The Sun.
London, England, 1857-08-27 00:00:00

LITERAT TIRE.

The State Policy of Modern Europe from the be-
ginning of the Sixteenth Century to the present
time. 2 vols. Longman.
This very remarkable and laborious work, is, in
fact, a summary of European history for the last
three centuries. Beginning with the eventful
rivalry between Francis I. and Charles V., at which
time he considers the basis of modern statecraft
was laid, the author brings us down, through all the
great coalitions and dissensions, struggles and paci-
fications of subsequent history, to the Russian war
of our own day. His purpose is not with the
warrior favourites of history, not with brilliant feats
of arms or daring achievements, but with the secret
conferences and diplomatic influences which often
marred the fortunes and trifled with the destinies
of great nations. He leads his readers far away
from the clash of swords and the thunders .of the
cannonade, to lift the veil from the dark and dis-
tant Cabinet which alternately ruled and was ruled
by the changing fortunes of the battle-field. Thus
he bestows more pages on Cardinal Richelieu than
lines on Gustavus Adolphus, and while recounting
at length the manoeuvres of Metternicb, gives but
a sentence to the battle of Waterloo. He gives
few details, he enters into no discussions, his
opinions or preferences are only implied, but he is
careful to keep before his reader the prominence
of that statecraft which was in reali y so potent,
and which, though it would have been
powerless, unsupported by the trained armies
and great generals of the different epochs,
was often sufficient to overrule their actions,
to influence their position, and sometimes
to render their efforts fruitless. The following ob-
servations, from the introductory pages, exemplify
the scope and object of the work. The writer is
speaking of the beginning of the sixteenth cen-
tury :--
" It was at the beginning of this century, after the
acquisition of vast possessions by the Hapsburg dynasty,
that the several European Courts commenced to be
guided by one common idea ; the necessity of the union
of many weak states against strong ones, and that the
art of Diplomacy leaped into birth. It was then that
the destinies of each country became by degrees more
dependent on the prudence of is negociators or minis-
ters, than on the talents of its generals, and that the
human mind began to witness a process in the rise and
fail of states, equally unknown to antiquity and to the
middle ages. Thus we shall find that, unlike the narrow
rivalry of Athens and Sparta, of Rome and Carthage,
that of France, with the House of Austria, called forth
into existence new powers, such as the Netherlands and
Sweden, and that by the force of an estab!ished idea—
the Balance of Power—an idea not unfrequently mis-
conceived and made the pretext of war—there took
place a series of territorial divisions and exchanges of
provinces, of which the ancients had not even the most
confused conception. And though the victors of Mara-
thon and Salamis may, without disadvantage, be placed
beside an Adolphus or a Drake, the Amphyctionic Coun-
cil and Achman League must assuredly sink to the level
of a parish meeting, when compared to the diplomatic
assemblies of Westphalia, Utrecht, and Vienna. Bat
though no one will cad in question the political superio-
rity of Modern Europe over the preceding ages, we are
somewhat apt to Ilse sight of the invisible monarchs, the
diplomats ; a race of men unknown to antiquity,
and who, if among them be many a cowardly,
unscrupulous mercenary, have on the other hand
in their ranks many an hero, true as Leonidas, and vic-
torious as Cntar. Nor does ancient history furnish us
the example more than once exhibited in modern his-
tory, of a small state ruled over by an imbecile or a boy
monarch, raised into grandeur solely by the genius of a
minister. It would, however, be unjust, in thus eulo-
gisieg modern statesmanship, to lose sight of the low,
almost incredille, court intrigues, though the least flat-
tering phenomenon in modern history is, no doubt, the
long reign of dynasties both beloved and detested, and
that, in many instances, over peoples with whom they
bad nothing in common, save the image of man.
"Tee task I propose to myself, is to show how and
by whom the great state combinations were formed, in
what degree they affected the minor states, often happy
to be allowed to remain spectators of the events passing
around them, and to point out the motives and the spirt
of the principal ware, alliances, and treaties of peace ;
in short, to review the international history of Europe
during the last three hundred years. The tank, indeeu,
is of no ordinary kind, and while the vast resources of
information connected with the sulject invite research,
the conflicting testimonies of great authorities are such
as rather to disooureee the candid historian. To the
best of my ability, however, I shall attempt to sift the
truth from amidst the bewildering involutions of diplo-
macy, and the misstatements of historians, innocent or
designed.
Notwithstanding this tribute to statesmen, it is
but a melancholy panorama that the writer pre-
sents to view, and such he seems to find it, to judge
by the despcielency of his closing sentences. Few
arc the names as eminent for rectitude as for genius,
and fewer still those that combine with those quali-
ties, those enlarged and liberal views, that foresight
and sense of progress that can alone qualify indivi-
duals to regulate the destinies of great stations.
The work is divided into four periods. The first
tracing the rise of diplomacy in the wars of France
and Spain, the wars of the Netherlands, and the
career of Henri Quatro ; the second, from 1618 to
to 1715, chronicles the eventful century of the
Thirty Years war, the reign of _Richelieu and
Mazarin, the wars of Louis'XlV., and ends with
the peace of Utrecht ; the third epoch, from 1715
to 1790, shows the degeneracy of diplomacy and
describes the genersl embroilment of Europe, the
wars of the Austrian succession, the Seven Years
war, the first Partition of Poland and the American
war ; the fourth part, which occupies the whole of
the second volume, is called the " Conflict be-
tween Revolution and Diplomacy," and delineates
the chief events of the last sixty-five years. Open-
ing with the first encounter between revolutionary
France and the Cabinets, it traces Napoleon's
fluctuating fortunes in diplomacy, it displays the
machinations of the Holy Alliance, the Greek war,
the events of 184 S, and the war in the Crimea.
The latter chapters claim careful consideration from
the admirers of Lord Abirdeen. The hesitating
tone and temporising answers of the English
Cabinet assuredly do not look very well in histori-
cal records, As he has purposely avoided the most
exciting and romantic portion of history and has
not endeavoured to form a gallery of portraits,
the reader must not expect in this work the inte-
rest that has made some histories so attractive.
In the present day, however, when the art of
government and the science of statecraft are favou-
rite subjects for inquiry and observation, when po-
litical knowledge is so widely extended, and when
we are so fond of boasting of our advancement in
wisdom and morality, it will be not uninstructive
to turn to the annals of political history, to com-
pare the present with the past, and to question
whether the diplomacy of the nineteenth century
has a smaller share of vacillation and subterfuge
than that of its predecessors. As an historical sum-
mary and a work of reference, the volumes before
us can scarcely be over-estimated. They are not,
of course, suitable for those unacquainted with
history, as they constantly refer to events, and for
a general history the intrigues of cabinets have toe
much prominence. For the general reader they
are not attractive, the writer either being unable
or unwilling to lend them the interest of style and
manner, but for the politician, who would consult
the records of the past, who would gather the
warnings of the statesman's experience—for the
reader who would refer to the Ministerial move-
ments of distant years—for all who would study
the rise and fall of nations, despite, or it may be
iu consequence of; the arrogance of princes and
manoeuvres of statesmen, this work presents a wide
and important field of study.

FEMALE PHTSICIANS IN THE UNITED STATES.—The
eighth annual announcement of the Female Medical
College of Pennsylvania, for the session 1857.58, has beers
published. It appears from it that the faculty consists
of seven professors, of whom two are ladies—Ann Pres-
ton, M.D., Professor cf Physiology ; and Einmeline
Cleveland Horton, M.D., Professor of Anatomy and
Histology, and Demonstrator of Anatomy, Since the
foundation of the college there have been 164 rnatricu•
lante. They are from all parts of the Union ; two from
i
England, and one from Canada. The sixth annual
entcom-
mencement was held on Saturday, Feb. 28, when the
degree of M.D. was conferred by the President, Professor
Charles
ev
a na followingi rheumatism;
ladies :
Eliza-
beth P. Baugh, Pennsylvania, phthisia ulm- ona
I.s ;
v
Hanna
W .
Branton,
sv e 1 an
insyiMoon, Virginia, mutual relation between
Onie R.
cardiac and
pulmonary disease; Susanna Hayhurst, Pennsylvania,
p a
isons; Lucy M. Petersilvi
,North Carolina, asphyxia;
Mary J. Scarplet, Pennsylvania, duties of the physician ;
Phebe NN ilson, Pennsylvania, parturition.
THE CHEAP PRESS.—The . .
publication of the Birintny•
ham Daily
on Monday last. Ever since it was started most extrava-
gant representations have been made with respect to its
circulation. This, however, is nothing new in the at-
tempts made by the proprietors of newly started journals
to force them into notoriety. A day of reckoning must,
however, some time come ; and hence it appears that the
two papers which have for a brief period existed in Bir-
mingham have been merged into one. The Brrmingitana
.Tournal, in a satirical article upon the event, observes :
" No one in the slightest degree acquainted with the
economics of newspapers can be ignorant of the fact that
if the two pages of advertisements appearing in our two
contemporaries were bona fide ordered and paid for there
could be no necessity for this fusion, which, disguise it as
they may, is evidence of weakness on both sides. And in-
dependently of other evidences of make-believe in this .
re
t the partial failure of our successful friends is very
spec ,
conclusive proof to those who understand these things,
that much of their ` advertising patronage' is simulated
and unreal- a more decoy to tempt unwary advertisers.
From all future protestations of ' success' the public is re-
commended to take off what is understood as the Birming
ham discount-50 per cent, at least."
We may mention en passant that the publication of the
Wolverhampton News,• price 0 ..cI., was discontinued three
weeks since. It is far from improbable that the same fate
will attend the career of other cheap newspapers still in
existence in this and other parts of the kingdom,—
WoNcrlitcmiiten Chronic/c.

THE INDIA N MUTINIES.

MEERUT.
" MEERUT, June 26.

" Our great safety lies with the Sikhs and
Ghoorkas. The mutineers in Delhi came -out the
other day to • fight, and some hundred of them,
seeing a party of Sikhs cooking, threw aside their
arms and said 'Come to us—we are your brothers.'
The Sikhs said nothing, but when the mutineers
came up killed every one. The Ghoorkas have
behaved like Englishmen. When they advanced
to the charge the mutineers called out, We respect
you—come to us." We are coming,' F aid the
Ghoorkas, and they did come. They fought like
devils. We have lost many men, I regret to say. We
have fortified ourselves here and are expecting an
attack from about 2,000 mutineers. We have here
about 700 men to guard the place, and shall meet
them just outside the station with about 300 or 400
men—all we can spare, as we have barracks and
many women to protect. We are ready, and have
always been day and night. Pickets out on all
sides—guns, Arc., and cavalry, as many as we have.
We lie down ready for an alarm. When Delhi is
taken head-quarters will be here. Two moveable
columns will be formed here, as troops are assem-
bling down the country. owever, in the field we
can easily thrash them. The wills of Delhi alone
have kept them, alive and together. Our bayonets
are all powerful ; it seems as if nothing could stand
against tht m. In spits of the times we still drive
out every evening on the course ; but it will be
some time before any one (except a man well
mounted and armed) will be able to travel at all.
There have been schemes for volunteers here going
out, in which I have joined, of course, but in vain.
The General here is so awful cautious. lam on
picket duty every other night and twice a-week for
24 hours, day and night. The men are on duty
every night, and are hard worked ; horses saddled
day and night in case of an attack. We have some
of the 60th Rifles and Artillery recruits, who,
though not drilled, are stanch fighters, and some of
them old soldiers. We have our orders in case of
an attack, and each one knows his position, and can
reach it in a minute. We have a very formidable
little place here, with bastions, Jac., complete, heavy
and light guns, and 100 volunteers to man the walla.
They little expect how we are prepared for them if
they do come. My belief is they will go to Delhi ;
but if not, as I sa'd before, we shall not wait for
them, but go out to meet them, while they will ex-
pect us crowded in our fortifications. They must
be different from all the other mntineers, and we
very different from all the other English, if we do
not give them a thorough beating, and perhaps gat
their treasure (8 lacs of rupees). The fortifications
must only be our last resource, as they are too small
to hold every one. The natives in the bazaar (the
worst characters we bare) are as humble and quiet
now as possible, and seemed terrified at us. We
have hung and flogged so many th st they see they
cannot commit atrocities unpunished. The mail
goes such a roundabout way from here (the ordinary
route not being open) that I must send this off at
once. The country is all up."

The following letter is from an officer at
Benares :