Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1855-12-08
Proba biiitics OF Peace in Europe.


Proba biIities OF Peace in Europe.
Observer" the intelligent European
correspondent Of the Philadelphia Ledger,
writing of the Eastern war, from Lyons,
under date of the 18th ult., says the
chances of peace have wonderfully in
creased, and continue to do so, since the
winter has set in, and rendered further
operations in the Crimea and the Baltic
impossible. We quote from his letter:
:" Before l left Germany | was quite
satisfied that the governments there
wanted peace, and it was for this reason
that Austria was gaining influence and
power with the Gernfanic Confederation
The German States feel that united they
might command peace, while separated
and stripped of all political power, the
further prosecution. of the war might
even threaten their independence, With
out the central States of Europe taking
part in the war it might continue ad an
tn'tuna, and with those States involved
in war a general revolution in Europe is
more than probable.
1t is for these reasons Austria. Baya-
ria and Saxony have used their influence
in calming the warlike propensities of
the Western powers, while Prussia has
, been at work with the family of the En-
peror of Russia to induce the govern
ment of st. Petersburg to relent from
Its original proposition in regard to Tur-
key. In this manner peace party has
been formed at st. Petersburg, at the
head of which is ls5 smaller person than
the Emperor and his Prime Minister.
Count Nesselrode, while there is already
powerful peace party in Manchester
and Liverpool, and at the Court of st.
James itself. In Paris, in fine, | know
that opinions favorable to peace are en-
tertained in the highest quarters, inclu-
ding the Tuileries and the Palais Napo-
leon itself. The whole of Europe, the
whole civilized world wants peace, and
SO it may be that, while the armies in
the Crimea are imbedded in snow. diplo
macy will improve the lull by trying to
arrange matters amicably; that is, in
accordance with human reason.
g The peace party in Paris is very
strong, not indeed among the troops, but
among all other classes of society 1t is
the immense drain of specie, caused by
the war in the East, which is causing
anxiety to the Emperor Napoleon, and
which has rendered the return of peace
desideratum to the government.
"On the other hand, it cannot be
doubted that Russia feels the burthen of
war as severely as the Western powers.
Her external commerce is entirely ami
hilated, her fields deserted of the agri
cultural laborer, who has turned soldier.
her produce consumed unproductively by
an idle and voracious soldiery, and the
flower of her young men mutilated or
consigned to the grave. Russia has
probably iont. more men by fatigue and
inadequate foel than by the fire Of the
allied armies; for without some such
drain on her troops, the employment of
Druschines, or armed peasants, against
the veteran troops of England and France
would scarcely be explicable. The loss
Of SO many serfs, too, presses heavily on
the mobiles, who thereby lose their best
hands for cultivating their estates; while
the quartering of troops, the furnishing
of horses and wagons for their trans
portation, and all the other numerous
charges which the war entails on the
nobility of Russia, has in no small de-
gree dampened the warlike spirit which
at the outset came in aid of superstition
and fanaticism."