The daily exchange. [volume] (Baltimore, Md.) 1858-1861, 1859-08-30
ANTWERP FoRTIFICATIoNs.


HAS Belgium right to fortify Antwerp" Such
is the somewhat curious thesis which is now in dis
cusion between the press of Paris and the press of
Brussels. The Patrie and The Constitutional in
cline to The opinion that fortifying the harbor of
the great Belgian seaport is very like an insult to
France. This is so extravagant a pretension that
we should have thought it an unmeaning mperti-
nence of certain individual writer's if the Belgian
Government had not appeared to take different
view of it, and published in The Independence Belize
a semofficial reply At first sight it appears i'm
possible to understand that France see cause of
umbrage in neutral power performing its duty by
keeping in a position to make its neutrality re-
spected. France might be supposed to see pledge
OF peace in every new stone put upon the ramparts
OF Antwerp, and every new protection added to its
harbor. So far as the records of history extend
the soil of Belgium has been the cockpit of Eu-
rope. Every town recalls to mind some one or
more great sieges. Every name suggests the turn
ing point OF some great war. Every district has
given place and title to some mighty battle. Dig
where you will, you may turn up the bones of Aus
TRANS, and Spaniards, and Dutch, and French, and
English; look where you may over those rich flats
you will see towns that remind you of old bloody
histories, such as Namur, and Mons, and
Client, and Bruges, and Lege. Walk or ride
hither and thither over the well-tilled flats, and
you will find yourself passing corn districts and
villages bearing such names as Landen, 0udenard,
Fontenoy, Jemmapes, Malplaquet, Families. and
Waterloo. The topography of Belgium is but
tumble of the histories of European Slaughter
Fertile to its sons, and auent in rich Flemish
towns it is place of blood to the stranger 1t has
been walled up by general consent ever since 1881
NO more lighting is to be allowed on those prem
ises. The Belgian Government is just now repair
ing the wall. 1t might have been expected that
France would look on approvingly. A comfortable
householder would certainly say DWELL done" to
his nelghbor If he him repairing his dapidated
shutters and putting chain to his door,
France does not intend to break into the house;
France has no design upon the silver forks France
does not intend to steal into the patecoset in the
dark, or force way into it on sudden. Why
then, do these writers whose names supposed to
carry an authority which certainly neither the wit
nor the wisdom of their writings would alone de-
serve come forth to tell US that France is not af
righted, but afflicted, at the repair of the Antwerp
Notifications 1t is question difficult to answer
Perhaps, after much meditation, we may how
ever, guess at the of solictude to our allies
1t is sensitive regard for England and her safety
which dictates this jealousy of the Belgian deenees
True friendship is always suspicious. France sus-
poets Belgium of a secret intention of conuuerinr
England. All the sayings of the old Napoleon are
being now coined into proverbs. The great En-
peror declared that Antwerp was, by its situation,
ga loaded pistol pointed at the heart of England"
Las Casas' Reports Of the Conversation at St. He
lena are now the Sybilline book in which France
reads her immediate destiny. The French are remem-
bering that Napoleon chose Antwerp as the central
point where the chief arsenal for the subiugaon of
England should be established. 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 the Continent, and BY which
he proposed to extend its harbor and fortifca-
tions to the most gigantic dimensions. We read
in "Las Cases. that Napoleon attributed his
overthrow to the pertinacity with which he ad-
hered to his design of keeping this pstol charged
against England" for it was his Discrimination to
part with Antwerp which prevented his concluding
peace at Chation. He intended, he said, to have
made it by sea, point whence a mortal stroke
could be dealt against his great enemy, and by land
n Tnrfr -Scfr ,rr1 70,
of defeat, and to sustain year of open trenches.
The Belgians insist that they not about to do
nearly much this: but France suspicious and
afflicted. France is afectiOnately unwilling that
Belgium should retain in her hands this s'pistol
"charged against the heart of ngland," and that
she should keep so firm grasp of it that no one
can take it from her. She might make bad use
OF it. She might let it off, and England might be
severely hurt. To England this fortified harbor
must be perpetual menace; to France the land
Notifications a perpetual insult-to put I'D
bars and bolts and to lock street doors is an impu-
tation upon the honesty of the neighborhood?
Surely it ought to be sufficient for Belgium
to know that France has no intention of max
ing any attack upon her. 1t is true that the old
Napoleon in the same conversation in which he
told Las Casas that Antwerp was to him province
a little Kingdom, added that "France without the
frontier of the Rhine and Antwerp was NOTHING"
but we are not to understand that France is going
to work out her Sybilline book all at once and
Belgium ought to be contented with the word of
French Emperor, and not to take these impertnept
precautions against France, or to make these of
tenslye demonstrations against England the ally of
France. 1t leads to bad results to doubt what Ma
poleon Ill says. Francis Joseph doubted the
peaceful intentions of the Emperor, and he was
punished for his incredulity by war-a war which
we are now come to understand had no other pur-
pose than to punish Austrian incredulitv. Craze
your Notifications, and | will spare you build up
defences, and | will test them.' So the Belgians,
ii they are well advised, will draw the charge and
hlpUr n,1tth o,, Al.
to England
OF course are greatly obliged to our careful
and watchful friends. We should hardly have dis
covered the danger if they had not pointed it out
so forcibly. Nor, indeed, now that we are made to
see 1T can we tell how to avoid it. The Belgians
will, if we join in this remonstrance, tell u.s. pro-
badly, that France whom no one threatens and
who can never require to put on armor, unless for
aggressive purposes, has fortified Paris that Cher
bourg, which was the twin brother to Antwerp in
the love of Napoleon the Great has been only
lately completed; that we English, who have never
known foreign invasion since the time of William
the Norman, certifying our chief outposts; and
that the advantages which Napoleon saw in forti-
he'd Antwerp are equally valuable to the natives of
the country in which it is the only great for
tress. We confess should have some difficulty
IN meeting these arguments. They would, possibly,
also urge that the word of an Emperor of France
Is, after ALL only the word of mortal man. and that
consistent series of precedents teaches how imme-
diatey France falls into her periodical spasm of Re-
publlcanlsm, the first thing she does is to move an
army into the Low Counties and to besiege Antwerp
They will tell us, also, that these defences are not
against France or England, but against all the
world; that Belgium builds her Notifications as
herald buckles on his sword not dreadng an attack
from civilized enemy, who would of course, re-
spect his sacred character of guaranteed non
combatant, but defence against any chance
brawler or robber and the Independence Beige does
urge that if Belgian fortifcation is an insult,
Belgian army must be mortal offence We must
confess that, with all kindly appreciation of the
interest taken in by Partisan friends we can
not see that we aggrieved, that they are in
suited, by these Antwerp Notifications Of course
it is very unpleasant to have loaded pistol point
ed at you by any one, but it might be in more for
midable hands than those of Leopold.