POTTER United Families

provisional state, led by Leopold, like by William. Established power
in Belgium would jeopardize her projects.”
The great powers had contacted Belgium on November 4, Louis’
lawyer signed Protocol One on November 10. Louis resigned from
the Government three days after the document was signed, and the
subsequent management of Belgium's foreign affairs by the National
Congress, relieved him of any blame connected with this agreement.
Also, the actual armistice was discreetly signed on December 15, after
he had quit his first-line position.
The London Conference's disadvantages could not be fully assessed
until the final treaties were signed in 1839. The difficulty all along, of
course, was that Belgium was actually powerless to dictate the limits
of her own boundaries. It was Louis’ opinion that the London
Conference was determined to destroy the revolutionary elements of
the Belgian revolt from Holland; that when the Belgian diplomats
accepted its diplomacy they also accepted its counter-revolutionary
goals, namely to create a monarchy, preferably under the Prince of
Orange, and to prevent the formation of any kind of republic.
Louis' colleagues in the Provisional Government had a very different
concept of its function than him. He felt that the Provisional
Government had a mandate from the people of Belgium to construct
a new state, the articles of which would be ratified by the National
Congress.
Louis, his co-governors, and also most of the delegates who were
elected to the National Congress, all agreed that with the opening of
the National Congress, the legislative power of the Provisional
Government officially ceased, having been transferred to Congress.
The transfer of executive power was not this clearly established.
Unlike Louis, the other members of the 1830-Government seemed
to contend that they still retained some executive functions after the
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