The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1859-07-23
Rmbmon1 pispatrh.
SATURDAY MORNING. JULY %, 1853.
THE ARRICA'S MAILS.

r-s~.--.. ~. -. -s,s-
SATURDAY MORNING . JULY %, 1859
| THE ARRICA'S MAILS.
| The Armissice-Opinions of the English
! Press-News from the Seat Of War, Ic.
! The steamship Africa arrived at New York
| Thursday morning, with dates from Liverpool
to the evening of the 5th inst We make the
/ following summary:
THE ARMIsT1CE.
| On the 9TH inst the Emperor of the French
teiegraphed to the Empress that an armistice
had been concluded between the Emperor of
austria and himself, and that Commissioners
had been appointed to settle the clauses and du-
| ration of the armistice
Inc Paris MoHttenr, in publishing the officia
dispatch appends the following remarks:
1T is necessary that the public should not
| misunderstood the extent Of the armistice
| IL Is limited merely to relaxation of hostili-
| ties between the bclligerent armies, which,
though leaving the field open for negotiations,
does not enable us for the present to see how
! the war may be terminated"
| The armistice had given rise to n variety Of
| speculatons in the English papers
| from the London Times Of tho sth.l
| While we are discussing the progress of the
plot and speculating rs to thn nature of the
| catastrophe, the curtain falls. Yesterday
France and Austria We're upon the point Of
| joining in another desperate battle. The cele-
| brated fortified q uadrangle had been reached
/ Peschiera had been invested. Mantua had been
masked, Verona was upon the point of being
summoned, Venice was threatened, and Carl
| baidi was mannuvring upon the rear of the
| great fortresses. The waves of warfare were
undulatlng and vibrating to another great
burst i'll foam. To-day the Spirit of Peace has
breathed upon the waters, and the storm is for
the moment at an end. Three months ago we
expected peace and We're surprised by war
To-day Europe was waiting in breathless ex-
! DpctItiOn in hp
fortreSses of Austria, and is again surprised
by the calm announcement that an armis tice
| had been concluded and that the two great
armies are for the moment, no longer enemies.
The first impulse is of Joy. 1t is a great
relief To know that the human misery which
we have from day to day been recording is
staid, that the dogs of war are again chained
up, and that half n million men have ceased
TO fly AT each others throats. But, this first
congratulation felt and uttered, consider
more closely the circumstances of this sudden
halt OF a conqueror in his triumph, and ask
ourselves whether this armstice Is reaIly the
prelude to = peace, or whether il is but 4 stop
to take breath for n further race of conquest
The position OF the two parties is not of that
equal character which would enable US to hope
that both are in the same degree desirous of
lasting peace. Austria has hitherto los every
thing that she could have lost. She has been
beaten III every battle, she has been driven
back from every position. Ali the prestige OF
her arms has been destroyed and her troops
are demoraliZed less by defeat than by n pro-
found dlstrust of their leaders and their mill
tary organization. She could not be in a worse
position Than she now is. If she had los an
other great battle on the Adige, if Peschiera
had fallen, If Verona had been taken, and if
Mantua had been stormed, it would not be more
apparent 10 the world than it isat this III oment
that Austria Is unable TO cope with France rs
a military Power.
To her, therefore. 4 cessation of hostilitie, is
but the surrender of all Hope of retrieving her
military honor. In consenting to it she must
have abandoned all her pride and must have
embraced only the last hope of safety. She
must mean peace, and she must mean TO pay
the price of peace, if this step is any other than
an lll-adN1sed momentary expedent. To
France. on the contrary, either for peace or for
war, this armistce is worth another great
victory. Paris may illuminate for it as for
victory on the Adige, or for the storm of
Maatua. Austria is at home, with her resour-
ces behind her, and with Germany mastering
IN her rear. France is far away, reduced by
her hard fights. requiring reinforCemerrts, anx-
lous to bring up her supplies, and desirous of
time TO enable her combinations from the sea-
coast to develop themselves. Every moment
of delay to France is a gain. Every moment
OF delay conceded by Austria is {: confession
of exhaustion. If this armist tice is buta truce
like that concluded ten years ago between Ra-
detzky and Charles Albert then it is Il 4; tai
concession on the part of Francis Joseph, for
II Will but enable his enemy to repair his
strength.
We will hope, however that in consenting
to this armistice, the Emperor of Austria has
made up his mind TO the necessary conditions
of peace. The nature of those conditions
cannot but have presented themselves to him
On the evening of that day of Solferino all
hope OF re-eStaDlishing The authority of Aus
tria over any portion of Lombardy must have
passed away like 4 dream in the morning. He
must have felt that the moment was come
either for absolute submission or for another
obstinate and hopeless fight. He has chosen
the former alternative He has submitted
Well, what Will be the terms The progress
If ot.aSf hrcl II
the character of the man who has brought this
campaign TO so speedy q termination He
never sWerves from his formed design, but he
is never elated by success, and is content to
march step by step, and by short, certain ad-
Vances, to the objects he has proposed to him.
self He may be expected TO be moderate in
the hour of his triumph. But, however mod
crate he may be. Austria can scarcely expect
more than to be allowed to enjoy what she has
for the moment preserved. Lombardy is gone
and the fortresses which enabled her to domi-
nate Lombardy cannot be expected TO remain
unconditional in her hands Venice is not
yet part of the French conquests and she
may stipulate that the q ueen of the Adriatic
may be allowed to retain an independent cha
racter under the most popular of her Arch
dukes. Lombardy, however, has fallen be-
meath the sword, and the conqueror must dis
pose of it according to his will.
From the Times of the 9th.l
THE APPRRHENsIONs OF NAPOLEON.
The promised discussion of the affairs of
Italy in the House of Lords has, of cours .
been abandoned or postponed in consideration
OF the late important news from the seat of
war Lord Stratford de Redclffe who was
prepared to address the House in general sup
port of the present settlement of Europe, and
the necessity of the British Government ma
king its weight felt in the negotiations which
may conclude the war, withdrew his motion
III order that the Ministry might be in no way
n mpered by Parliamentary discussion, at the
present moment. This decision was right
fhn ytat go
next week it Will depend whether blessings of
peace are TO be restored to Europe, or q war
recommended which, there is every reason to
fear, will not be confined TO Italy. With re-
gard to the armistice there is little to commu-
nicate beyond what the public already know
The news of it took persons in authority as
much by surprise as 1t took the rest of the
world. All that seems to be well authentica-
ted is that the proposal came from France and
was the result of the Emperor's own determi-
nation. This fact is, indeed, highly important,
whatever construction may be put upon it,
That the Emperor Napoleon should stop short
in a career of victory, and make oyertures to
the foe whom he has defeated in two pitched
battles. and hurled back to the limits of Lom-
hardy, argues either the moderation or the ne
cessities of the French ruler. We can hardly
believe that the latter have been the cause of
this sudden resolve.
The war is certainly expensive; the French
army is at a considerable distance from home ;
supplies have to be paid for, and cannot be ex-
acted, as in the campaigns of the First Napo-
leon the reduc ton of the famous quadrilate-
raj is no doubt, troublesome task and timid
general might fancy that it is not too late for
the fortune of war to turn. Bu' these are diff
flculties which must have been foreseen before
the war began. Fortune has as yet favored the
French Emperor beyond his most sanguine
hopes. Within six weeks after the first shots
were fired at Monticello, he has defeated the
Austrians in q battle so bloody and decisive as
to have compelled them TO abandon all thoughts
of meeting him in the open field. He is said to
have promised Paris that the war should not
last six months. This bold expectation has