The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1856-12-26
The Straits or England.

to initiate.
The Straits OF England.
From the news by the mails received yester-
day from Europe, it appears likely that Great
| Britain will enter the Paris Conference under
| considerable disadvantages. So far as the poll
ticians are concerned the alliance between Eng
land and France may be already considered at
| an end. Mutual recrimiDations fill the journals
on either side the Channel-not the obscure ir-
responsible presses, but the journals which speak
and control public opinion in England, and those
which are recognized as the imperial organs in
France 1t is possible, as certain correspondents
aad editors would have us believe, that the En-
peror and the British Ministry take no part in
this newspaper war, and do not share the jea
lousies expressed by their adherents; and it is
possible that the International abuse which gives
such piquancy to the columns of the Paris
Constitutional and the London Post may be the
safety valve which carries off the dangerous mu-
tual antipathy latent in the Gallo and British
hearts. These suggestions have been offered by
persons who ought to be heard attentively. Let
them 60 for what they are worth. For our part,
we are slow to believe either that the masters
can he friends when the servants are such foes,
or that a perpetual squabbling between the
presses can improve the entente cordtale between
the nations
England, we hear, goes into the Conference
with Austria and Turkey on her side, France
counts upon Russia and Prussia. Sardinia,
hitherto has been neutral; she is in doubt appa-
rently whether it be better for her to secure the
friendship Of wealthy England or OF military
France. A single glance ut this disposition of
the national press shows the weakness Of Eng
lands position. Of her two allies, one, Turkey,
ought really to be counted out. Not only would
she he unable to render any efficient aid to Eng
land, lift became necessary to enforce their joint
decisions; she will not even be able to govern her
own territories, or support her own sovereign
without support from abroad; and The older
they grow the clearer will even the English see
the necessity OF adopting some measures to sub
stitute strong and united Greek empire for the
exhausted nationality OF the Sublime Porte. All
these considerations win of course tell against
Turkey in the Conference. OF Austria il is hard
ly necessary to speak. She is the ally of Eng
land just now, because she needs support against
Russia, burning to punish the ''enormity of her
ingratitudc;'' but what cordial alliance can exist
between nations like the Austrians and the Eng
lish it would puzzle Gdipus to discover. Even
the French with their democratic empire have
been unable to endure the freedom of the British
press: the Austrians viii submit 70 il far less
For time, in real life, principles and laws ap.
pear TO bend and be faisfed by events; the truth
sometimes looks as though it was not great and
would not prevail. But this is only for time
In the end, the immutable laws of nature are
certain to be indicated. Europe is about TO fur
nish us with memorable instance Of the truth of
this principle. Two or three years ago when the
French alliance was consummated il was decided
by the wise as an attempt to fuse two infusis
bodies; when Sebastopol was taken, E0glish aod
French swore it would last forever; now, the
truth l. coming out the partners arc going TO
separate. Once more, England consoles herself
in the arms Of new Enthusiastically
which there does not exist Power more funla-
mentally opposite aud antagonistic to herself
What can come of IL bat more vcxation, more
disapointments, and perhaps more wars.
There Is no ally for England in Europe Here
after, perhaps, when under the pressure of clu.
cation. aud by the Mind efforts oil sagacious and
patriotic men, the French, Spauiatds and Ger
mans begin to exercise the privileges OF selfgo
vernment in sound and real manner, there will
bc no reason why they should not warmly unite
with England Indeed. il would be very strange
IL they did not. But for the present. all alli-
ances with these Powers or with the sill
more hostile Powers of Russia AID Austria,
cannot but be fraught with deception and mis-
chief for England. They all hate hcr-hate ier
with the intensity Of spite, envy, and prejudice
combined. They bate ber FOR her wealth, and
her trade They hate her for her intelligence and
her freedom. They hate her for the iusol'at
arrogance Of her people, who strut the earth rs
though they were it, mastcrs-as Indeed t. Y
would Nc. la, for America aud Russia. And. a.,
EneIish may depend upon it, they will, one aud
ALL DO her all the harm they eau.
10 us il seems that the sooner their antagonist
Of Euglard ripcns to a head the better. Tue
sooner ibc Jespois o. Europe bring the issue be-
tween dcspotism aud freedom TO the lighting
point. lhe better. This country would not vieS
such a struggle unmoy,d; and were England
alone unable TO cope with her combined an
iagouists il would dcvolye upon the United
S,atts 10 $50 to II that freedom were not crushed
out IN Europe. In sucb time. (but perhaps
never til thcu) England might count upon sin
cere ally in this country.