New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1855-12-31
THE STATE OF EUROPE.

Frcm
LONDON, Friday, Dee. II, 1880.
Tho continental papers are teeming win the
hriyhtHst hopes of peace while the tone vi the
Dnghsh Ministerial organs is remarkably sober,
atenancing the high-wrOusht expectations OF
the Sock Exchange in all the captNS OF Europe.
Indeed since the propositions OF Austria got some
publicity. it is evident from them that peace is as
distant as ever in spite Of the wishes Of Napoleon
md Queen Victoria. The facts are the following:
Austria, on the eve OF disbanding again sixty
eighty thousand men of her army in order 10 meet
her financial difficulties, offers once more her media
tion 10 the begerent powers, and suggests the fol-
lowing points TO the Western League as the basis
Of future negotiations:
L Tn, Fu1inc is to be commercial, u"i 20 be
entered nv any men-ofwar; the iorfcaio,s en the
coaSt TO he dsmau,lcd, and Sovas,opol TO be free
commercial port 90,
the mouths Of the Danube, the Delta OF the rivcr,
a. nee navigation being put under the control of n
Board -Syndicat-apponted by Turkey and the hye
great Powers. M,
Cor an exclusive prot ectorate Of the Christian subjects
.f the Sultan who TO be placed under the JOINT
,rote tolatc of the five Powers.
w. The Aland Islands are never 20 bc FORMED again.
These Austrian propositions We're seized upon by
Nspcleon. who found them satisfactory, but it was
soon discovered that Russia had NOT believed at
tbe first moment, previously given her assent To
them, and that Austria not prepared 10 go FUR
ther, in ease they should be rejected by the Gar
than 10 recall her Embassador from ST. Petersburg;
in fact that she was unable 10 back her PROPOSE
tions, since she is disbanding considerable portion
Of Der army. Under such circumstances the prop
ositons are nothing else than dodge by which
Russia gains time for her gigantic preparations
for the strengthening and recognizing OF her
army, for the transport of provisions and am
mupitiOn Oh sledges to the south of The Empire,
and for the fortihcatOn OF all the points which
might be II -eatened by the Allies. II seems like
wise that great reforms are proposed in the civil
administration and the social condition Of Russia,
The last news is 10 the effect that uhase may
shortly be expected abOlishing seridOm and eman-
eipatng the great bulk OF the population. Be-
sides il is certain that the Car has an amnesty for
the Polish exes under consideration, which to-
xether with reorganization of Poland would have
been already published but for the opposition Of
Prussia, whose King has declared that the price
Of his neutrality was the maintenance of the pres
ent state-that is TO say, OF the oppression OF PO-
hand should the Car renvigOrate the idea OF
Polish nationality then Prussia could not but Join
Louis Napoleon and England from whom she had
not to fear such revolutionary schemes.
COnstantinOple letters mention the rumOrs prev
slent in the Danubian Principalities that Austria
10 trying to have MOdavia and Wallachia cOnsti-
futed Kingdom and an Austrian Prince placed
on the throne of the southeastern realm of the
Danube. No such schemes have IS yet been no.
ticed in the West, but it is not improbable that
the rumor, noticed in tie Austrian papers, is
feeler, and that the grasping Austrian diplomacy
indeed dreams of such extension of power.
Within month the two greatest poets of Eu-
rope have died-V6yosmarty, the Hungarian, at
Pesth, and Mickiewicz, the Pole, at Constantine
pie. Both Of them were eminently patriotic, and
by their poetry exercised great influence upon the
minds of their countrymep. Adam Mickiewicz
was born in 1889 at NOvogroGek in Lithuania,
studied at the University of wilma, and was ap-
pointed professor at KewnO. In 1929, accused
Of being a member of secret society, he was
banished TO the Crimea where he wrote some OF
his best lyrics. Recalled from his Punishment he
had to i've at St. Petersburg and Moscow, and got
In 1899 a passport for Italy and Germany. During
the Polish Revolution he tried to join his strug-
Cling countryhen, but was detained by the Prus-
sian authorities in POsen. Since 1882 he lived at
Paris, where he became Professor at the College
Of France, and librarian OF the Library OF the
Arsenal Entrusted with literary mission TO the
s;lavOnie population of Turkey by Napoleon, with
whom MCKENZIE always remained on good terms,
he died of cholera at COnstantinople. His most
celebrated works are his rOmances and ballads,
and Conrad WallenrOdt" an epic.
The fact that Prince Albert has signed petit
ton of the Guards to the Queen for the preserva-
ten of their privileges and against army REFORM
makes a very painful impression upon the public.
People in England like 10 see in Prince Albert the
RECONCILIATION of the highest type of patriotism
and every human perfectiOn--in fact, an ideal man,
and are always angry when they are reminded by
some deed of his that he is nothing more than an
affectonate husband to the Queen, friend of
literature and of positive science, bad judge of
art, and above all, German prince with central
ixing tendencies. Among all the German princes
tho Queen could not have made better choice
than Prince Albert but therefore he is not yet the
representative man of the age, and it is entirely
impossible that from time to time ne should not
place himself in opposition to the public APO.