The Congress of Vienna 59
Switzerland was strengthened by the addition of new cantons
and was neutralized by the common agreement of the pow-
ers. It is perfectly evident to-day that although the neutral-
ity of Switzerland has never been violated, she owes vastly
more to the almost impregnable nature of her mountain
fastnesses, especially under the conditions of modern war,
and more still to the well-organized character of her militia,
than she does to this idea of neutralization from which the
Congress of Vienna expected so much. It is very difficult to
see what rights neutralization has ever given to Switzerland,
or to Belgium, or to Luxemburg which these states do not
have both in morality and in law as simple members of the
family of nations. Sovereignty was destroyed or lessened in
certain very definite respects and nothing of value added in
its place. The world will never be safe for a formally
neutralized state until it is also safe for every independent
and reasonably orderly state, however small or weak.
In a great many ways the union of Belgium and Holland
under one monarch and one government was the most inter-
esting territorial experiment originated at Vienna. How
completely would the success of that one arrangement have
changed the whole future history of Europe and even of the
world 1 Our diplomats thought that they had created a rich,
strong state, endowed with a glorious colonial empire, popu-
lated by a thrifty, courageous, and energetic people. One
might imagine that when they created this new state they
were not trying to place a protection in front of weak and
defenceless Prussia against the aggression of fierce, warlike,
aggressive France, the lustre of whose military prowess was
scarcely dimmed even in this most glorious of all defeats; but
rather that with prophetic eye they peered through the misty
depths of one hundred crowded years to the time when this
same Low Country, with all the agricultural wealth of Hol-