The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1870-07-16 00:00:00

M. EDMOND ABOUT ON THE 'CRISIS'

IN SPAIN.

M. Edmond About, a man of far higher calibre than
any of the recent con.nrts to the Ecwire, breaks a
lance with the Government in the following a. :kin of
the Soir :
allay Ihe mistaken ! But it seems to use that we are now
beginning to pay very dearly our collective alxlication to
1051 and 185`i. A pimple may imagine itself in clover when it
hts relieved Bien from the trouble of managing its own
strain, and when it has confl led it. destinies to the hands of
a bold and able man. The Constitution leaves to this men
the power 0:0 nunantling the land and sea forces. declaring
war and makind treaties of peace and alliance. What an ex-
cellent pietist for humble individuals t, spare themselves
the trouble of thitikii.g about public matter., and laying
themselves out to mak,. as much money as possible in their
own private °emanations.

•
But let us suppose that the master elected by the people
has more imagination than genius ; that he has the appetite
of a col (plena. without the firmness and the settled purpose
necessary to success ; that he reckons too much upon hie
star, and expects from luck and the mistakes of others the
results whims he ought deliberately to prepare for himself.
Let as suppose that he lives from hand to mouth, tempting
fortune insteael of making himself master of it. Alwayv ad-
vancing, drawing back, and oscillating between the torsible
and the impossible, and what is more 13014,,U5, between the
just and the unjust ; n fw a champion of itight, and to-mor•

row a champion of State necessity ; a Revolutionist or a Re.
actiomst, just as it may happen, and ever ready to make •
hash of Ms principles for the sake of expediency, it Is not at
all Impossible that one fine day 38 millions of men may rcuse
themselves, and express their dissatiefaction in a way not
sully to be dealt with.

Frenchmen, my good friend., only think of the great
things which you have dose by procuration within the last
20 years. Os your behalf your governors have dreamed for
you the conquest of the world, and universal monarchy, or
at least the ,upremacy of Europe, with the extension of your
frontiers In 1849, when you were nominally Republicans,
you violently put down the K Mae it-public; you fought in
Italy for that diviue right which you have suppressed in
Parte; you restored the Pope, who does not thank you, anti
pays you with all sorts of affronts. At Sebastopol you hu-
miliated but did not weaken Russia ; you socr,fi ed a hoe-
r dred thousand men and spent a milliard of money, with no
other result than to draw down upon you the hatred arid
rancour of a powerful nad,n. It is true that Turkey owes
you a debt of gratitude tor having postponed the solution it
the great E "item problem : 'out wretched Turkey would he
of no use to you in one or war. In Lombardy you weakened
Audits, agermtl,kel Vic-or Emmanuel, and favoured the
hislon of small, horologe States with a great Pow. r. And
now you have been clever enough to alienate that Power
which owes eveything to you by keeping it out of Its capital
After having yrouptel a rant nation around the small
King of Sardinia, .0 have forced that Re galanturmo to
be your enemy. You hare sought adveutures to China
and Mexico. The great American W.:public was from Its
beginning the friend sled ally of France. You constrained
It to forget that it owel Mt existence to you. In the war of the
Seenatio, when you shooto rupathised with the cause
01 the North, you shut yeor e.,rs to true principles. Veer
interests as you unelerstr ol them led you to side with the
S.urth, but you had tot the c Cr the sincerity to act
upon your own opinion too oroy gave to the slavery party
• hesitating anti sterile support. 'the Union was r, stored in
spite of you, end ite first movetneot was to make you ever...
we Monte, In Gaquany yau tried serreptltiously to weaken
Austria by Pronto, and Prusara by Austria. Tour diploma-
Vete, who are snpa.,ted to In the pick and choice of human
ability, warra,ted emeess. A iter a lour and ruinous wa,
the Autirlatia, your tetret allies, who, you hod calculated,
would be the victors, were I,:aten, ami the Prilniatia, your
euemies, became masters of Germany. Prussia allied herself
with Italy, and your only compensation is the alliance Cl
Aus ria, who, th orbs to yoU is reduced to the last degree of
'Maranon. Such, my deo. French people, is the regult at
your carunaigns arid your negoctations. Peace arid war hove
iresn Orient equally fatal to you And you may be very aure
that, on the first opp 'runny, Prussia, itUSala, America, and
Italy will he ready to carnbtrie to pay off old scores. This
ctiol of a King of Spain may be aa good an excuee as
any other.