussia], by placing one of its princes on the throne of Charles V., to succeed in upsetting to our disadvantage the present equilibrium of forces in Europe, and imperil the interests and honour of France.

We have the firm hope that this eventuality will not be realised.