The Sun.
London, England, 1866-08-06 00:00:00

;~

- - _
American Sympathies in the Continental

War.

The American papers are mainly filled with details
of the war in Europe. The Anglo-Saxon race de-
light in wars—battles, sieges, and all the varied
incidents and excitements of a campaign. In de-
fault of any actions of their own they turn With
the greatest gusto to those of their neighbours, and
every event either in Venetia or Bohemia is were
fully detailed and more generally known throughout
America and the United Kingdom than iu Italy'
Austria, or Prussia. The American people, after
the tremendous excitement of their civil war, cannnt
at once descend to the dull regions of peace ; and in
default of correspondents of their own from the
field; they reproduce the letters of the leading Lou"
don journals. Attention is strongly fixed on Italy,
and the strong sympathy of the nation goes witl!
her. The instinct of the people is for liberty, and
whenever a nationality is chained down by force'
the oppressed will find an earnest well-wisher in
the Union. Austria is recognised as an oppressor
of nationalities, a supporter of despotism, and the
stronghold of bigotry. The people's feeling is that
Austria has no groundwork in a people's supPert'
She is merely an imposing structure built on sand'
and holding rather a contempt for any other foun"
dation. The susceptibilities of the mass will surely
be gained by the wants and aspirations of other
masses, so long as the interests of the two nation'
akties do not clash. An intuitive feeling r,pf this
sort leads America to sympathise not only I°
Italy, which they do strongly, but also with the
mighty and triumphant power of Prussia. TheY,
see that this power is based on the wishes and
yearnings of a split and divided people. The one
represents the German nation, the other represents
a hollow military show, and the interest felt by 3
people will always be for a people. It is possible
that America more early and clearly saw the drift
of this European war than other'nations from the
large intermixture of German blood that flows in
the veins of her people. Here Prussia has been re-
garded only as a most exacting bully ; and we ha°
but lately become alive to the fact that BISMAIIeg
really represents the German mind. Indeed, a freed
and enthusiastic people like the Americans welll
more quickly imbibe the true points at issue in this
contest than the Germans themselves. America is
the most aspiring nation on earth. The patriotism
of the North inspires each of her sons to look sted'
fastly to the object of placing his country at the
head of the nations of the world—to lead in opinion'
in commerce, and in war. With his mind imbue'
with such feelings he naturally conceives the asps"
rations which must arise in the breasts of his cousins
on the Continent of Europe. Therefore his sYel-
pathy goes with the people fighting a battle be
would most surely fight were he similarly placed
Such a feeling in France is over-ridden by the spec-
tacle of a. vast nation rising on their border. They
see in the unity of Germany the growth of a Power
whiCh may one day. be used against themselves;
They know that their own influence in Europe 0'115.,
lessen in the proportion the German nationality
becomes stronger. It is not pleasant to cease to 10_
the dietatress—for the great leader to find another
leader spring suddenly up, equally great—to hate
little nations, who formerly humbly bowed at tha
footstool, threaten to seek protection elsewhere, anal.
enrol themselves under the banners of a
England sympathises with success. Success is the
oo
god a Britisher worships. In a less degree he fe
for a people as the Americans feel, and not havill
any interests of his own thwarted on the Continent
by the unity of Germany, his sympathies also are
tending towards Prussia. Indeed, England rejeiceo
b
in the rise of a Continental counterpoise to Fre° t
weight. Protestant countries see in Austria's defe3
the approaching end of the Papacy, and religious feel'
ing enters not the current of sympathy now so strong.;
flowing towards the Northern Power. Austria
rested on her sword. To crush by her milit`lri
.40
weight—to smother opinion in dungeons, to tirey,
remonstrance and declaration of rights by a veld,
of musketry--was her policy. She took the sweriii
and she has perished with the sword. Her fate 'cc
remain a warning of the miserable weakness bef°re
a strong adversary, of a Power whose founclationP
do not rest on the sympathies of a people. —Jol°'
Anierican Tiniest