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208 G G FLORESCU 2

This community of interests expanding into a larger sphere, led also to the initiation of closer relations with otlier South-Eastern European States, both those which had already acąuired their independence and those which were still fighting to gain their national freedom. ¹

In promoting this policy of rapprochement, M. M. ObrenoYitsh, the ruling pnnce of Serbia, in a message to Alexandru Ioan Cuza, the ruling prince of the United Principalities, stressed the role and the importance of steadily strengthening the Romanian-Serbian relations, in these words : ** ... a yoir resserrćs nos liens personnels et d’amitió et plus efficaces les rapports qui existent dój a entre les Principautós-Unies et la Serbie, de meme qu’a contribuer au bien etre et au progrós des peuples ...”² Referring to the support awarded by the Principalities on the occasion of the transport of Serbian weapons across the Romanian territory, the Serbian Prince also emphasized : “Sa conduite <de Cuza> sanctionna les relations amicales des deux peuples que tant d’intćrets communs rendent solidaires ...”³

In his tura, the prince of the United Principalities pointed out the importance of the Romanian-Serbian relations, quoting the firm stand adopted in the question of the Serbian weapons : “Si cette situation prósentait quelque danger pour moi, au moins trouYais-je, en secondant les vues de V. A. S. (le Prince rógnant de Serbie), d’une prócieuse occasion d’affirmer 1’indópendance intórieure de la Roumanie et d’apprócier les puissantes sympathies qui nous sont acquises”.^{4 5 6}

The progressiYe Erench press, recording the real situation reigning in South Eastern Europę, confirmed : “La YÓritable sagesse consiste ... 4 faYoriser toutes les tentatiYes de gouYernement qui se font en orient” ; ⁷ and reeommended the policy to be pursued by Eranee underlining the leading role played by the Romanian State in the driYe for political freedom in this part of Europę : “Aucun óvónement ne saurait donc intóresser la politique franęaise a un plus haut degró, que les essais de gouYernement autonome qui se font a cette heure sur le bas Danube. La Roumanie semble chargee aujourd’hui de rópondre a cette question Yitale pour 1’Occident tout entier : Les populations chrótiennes de la Turquie d’Eu-rope sont-elles en ótat de se gouYerner elles-memes? Nous croyons qu’en

1

⁸ The Greek and the Bulgarian people, see p. 180, infra.

2

   The Serbian Pnnce to th* Prince of the United Principalities, Belgrade, August 13/25, 18G2, Library of the Academy of the Socialist Repubhc of Romania (henceforward ąuoted : Library of the Academy) MS section, Cuza Archwes, vol. X, sheet 267*.

3

   The Serbian Pnnce to the Prince of the United Principalities, Belgrade, October 14, 1863,

4

loc. cit., vol. XLVII, sheet 48^r.

5

⁴ Pnnce of the United Principalities to the Serbian Pnnce, Bucharest, January 31/Februa-

6

Ty 11, 1863, loc. cit., vol IV, sheet 88^r —88®.

7

• See “Opinion Nationale”, February 2, 1865.