New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1855-12-21
THE STATE OF EURCIE.

LONDON, Friday, Dec. Z, 1919.
Lord PAlmerston las got into regular hA' and
lh interests have come into opposition WIN inc
hte.tsts Of Napoleon. The Emperor OF France
seeks peace and a closer alliance with Francis Jo-
seph Of Austris, who suits him beat among all the
uouarchs of Europe. The Queen, with Prince AL
bert WAS Always sverse to the present war, to
which .le gave only reluctant assent and which
che wishes to terminate speedily as possible be-
fore II can involve Germany and Italy in revO
hutton; the French proposals therefore met with
hvor at Court. Lord Palmerston on the other
Aand 10 fully aware that by signing the prelimina
sies Of the peace he signs his own resignation and
transfers his political power into the hands Of his
rivals and enemies, Lord John Russell, Sir James
Graham and Mr. Gladstone. The political exist
erce of the Premier lie identified with the present
war and iss energetic prosecution, and he there
Hre struggles hard against shallow peace which
Napoleon il ready TO accept at any price. Beside
Lord Pslmerston there is likewise the King of
Sardinia, who feels considerable interest in the
continuation of the war. He has given mortal
oHense to Russis by sending his army to the
Crimes; he has burdened his little kingdom witt q
heavy debt and If peace should be concluded to-day
upop the basis of the Four Points, he would not
ret any naturalization fol- All his risks and sacri
Gees. Accordingly Lord PalmerstOn, through his
papers for instance, The Economist and The
Timss--is working upon the French "point
ThohnenY." Pelissisr is seriously blamed for hav-
ing done nothing for the last three months. While
the replies Of the King Of Sardinia to the addresses
of the EtgEsh corporations are all more or less
warlike be has not uttered one sentiment. which
might be construed into recommendation OF
speedy peace. A few days will, o. cOurse, settle
the question between the two intrguers, Ma ,oleon
and Palmerston. Meantime the rumors about the
propositions of peace vary from hour to hour.
The most plausible among them is the following:
That the Third Point is to be resolved by declaring
the Black Sea to be open only to commercial yea
sells of all nations. and by excluding all men of war
Turkish, Russian and Western-ffom its " sters
while seyastopOl 10 to become commercial free
port 1t is scarcely necessary to advert to the
fact that such a solution would soon become illu-
sory, as the Greeks might return to their piraical
habits and choose the Black Sea for the scene o.
their exploits and then, under the pretext of
exercising maritime police, Russian men-of.war
would soon scour the Euxine AMI the Russian lag
again futter all along its shores
The fact that the propositions of peace now
GENE from Austria makes them rather unpopular
in England. The time when the name of Francis
Joseph was upavoidably coupled with the epithet
Of chivalrous" by all the Vienna correspondents,
has long passed. The outrages in the Principali-
ties, and the COncordat, have destroyed the symoa
thies even Of The Times and Of the courters, while
the bulk OF the people never liked Austria, and
the politicians begin to fear lest an intimacy be-
tween Napoleon and Francis Joseph may weaken
the links Of friendship between England and
France. The failure of the Conference. last
spring, which sufficiently proved that the treaty
of the I'd of December was stillborn, prognosti-
cstes little good to the pending negotiations. The
English feel likewise, that something must be done
TO redeem their furnished fame. Their fleets have
scarcely achieved anything during the last two
Years, the reputation Of their generals and officers
has suffered at Balaklaya, Inkermann and at the
Redsp, and as to the Commissariat aud the admin
strstion of the hospitals, they have broken do xn
In the most disreputable way. Under such cir
eumstsr CO g. and before these feelings are redeemed
by victories, peace cannot become popular in
England, except with Quakers, cotton spinners
and friends of Russia Lord Palmerston is fully
aware of thi, feeling, and has shaped his course
accordingly. He knows his cOuntrymen better
than anybody else, ard this knowledge 10
the hey to his successes. To-day's Times,
therefore, exposing the hollowness of the
Austrian general propositions, and abiding even to
the French peace tendencies, proudly exclsims:
Happily for us, we have within ourselves sources
" of hope and confidence which the adhesion of an
/" ally cannot give nor the detection Of ally take
f" ascay. We may say il with pride, though We
"trnst not with arrogance. that England is sec
4" ondary luminayy in the European system-shines
I" by no borrowed light and moves ON q course lit
tie perturbed or affected by the attraction ofother
bodies. What we are to-day we were yesterday,
" and shal be to morTow-a nation lay ing no claim
e indeed to the character of q military monarchy,
Z" themselves just at the time when those Of her
Z" rivals Isle not enemies) are exhausted" All
these words and the following ones are somewhat
ambiguous and may bear upon France, which at
the present moment is not In the best odor at the
Exchange, since the Messrs Rothschld at Paris
continue to purchase all the short bills on London
for the purpose of renting them against Austria
Ian gold. A serious reaction is spprehended in
the financial cIclcs Of France should the peace ex-
pectations be frustrated. A.P.C.