Staunton vindicator and general advertiser. (Staunton, Augusta County, Va.) 1858-1860, 1859-10-28
NUMBER 43
Up for tho Ascendency.

i Up for tho AscendencS.
i FROM careful examination of our Euro
|p,an files we are confirmed in the opinion
that great storm is gathering over the
''old country" France, or rather the En-
lperor Of France, is plainly projecting =
movement which will eviDce greater grasp
of Intellect and tothbass vaster changes than
did his costly and comparatively abortive
Italian war. He is bent On something nigh
lty. He has counted his ways and means.
He has conrted bis efacient allies, and he
has kept his great SECRET al Well ana as long
as it was possible or desirable.
But where is the palpable trace OF this
secret, and what does acknowledge of it lead
US to think ? The trace Of il Is visible in
every QUARTER Of France, from the center Of
imperial authority to the limits Of the En-
Ipire. You find its presence in the War De-
Ipartmeht ofices--in tho Distant camps-in
all the arsenalsz-in all the ports. You de.
tect it in the public speeches of brelates Of
the Church, az we'll as III the less beacefuls
y disguised! leaders Ut the army. You no:
tice it In The hints and In the tome IT the
patriotic pfess" You cannot avoid seeing
it in the extraordinary wat expenses to
maintain what is STRANGELY termed ''peace
footing The truce Is everywhere percep-
tible. Then as for the knowledge which
these traces impart 70 the future designs and
ultimate results, we are not as confident
But, ihasrhuch as there can be no doubt that
a secret alliance exists between the Emperor
of France and the Emperor of Austria, We
have no reason to suppose that the late foes
do not design remaining fast friends, 1t is
their interest. It is almost their necessity.
In this alliance between France and Aus
tria we do not count Sardinia's position as
of much moment. The existence of such
alliance may Of may not be acceptable to
Victor Emanuel. He is in no POSITION, and
is never likely to be in any position, which
will make his inclinations d matter of deep
concern to either high contracting party"
1t answers his purposes best thus to fall in
with the march Of events; and to do so the
more willingly on some conditions which the
others will not grumble to give him. How
ever, ne seems to assent to the progress to
the plot-to call it so in a political sense
and to make speed with his war preparations
as we'll as his mighty neighbors Of France
aud Austria.
But wherefore is all this /? Scarcely will it
be said that it is for nothing. Ten months
ago we wrote in these columns that asccn:
dency in the Mediterranean was and would
continue to be the main object of Napoleon's
alliances in Southern Europe. To this end
remotely it is true-he waged war with
Russia. 10 this end he dosed England with
the infatuating cordial alliance To this
end, in 1866, he sought to bring Austria
into the very same sort of secret treaty
which he warred in Italy to accomplish
To this end he made great friend Of great
foe, and by many other suasions than the
reeking sword of battle induced him to join
for the furtherahce of the great design of
ascendency in the Mediterranean Austria
had no need and no reason to hesitate. Eng
land not only held aloof, but through the
Wings, reproached her in the crisis of her
struggle. Without Austria, England pitt
ted against France, cannot hold any sort
of ascendency in the Mediterranean. With
Austria in alliance with France there must
Immediately follow the downfall of this long
maintained and greatly coveted supremacy.
There, then, we think, is the secret of all
the preparations. A cdsus beNi is very sas=
lily found when fight is predetermined up.
Ion. -qa.-ev *e~e
France has bid eli for the Mediterrah.
can ascendency, and France has taken the
only steps likely to give it into her hands.
Spain can easily be induced to favor AUS
tria, and perhaps, recover Gibraltar az
balance Of power party when the spoils
come to be divided. Russia cant1ot afford
to look on SO complacently. and if the plot
be disturbed at all, the hand to do 1t well be-
stretched out of Russia. However; French
and Austria need not dread the attainment
of their supremacy design, even with Russ
ia allied against them. Cherbourg is so
dangerously near England, and England is
80 temptingly unprotected; and ireland so
invitingly combustible; that the vaster por-
ton Of the naval strength of Britain would
have to guard the coasts from the Invasion
spark" Then all the sonth coast of France,
all the coasts and islands Of Italy. all the
points Of value in the Adriatic; al the coasts
of Spain and ports Of Algiets would be made
to operate in unison with frances purpose.
Should Napoleon's scheme be as we take
lit, Waterloo will be soon most effectively
avenged. Then we shall be able to undeis
stand all the "sympathies'' Of the Italian
was, and measure all the ''elbows of the
Mincio." Then we shall know who won
Solferino, and what the fight was really for.
Then, too, we shall see whether Gallo or
British ascendency- whether the unadul-
terated Cobourg or the mixed Bourbon
Wind, DIS the supreme shadow-will be the
better for the peace and prosperity Of the
much agitated countries Of Southern Eu-
r. ps.-Nev York Daily Nsus.
| A Cold WINTER PREbIcTED. about ten
days ago tremendous drove of gray squir-
lrels, numbering hundreds Of thousands,
suddenly made their appearance ON the Mer-
rimac, covering the trees and waters like
1pall. Thousands of them were afterwards
found dead in the river and on the ground.
They crossed the Mississippi at that point,
and worked their way down the river, until