New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1859-08-27
ANTWERP F0RTIFICATIONS.


" llas Bel Jun right to fortiiy Antwerp Such is
me somewhat curious thesis winch 10 discussion
between tie press OF Paris the press of Brcsses
me PGtrR ard The Constitutional incline to thu
opinion that Purifying the hsrbor Of the great Belgian
seaport Is very Ike insult 20 France. This is 40
e1Iayagant preteDsOn that should have thought
y On unmesniDg impertnence Of certain indiviiu al
"rfeIs, the Belgian government had not appeared
10 take different view Of It, ard published In The
IndeDeHdcnt Bcigc sem.Ofiicsl reply. AT first sight
Il appears Impossible to underotan tlst France can
see cause Of umbrege IN DeEtral Power perfor Mug
lie duty by keeping in position make rs neutrality
respected. France might be supposed TO see a
pledge OF peace 10 every new stone put upon the
ramparts Of Antwerp and every rev prOtec.
ton added to ts hsfbor so far as The records OF
story extend the soil OF Be- ku has been the cock
PIT OF Europe Every town recalls 10 mind one
or more great seges. Every suggests the turn.
ing point Of some great Every district has given
pace and title 70 some mighty battle. Dig where you
VIII, you mey turn up the bones OF Austrians, aud
Spanlalds, end Dutch, and French, and English; look
where you may tbOse rch ats you viii see tow as
that remind you Of old bloody histories such Ns.
mur, add Mons, and Client, and Bruges, and Liege
Walk or ride hither and thither over the weBtied
Hats, and you vii fed yourelf pa:sng corr districts
and villages bearing such names Landen Oudenard
FontenOy, Jemmepes, Maplaquet, Families, and Wa
terloo. The topography of Belgium is but umbe Of
the histories OF European slaughter Fertile to ia
own sons, and aiiuent in rich Flemish towns
II ia place Of blood to the stranger. II
has been walled up by general consent ever
Slice 1901. NO more ngntIg IL 10 De hh0He1 on
those premises. The Belgian Government s Just
now repairing the wal. II might have been expected
that France would look on apprOvngly. a cOmiOrta-
able householder would certainly say Well done
TO his neigh Dor if be him repairing his iapdsted
shutters ard putting new chain 70 his door. France
does lot intend to break the house, France has
design upon tue silver forks; France does not intend 20
steal into the pa.e-closet in the dark force way
into it sudden. Why tnen, do these writers whose
names are supposed to carry al authority which
certainly neither the wit the wisdom OF their
writings would alone deserve, come forth To toll US
that France is not srigbted, but afflicted at the repair
Of the Antwerp Notifications IL ID question difficult
to answer.
Perbaps after much me d alton We may, however,
guess al the Of solicitude to our allies. 1t Is
sensitive regard fol- England ADD her safety wnlcn
dictates this Jealousy OF the Belglan deences True
friendship is always suspicious. France suspects Bet
GUM of secret intention OF conquerng England AL
the sayings OF the old Napoleon beng now coined
into proverbs. The crest Emperor declared that
Antwerp was by ite situation "a loaded pistol pointed
al the heart OF England" Las Cassas Reports Of
the Conversation at ST. Helena are now the Sybhline
book in which France resds her Immediate desuny
The French are remembering that Napoleon chose
Angtrp as the central point where the chef arsenal
for the subiuga'ion Of England should be estsb-
lished. The Independence Beige refers Its French
opponents to the archives OF the french
War office for details OF the plans by which Napoleon
made Antwerp the greatest naval station on the Con-
nent and by which he proposed to extend its haI5or
aud Notifications to most gigantic dimensions. We
read in "Las Casss' that Napoleon even attributed
his overthrow 10 the pertnscty with when he al,
hered tn his design OF keeping this pistol charged
against En- land for II was his disinchnailon to part
with Antwerp which prevented his concluding peace
a, Chatillon lie intended, he said, to hayxmade It
by sea- a point whence mortal stroke could De dealt
AGAINST his great enemy and by lsnd fortress strong
enough TO receive army in case OF deiea'i AGA
to sustain q year Of open uencheS. Inc Del
gians insist that they are not about 10 DO nearly
80 much as this: but France is suspicious ana
afflicted France is aifectionstely unwilling that
Belgium should retain in her hands TINS plsto
charged against the heart Of England ana thst sac
should keep firm grasp OF tha' no one can Iss'
If from her She might make bad use OF IT. she
MIGHT lie; il off and Eng land might be severely hurt
To England this fort led harbOr must be perpetus
mepace to France the land iorateAtlons are a per-
petual Isult-tO put up bars ard bOils ana 10 'oVh
street doors is al impuaton upon the honesty o! the
neiobborhood Surely it Ought TO be suffice Tor
Bee ium know that France has no intention "i usA
pg any attack upon her. IL is true that the od Na
r0leon in the same conversation IN which he told Las
Casas that Antwerp was 10 him province M.e klng
dom added that France without the frontier OF the
Rhine and Antwerp was nothing butwe are NOV ~ un
derstand that France Is going 10 WORK out her
hook all AT once and Belgium ought ~ be coutehedtu
tlt word of French Emperor aud lot TO take these
peri pent cautions against France, or 10 make
these offensive demonstrators against EIs'auu, ,uo
n " of France. Ii leads to bad results 10 DOUBT VIA
Napoleon Ill says. Francis Joseph aouoleo Tue
,eacsful Intentions of the Emperor and he was pun
ished for his increduty by war-a war winch we
n now come TO understand had other purpose In
TO punish Austrian ucreduhty haze you u
will test en-" So the Belgians, II they are WEI. au
vised will draw the charge aud blow out the pruning
fom that pistol so dangerous to England.
OF course we ere greatly obliged 10 our careful ana
Uatchful friends. We should hardly nave uIsCo'eeu
me danger If they bad not pointed out 20 Ioi'oH
Nor indeed now that are maze 10 zee u eau we
tn no. TO avoid il. The Begians viii, We ION n
Gi. Temors!rapoe, tell US probably, that France,
whom 70 one threatens, and VINO csn new. lv4S-t :.
mn, ON srmor unless foY aggressive purposes, mas
iort6ed Paris; that CheTbourg, when was ldo !" -
bro,bar TO Antwerp in the love u Napoleon tue
bss bee only lstely completed tna' We E.s,, ~
b,ye never known foreign INVASION since tne .o -
W;6sm the Norman are foIilyi Tag oar chleI oNpo''s
ord that the advantages which Napoleon sSH ~
fr,tfed Antwerp are equally valuable 10 tue ha.s
@, the county in which it Is no" tue only ste", ,Ot
ae,;,g these arguments. They would, possibly $50
nrge that the word of an Emperor OF France Is ale'
ali ory the word Of mortal man. ana lha' 2 - Vs.
sisIept series of precedens tesches no ihe
krsnce falls into her perlodlcal sPasui VI he @ -;
ism the first thing she does Is 20 unoNe a. !Thsv
| tbe Low CouutrIes and 10 beslege Antwerp iney
will tel us also that these oeienses s,e hot az iI
| Erspce or England, but against all the wo.Ii
that Belgium builds her iVrGno sa;u', an sttas
| bnckles on his sword, lot dreadlng on 49,
! tn,n 81 civilized enemy, who would oil course y
,ect his sacred character Of guaranteed
Lstapt but as s defense against any chanCe ~ -
- ,b3er and this IHd,pcrfGf Z Begs does u se "a
Tsj,;sn fabrication il ST insult, sBeg.aa al "a,
n., he mortal offense We mast confess that WI.
all kindly appreciation Of the interest Ia .aAs W. ARE - az
nv Partisan friends, We cannot see that We o..
ou ,aS ~ that they are irsulted by these AntWe.l
s,n,t,fcaijcns. OF course, i, is very unpea'sn.,
Ssye loaded pistol pointed at yCu by any one oa'
mon. he in more formidable hands 'han 'Ao''
Leopold
| CROPS IN IRELAND.
| r,,s, The LirerpcS M,-eSry, A"y D.