The daily exchange. [volume] (Baltimore, Md.) 1858-1861, 1859-03-26

official journals do not yet appear to have received
any instructions as to what they are to say about
the article, and accordingly their few comments
are confined within the safe boundary of slavish
adulation.
From the So. Petersburg Gazette, Feb. 12l
RUSSIAN OPINION OF THE POSITION OF
FRANCE.
1t is evident from the language of the Emperor
of the French that France will not have recourse
to war until the very last extremity. If all means
of conciliaton should prove of avail in that
it would be better to enter hoslities than leave
Europe in her present situation. War must conse-
quenty be considered possible and all that remains
is to prepare for that sad eventuaty. If the eff
forts Of diplOmatsts leads to an arrangement so
much the better; but if they fail, the existing sit
uation must then be accepted, however disagreea-
BILE it may be. But is there not means of
avoiding that disastrous necessity? The present
territorial division of Europe is founded on the
treaties of 1915. is in virtue of them that Aus
tria possesses the northeastern part of Italy, the in
habitants of which are not friendly to her. The
statesmen and orators Of England constantly appeal
to those treaties, but is it not already too late?-
Treaties may be compared to the vestal virgins,
who could only fulfil their sacred functions as long
as they remained intact. Does not treaty which
has been nfringed prove that it does not perfectly
respond to the spirit which dictated it?
As to those of 1915, they have been so often vio-
lated that it is strange they should be invoked.
If Europe had desired that they should be nviola-
bly, observed, she would have opposed with all her
of the dynasties which signed those treaties The
may be said of the revolution of 1848, so
courteOusly accepted by England: and lastly, of
the revolution OF December 2 1852, which re-es-
tablished the empire in France, and placed the rens
of government in the hands of member of that
very Bonaparte family which had been deposed by
the treaties II, therefore, war is necessary
in order to mpart new life to those treaties which
have become pOwerless because the principles
which served as their bases no longer exist
gard it measure indispensable to secure the
tranquility of Europe. 1t has been said that trea-
ties are international laws which govern nations
No doubt they are; and if the affairs of the world
We're Interchangeable, treaties would be so likewise.
But If those documents, which ought to secure
tranquility in Europe, on the contrary place her
IN false and perilous position is IL not evident
proof that they have ceased to answer the purpose
for which they were concluded
1t may readily be conceived that those elastic
conventions, resembling they do the nets which
stop only small fish, while the large force
passage through, may please some few persons,
but public opinion condemns them. Thus the pam
ph|et of "NapOleon III. ct PItae" says with rea-
son:-"That Power which will not consent to the
changes which are generally considered to be neces-
sary may invoke treaties, and have written law on
its side, but public opinion will be against it, What
may become the fate of the treaties of 1915 it
is not less certain that Italy cannot remain in she
state in which she now is If Europe does not de-
eide to make some inevitable changes, there will be
armed collision, and on the day after decisive
battle these treaties must be revised and remodel
| led. We most sincerely wish that Europe may es-
cape those terrible trials, but repeat that in our
opinion the present situation Of Europe is scarcely
preferable to war. 1t is time that the nations Of
Europe should form only one body. And if it be
So how we saw when one member suffers,
What is that to us" But that does very
much because all our organization suffers with
that member. We shall quietly await events, and
if the Cabinets succeed in preventing the struggle
| which seems imminent, we shall thank Providence,
but if it breaks out, at least hope that it will
remove once for all the causes which gave birth TO
| it."