Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1851-09-17
Tr1E STATE OF EUROPE.

cur in expressing the opinionstha the con-
tinent generally is on The eve Of another
popular outbreak. With the exception Of
France, the old order of things, which the
events of 1848 threatened TO destroy, is;re-
instated and conducted with ten fold more
rigor than before, in every country on the
continent. The rulers, bred in the schools
of despotism, have no idea of conceding
any thing to the spirit of liberty which is
gradually working its way throughout the
world. Instead of coming to the rational
conclusion that it must ultimately prevail,
and gracefully yielding somewhat to 1t, they
have sought to strengthen themselves in
their positions, by adding to the burdens OF
their subjects, as if TO crush every gener-
Gus aspiration to the earth. In Austria, in
Rome, and in Naples, the most grievous OPP
preston is practised on the people by the
respective governments. Personal liberty
is destroyed; the expression of opinion in
regard to public matters, even in private So
ciety, Is prohibited; and the people are i'm
prisoned, fined and put to death, for the
slightest political offences, with the steady
purpose of reducing them to condition OF
AFFECT slavery. Even IN France, where a
nominally Republican form of government
has been established, there seems to be no
such thing as rational, constitutional liberty.
The freedom of the press is eflectually abol-
ished, as will appear from the fact that re-
Gently, at one time, nine editors of Paris
were confined in prison by the government,
for longer or shorter terms, on account of
the too free expression of their opinions.
1t is impossible that this state of affairs
can long continue. The people will rise
against their oppressors, and it is predicted
that the coming year will witness turmoil
and strife in Europe generally, compared
with which the occurrences of 1S4S and
1S49 were but child's play. "The people
who rose in 1848," says the Baltimore A.
merican, "will rise again for cause; and when
they rise again they will do so with all the
benefits of the experience Of that period
and with all the fire of determination to a.
venge its wrongs"
Yet how far the people are prepared for
liberal institutions, is serious question:
There is too much reason to apprehend that
Socialism, Red Reputlicanism, Sc, prevails
among them to such an extent, as to unfit
them, in degree, for the establishment of
free constitutional governments. Any con-
dition of society, however, is preferable to
the grinding tyranny which now prevails in
several European countries. In the king
dom Of Naples alone, according to Mr..
GLADSTONE, a distinguished Engllshman,
who has recently visited the country, be-
tween twenty and thirty thousand political
prisoners are confined in narrow damp cells,
chained two and two together, and fed on
unwholesome food and many of them a.
mongst the most virtuous and intelligent
subjects of the despot FERDINAND.
In Great Britain, also, new subject of
agitation has been opened, by the passage
of the law imposing penalties against the
Catholic Prelates, who persist in their a
doption of territorial titles. sIreland is be-
lieved TO be on the brink of great crisis.
The new Catholic association has defed the
law and Government in the most open man
ner and the Catholic presses are equally
violent in their denunciations of the Ants
Papal bill, and in the expression of deter
mination to violate and set the law atnaught.
The Government, it is understood is not
disposed to overlook the matter, but will
prosecute with the utmost rigor all those
Catholic Bishops who assumed the titles of
their respective sees on the occasion of the
recent demonstration at Dublin"
o. The Spectator sneers at what it terms
the Locofoco party.-Rockingham Register.
Strangers NAV infer from the above Ian