More damaging to Britain than the comportment of her representatives was the policy they appeared to be pursuing. Britain had traditionally been perceived as a defender of liberty. Yet Castlereagh had not uttered a word in defence of the Poles, had never even considered restoring the republic of Venice, had just condemned the Genoese to Sardinian absolutism, and was now conspiring to dispossess the King of Saxony of his birthright and his subjects of their beloved sovereign.
