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habitent les yilleSj mais meme l’śvacuation complóte des forteresses et leur destruction a 1’instar de celles des Principautśs”.¹⁰

The common position adopted by Romania and Serbia towards the Porte caused diplomatic circles in Constantinople to raise the ques-tion : “S’il n’y a pas des traitćs entre les deux Princes, les Princes de Principautós-Unies et de Serbie contrę 1’autoritó de la Sublime Porte”.^{1 2}

A French newspaper emphasized the importance of these actions, aiming at the same objective : “. . . Je jour ou les populations de la pś-ninsule des Balcans se leyeront d’un commun accord, 1’empire turę tremblera sur sa base fragile et finira par crouler si personne ne le sou-tient”.¹²

The fight against the Hapsburgian rule constituted a common aim of both the United Principalities and Serbia. Immediately after the dual election of January 1859, the goyernment of the United Principalities set the freedom of Transylvania¹³ as its chief prospectiye political aim. V. Alecsandri, who had been specially sent by the Prince Cuza to Napoleon III, in February 1859, proposed the formation of the Romanian State, by the union of the Romanian provinces still under foreign rule with the United Principalities. ¹⁴ Austria maintained the same hostile attitude towards the national unification of both Romania and Serbia, deeming it a dangerous preeedent for the futurę orientation of the Southern Slavs under Austrian domination.¹⁵

1

¹⁰    See C. Negri to Cuza, Constantinople, January 8/20, 1862, Library of the Acade-my MS Section, Cuza Archwcs, vol I, sheet 301^r.

2

   See Serbian agent at the Porte to the Serbian Minister for Foreign Affairs, June 1, 186$ (old style) — copy — Archwes of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Socialist Republic of Romania, vol 278, sheet 40^r (henceforward ąuoted MAE).

¹²    See “Courrier de Marseille”, Apnl 30, 1864 With regard to the fact that Transyl-vania represented an integral part of the national State of Romania, just as Lombardia and Veni-ce were parts of the national State of Italy, the remarks — included in Ganbaldi’s correspon-dence — ąuoting J. A. Vaillant, an expert on the political affairs of the Principalities — are of special mterest • “D*une part, les Roumains, d’en-deęa les Carpates, se trouvent vis-&-vis de la Hongne, comme 1’ćtait, naguere, la Lombardie, et comme Test encore Vemse, vis-&-vis de TAutnche; d*une part, les Roumains des Prmcipautes-Unies sont et demeurent, vis-£-vis de leurs frfcies, d’en-deęa les monts, dans la position ou se trouvait nagufere le Pićmont vis-5-vis le Milanais, la Vćn6tie et les autres £tats de 1* Italie ; leur devoir est donc de les soutenir* leur intćrćt de s’umr & eux, et leur droit de profiter de cette occasion qui leur permettra de róaliser tout ou partie de leurs vceux” (See J A. Vaillant to General Garibaldi, Pans, November 27, 1861, year unknown, p 7)

¹⁵ See Istoria Romdniei (History of Romania), vol IV, Ed Acad. R P.R , Bucharest, 1964, p 335

¹⁴ See V. Alecsandri, Extras din istoria misulor mele pohtice Napoleon. Trel audienfe fn palatul Tuilerulor. (Abstract from the history of my political missions. Napoleon. Three au-diences at the Tuilleries Pałace) in “Convorbiri literare^ (Literary talks), XII (1878), Ed Acad. R P.R , 1960, p 391—405 See also D. Bcrindci, Quelques aspects de la pohtiąue ttrangłrc des PrincipauUs Unieś • le problime de Vindependance et de l*unite pleine et cntiłrc du peuple roumain (1859—1861) in “Nouvelles ćtudes d’histoire”, II, publiees & Toccasion du XI^e Congrćs des Sciences histonąues — Stockholm, 1960, Bucharest, Ed Acad. R.P R , 1960, p. 391 — 405.

¹¹ See N. Iorga_t Politica Austriacó fató. de Serbia (Austriak policy towards Serbia),. Bucharest, 1925, p. 32, 35—37.