The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1858-04-06
Th,s.tening ca, dif,on OF the Angio-F1ench
Alliance.

Alliance.
The respective attitude ef England and France
q. the present time MAJ we'll be considered
alarming and nenacing. Though for period
of six or seven years the two nations have been
bound together by what has been cslled an al
lance, there has never been-except during the
brief struggle with Russia-any cordial CO ope-
ration between them 10 attain any common OBJ
ject, nor have they ever bad common views OF
policy, common institutions, OF a common politi-
cal principle. Save in name only, they have
been, ever since the alliance was first consum-
mated, diametrically and irrecoDclably antago-
nistic ON every possible point of contact. Their
political differences, and they have been radical
and unacceptable OF compromises, have not
been more obvious than their social and popu-
lar rivalry. Indeed, it has seemed as though
the closer the bonds of nominal political union
were drawn between the two Powers, and the
more the rulers of both exerted themselves to
efface all recollections of past enmities, the
more intense grew the mutual dislike Of the
two peoples, the more angrily jealous the two
armies. Evep the campaign Of Waterloo hardly
France and England as the Russian war.
This under current Of enmity might be kept
under control and gradually suffered to die out;
but the government of France is actually in
such embarrassment that it may not be prudent
to crush out any feeling which under certain cir
cumstances might lead the nation to rally round
the sovereign. The dislike which part of the peo
pie of France entertain for England is nothing
to the indignation and fury which the free press
of England and her free institutions must excite
in the bosom of the Emperor. So long as Egg
land lies where she does within few hours
sail of the French coast and pours forth daily
current of democratic notions, the Emperor
knows that bis dynasty will not be safe, nor his
throne secure for month. So long as French
refugees may 60 to England, and in perfect Sc
curity there, calmly plot the murder Of the En,-
peror or the outbreak of new REVOLUTIONARY
Louis Napoleon is not the man to need be told
that the new law against conspiraoies will be of
no more effect than the act against Cardinal
Wiseman-France will never be certain of tran
quillity for any considerable period.
One Of two things: either Louis Napoleon
must put down the free press and free institu-
tions of England; be able 10 give warning to
the Tines, and have it obeyed more reverenuy
than the last was; have the right of sending
nsoachards to London to pick up every seditious
character they happen to suspect, and despatch
him, free of charge, to the swamps of Cayenne;
and, generally, exercise parental supervision
of English affairs; or else, he must stand in
dread lest at any moment his throne and his
alternative is he the more likely to adopt!
Of course no time need be lost in demonstrat-
ing that Great Britain will not part with ono
iota of her liberty for the sake of oblging
her neighbor the Emperor. On the contrary,
any attempt of his to carry out his views in
England would rouse q storm compared to
which the late squall was mere puff. The
English people, whatever they have done, or may
wish to do, will certainly never submit TO foreign
dictation the first overture toward an attack
by Louis Napoleon upon the press of England
or the right Of asylum would rouse the English
to determined resistance, and would make an
end of the alliance.
No doubt so sagacious man as Louis Nspo-
leon foresees as we'll as we can the inevitable
perils to flow from war with England. Bat
can he withstand the current which is drifting
that way2 Can he afford to risk new
revolution in his Own country, produced by the
stimulating example of English liberty, fostered
by the proceedings of the French refugees in
England, and actually aided by the anti-English
spirit Of the soldieryf
All Europe stands on the brink of volcano
There Is no knowing when II may break out. II
is easy to see that there is nothing permanent
In the institutions of any of the countries of
Central, Western and Southern Europe. and
that between the governed and the governing
classes in those countries there reigns an IRE
concilable and perpetual feud. 1t rests with
England, more than with any other Power or
body of men, to rouse this feud to open war
fare, and to kindle revolution which would
leave but single continental throne stand
ing-the Russian. IL Englsnd's neces-
sites compel her to intervene in Con-
tinental European politics, as she would
do of course If she were assailed, she would
act by supplying the revolutionary clubs all
over Europe with money, arms and leaders ;
she would give them her moral support; and
then Of the result, there could be little doubt
Boys at school, six weeks afterward, might find
1t difficult to say to what period of history
Louis Napoleon belonged Certain Il il that OF
all Europe, Russia is the only country which
would probably escape unscathcd such con-
vulsion; and that, should il take place soon,
Russia and the United States, so dissimilar on
every political and social point, would rcscm.
BILE each other in being the sole nations undis.
turbcd by the catastrophe. As for continental
Europe, England could set ii oil ablaze in thirty
days.
THE LATE COLLINS LINE or STEAMERs.-We
publlsh in another column an article from the
London Morning Chronicle on the failure Of the