Lynchburg Virginian. [volume] (Lynchburg [Va.]) 1829-185?, 1852-02-19
Great Dridais and the Cent inent.

Great Britain and the Cont i0e mt.
England has. without doubt, become
profoundly impressed with the idea Of q
combination among the despots Of the Con-
tinent for her overthrow. The immediate
source Of apprehension is France, the am
bilious purposes Of whose unprincipled
ruler are supposed TO demand some deep
and engrossng excitement for his people
in order TO the preserv alton of his power.
Without being able. at this distance, to
know oil. or understand fully. the circum-
stances that have given SO lively stimu.
lus to this beliefin England as the last in.
tslligence betrays-we cannot but conceive
il more than possible that Louis Napo
leon is preparing hostili,ics between those
ancient and hereditary enemies. tits ev
ident that no consideration Of the morality
Of such a measure would restrain him; for
he has shown himsclfthoroughly unscrupu
jous. Fit should appear TO him that hi.
uncertain hold on power and life can be
strengthened by war with England, o,
with any other country. he would not hes.
itate TO undertake it, at whatever cost OF
life and capital. 1t was the well known
policy Of his uncle to keep the national
mind always sgitatcd-to leave it no time
Tor calm reflection, lest it might look too
closely into his own schemes. Napoleon.
the, little, viii not disregard the example of
Napoleon, the grand.
A war with England would. at almost
any time. have been sssented to by the
French peoplc.and now that the Napoleon
icfuror prevails so powerfully among them,
we do no, doubt that any occasion for re-
trieving the lost glory of Waterloo and a.
venging the long imprisonment Of the EN-
peror. would DO eagerly seized. Awaiting
himself of,his feeling. and doubtless think
ing that war with SO great a power as
England would serve to concentrate all
factions. and entirely absorb the attention
Of the people, it would be an easy, as it
might be a polite. step for the usurper to
bring the Two countries into collision.
An additional reason for thinking war
between England and France, not atoge-
ther irnprobabie--is that there is no other
European Government, at prcscnt-with
which Louis Napoleon does not desire
peace. He will prefer the good will Of
his brother despots to their hostility. But
England approaches SO nearly free Go
vcrnmcnt. that he cannot look TO her for
countenance in his guilty usurpution. II
war 10 necessary to him-that country
affords him the only opportunity for it
Taking these things into consideration and
remembering that England. is not easily
slammed and that through her diplomatic
agents. as well as ty means of the constant
communication between the two capitals,
she has abundant and reliable means of
information-wc think, the defensive pre-
psrations she is making very conclusive
evidence that there is good cause 10 antici-
pate couhici,-and one which before il
ends may widen into struggle between
the principles Of free government and of
dcspotism.
On the Goth ult, the following alarmst
statement was published by the Morning
Chronicle in the letter Of its Paris cores
pondcnt:
IL am crejibly informed that at tho
present moment the Presidents W hole idea
10 with respect TO the invasion of England
that he has consulted generals. studied the
plane Of the Boulosne xpediton, received
reports on the feasibility Of the passage of
the Channel. &c. There is not man con-
ncctcd with the Elysce that does not af
feet 10 speuk Of tie in, aston as an affair
that is not only practicable, but which
will be attempted. Let it not be supposed
that pretcxt is necessary. There are un-
happily, too many points, on all Of which
II would he easy to rouse the feelings of
the French nation, and any one of which
would be an excuse for war The friends
Of Louis Napoleon irnagine-and | fear
imagine truly-that the French people
want to have their revenge for the defeat at
Waterloo. and for the Imprisonment of the
Emperor at ST. Helena. Such war,
they say. would be popular. and in such
circumstances why should they not under
take i'll l know nothing Of the feelings
of other countries, but here the belief is
that Russia would join in any attack which
France might be disposed to make on
England. Certain it is that since the Cd
Of December the representative of Russia
has been the most assiduous in his atten.
dance a, the Elysee, and the most honored
! Of tho diplomatic corps; that Russian
Aoblcs are more plentiful in Paris at the
present moment than they have ever been
since lS4S; and that both amongst the
French and the Russians it is currently
stated that Encouragement betwec France
and Russia could easily be managed. for
chat Russia would not interfere with the
extension Of the French frontier to the
Rhine. il France would permit Russia to
seine on Constantnople."
The following views Of the matter from
the Washington Republic seem reasona
Bio.
The announcement IN our Geographic
dispatches Of news by the Pacific. of pro-
liable war between France and England,
- the most important that has been made
for half u century. We think the alarm
in England is well founded. The pream-
BILE to the thing. called the new French
constitution. distinctly adopts the domestic
policy Of the first NAPOLEON; and the pre-
sent ruler has been repeatedly interrogat-
cd by the English government as to his
sore;gn policy and has refused to answer
This. ofitself is enough to arouse England
But 1t 10 highly probable that her govern.