Nashville patriot. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1858-1860, 1859-11-29
The Future Of Europe.

Then, again, there Is strong Engllsh dislike
to the growing political preponderance of
France in continental affairs, added to an I'M
suspicion of the motive of the
Emperor, in increasing his naval resources,
all the while that be is pretending to 'dis-
arm" An augmentation of his fleets, they
say, points to an invasion of England. That
invasion, we are told, may not come III a
year, or two years, or ten years,-but II will
surely come at last. Hence, the result OF
this sort of distrust is, on both sides of the
channel, elimination and recrimination,
which go far to remind us of the "irrepressible
conflict" sort of journalism we have here at
home. The intelligent and usually very re-
liable Paris correspondent Of the Philadel-
phia Nord. american testifes as follows:
Extreme disquietude and uneasiness. a
sort of vague apprehension that we are slow
ly but steadily drifting towards some great
conflict and catastrophe, which shall he
struggle tor life and death, and shall throw
all previous warfare into the shade is still
the prevailing feeling of society and the most
marked feature with which the winter season
of 1859 opens upon US. | can hardly pre-
tend to explain this feeling, or account prac-
tically for its origin and progress. state
merely fact when say that find it exist
ing in almost all circles of society ia this
capital, entertained and made subject of
comment and remark by natives of all coun-
tries congregated here, and finding cautious
vent every now and then even in the well
sfted colums and subdued tones of the pub
lie press. As | have said, it is difficult to ac-
count practically for these prevailing and
SOmbre Impressions; yet the stern reality of
them, and the conviction that they are not
mere chimeras OF the brain, is too surely
demonstrated to leave doubt upon the mind
when we look around us and cast a glance
upon the position of Europe The whole
continent is bristling with arms and armed
men; and imagination might fancy that it
saw in the population of the Old World at
this moment, repetition of the tabled crop
of dragons teeth, waiting only for the fatal
stone TO be cast among them t. turn aud con-
summate each others mutual destruction.
- Much has been said of late on the subject
of 'disarming,' since the last war, but III point
of fact it would appear that so far from any
thing having been really done in that drec-
ton. the great Powers, as they are called,
have ever since stood to their arms, and the
smaller and weaker ones are doing their best
to initiate the example. II is morally certain
! that this country has not in reality weakened
her powers of aggres sion by a single soldier
| on land, or single horse power by sea, since
/ she has been said to lay down her arms
| Some thousands of trained veterans have,
| indeed, been sent for time to their homes
| to recruit their own strength, and relieve the
! imperial treasury but all these are within
| call al moments notice. while the traning
Of as many more new cOnscripts is carried
on unhinchingly as ever. But it is, above
| all, in her marine thai France has never
ceased for one instant to develop instead Of
| curtail her aggressive force. 1t is extremely
! difficult TO arrive at particular Instances of
! this; but | have good authority for stating
the inccssant activity OF her dOckyard. all
I all around her coast, from Toulon to Ca, r
bourg and the nature OF these preparations
| is even more remarkable than the rapidly
and extent of them. | can mention no names,
nor even hint at the sources of my infOrBa-
ton, but l believe am justified in saying that
the character which is being given to the
| French Navy makes il almost impossible TO
! doubt the object which is kept mainly in view
! in its construction. Louis Napoleon appears
! TO be thoroughly Impressed with the cOnvic-
! ton that naval power, naval tactics, and
| naval warfare, in the strict sense of those
! terms, are at an end. In his view. ships are
now only to be constructed Tor the purpose
oi carrying and landing large bodies OF troops
with speed and safety and with true mill
| tary prejudice, these latter are to be regard
ed the only true engines of modern war
| fare. Steam, i'll bis eye s, has more than rev.
! OlutioniZed navies IL has almost destroyed
| their influence in the decision OF national
struggles, by bridging over seas aud render
/ ing all coasts accessible To invading armies.
at this moment, while 80 increasing has
| mere amount of tonnage, the Emperor al
| most OtIends his navy by the carelessness
with which he seems TO regard the personnel
oi its officers. He looks upon them rs the
| mere pilots or ChaIons OF lis cOnquerng
| troops. What he is so busily constructing are
| not go much irigates aud Illustrates, to rule
/ the waves aud thunder on the deep as vast
floating and impregnable torlresses which,
/ cascd III steel aud filled with armed legiUus,
shall roll resistlessly upon bis enemies COASTS,
/ like the whss:led tower OF old upon the be-
/ sieged city, aud there vomit forth suhjugat-
| ing masses. Floating batteries, not manusuy-
| RUG squadrons. is the modern NapUleunlc
! Idea of a navy, and. ii the conflict be euga-
/ ged in he proposes TO take his enemies YES
/ sels. not 10y sea, but by land, aud to pull
/ down maritime supremacy 10y milking him
| self master OF the territory which lays clam
| to il. OF course, all such preparations can
/ only have in view what many persons regard
/ as the tinal and inevitable struggle with q rsaG
/ Britain. THE Emperor will never be salts
/ led" | heard a iar-sightcd American re-
mark the other day, until he has humblcd
The pride of England" Aud there is TOO
I much reason to suspect still that that object
always lies al the bottom Ut his heart.'
| IN view OF this coming European storm
/ this mighty conflict OF the nAtipns--ii our
countrymen are wise, they will aim to place
/ the Federal Government, the coming year,
! in competent hands. The ship of State needs
statesmen aud patriots at the helm more than
over, now, to keep her clear, not only Of the
shoals and quick.ands Of strife at home, bat
Of the breakers in the European quarter.