The Sun.
London, England, 1870-08-08 00:00:00

PRUSSIA AND THE WAR.

I The King of Prussia, in his speech to the North Ger-
man Parliament on the opening of the session, alluded to
the war as a struggle "without which Europe can never
be at lasting peace." Tnis is a very candid'commentary
on the situation. The policy of Prussia being what it is,
and the -interests of France being what they are, war
was inevitable. Even if it could be averted now—and
nothing short of a miracle could do it—the contest would
have to be fought out at some future time. Two very
ambitious powers are anxious to take the leading place in
Europe. We do not now say which we ought to sympa-
thize with. That is a matter of feeling and of opinion. What
we have to deal with is the fact that the war has been
as clearly foreseen by Count von Bistharck as by the Em-
peror Narposliea nawonn.ltarisearnßseinsmseatrk laid downocsaythatN a courseapoleon
has
taken of
action which it would require years to complete, and he
has been steadily pushing on his plans,
.well knowing in
what quarters he should provoke opposition. First of all,
Austria had to be cleared out of the way. That was a
matter of no great difficulty. But that was not the end.
France had grave interests at stake, and it was
only a question at whot point of Bismarck's
design she would step in and interfere. • Per-
haps the Prussian Minister did not anticipate
thot the Spanish plot would be the critical
move—more probably he did foresee it, and determined to
provoke the unavoidable conflict on that very question.
He has not been caught in a trap. He knew very well
that a war witn France would complete his great project
of " German unity" by bringing over the South German
Confederation in a body—and he was content to take the
risks of a war asthe price of this advantage. "Not Prussia
alone, but the entire German nation, rises in its full
majesty against the audacious man who presumes
to trample nations into the dust to gratify his
princely lust." Such is the language of the preamble
to the resolutions passed at the meeting of the
Germans held in this city. The "audacious man"
is, of course, Napoleon 111. In other quarters the
opinion is confidently expressed that the result of the war
will be to extinguish Napoleon. That looks simple
enough on paper, but it is among the peculiarities Napo-
leon that he is not easily " extinguished." It is in his
favour at present that the French people are at his back, not
to mention the possibility of Austria and Italy likewise
ranging themselves on his side. The support of England
is counted upon for Prussia—no one can say with what
justice, for the foreign politics of England are alWays a
muddle. England went into a costly war for the'pur-
pose of maintaining a Mahommedan Prince in
Europe. She gave her sympathies to the Southern
States at a time when it was very necessary for her future
well-being that she should have supported the North.
She looked on and saw Denmark crushed, notwithstand-
ing that a Danish Princess is to be the future Queen of
England. No one would be surprised if she now decided
to make deadly enemies of her nearest neighbours and her
most powerful ally. Prussia would receive her aid, and
leave her to settle her own score with France. We are
told that the cause of Prussia is the cause of liberty. It
may be so—we do not propose to go into that question
at present. But Bismarck was not always above
making terms with despotism. It was only the other day
that liberty of speech and of the Pcess was suppressed in
Prussia. When the war against Austria was decided
upon, it has been stated, and never contradicted, that
Bismarck promised the Emperor Napoleon the Rhine
Provinces as the reward of his neutrality. The bargain is
said to have been concluded at Biarritz. The Emperor has
waited for the fulfilment of the contract, and, instead of
getting his promised spoils, he has seen Prussia
endeavenring to extend her protecting arms beyond the
Pyrenees. We say nothing of Hanover and the Elbe
Duchies, for, after all, they were. German. But there is
such a document as the Treaty of Prague in existence,
and instead of fulfilling the stipulations it involved,
Bismarck has treated it with derision. These are among
the causes of the war which historians will have to con-
sider, and which we may as well keep in sight now. We
commend the Germans here and elsewhere for the
patriotic spirit they are displaying. From their point
of view they are quite in the right. They pursue
a course which is highly honourable to .them—
only outside observers • may be permitted to
recognise the truth that some excuse may be
made for the present feeling of the French people. The
two great intriguers of the age are now standing with
crossed swords. We, as spectators, may sympathise with
which we please, but the fact remains that both are seek-
ing territorial conquest. The lust of power is not con-
fined to either side. Nothing is easier than to predict the
overthrow of Napoleon. After him, however, France
will survive. And before she can be overthrown we must
expect a war on a scale which even this blood stained ,
century has never seen surpassed.—New York, Timm.