The Ottoman Empire's objection was naturally useless. Everyone present was a European country.
Reshid Pasha had barely finished speaking when someone was ready to flip the table, but Viscount Stratford naturally wasn't about to let that happen.
So the latter practically repeated the former's words, and the cries for bloodshed immediately died down.
Duke Uvarov had seen what true shamelessness looked like. He was much calmer than the first time, but he still had to slap a big label on the other side.
"Viscount Stratford, are you defending the infidels?"
"No, I'm simply defending the truth."
Viscount Stratford's words nearly gave Duke Uvarov a fit. Prince Schwarzenberg had no choice but to smooth things over.
"Why don't we set aside our differences for now and move on to the next topic?"
It had never been realistic to expect the peace conference to produce results on its first day, so none of the parties dwelled on it.
After Austria and Russia, Britain should have spoken, but Viscount Stratford planned to save his comments for last, as a safety net.
Tocqueville faced an extremely awkward situation. On the one hand, he had to abide by the secret agreement with Britain; on the other, he had to find a way to secure benefits for France.
Worse, these so-called benefits would only become political capital for Louis Napoleon. And if he failed to secure enough to satisfy the nation's sentiment, the Party of Order would end up taking the blame.
"Our country will return Cyprus Island to the Ottoman Empire, but the latter must pay five million francs in reparations. It must also open all its ports to French merchants for free trade and grant them most-favoured-nation status.
"Furthermore, we need to reaffirm a right we have enjoyed since the time of Francis I: