The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1859-02-16

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The State OF Affairs In Europe.
The aspect of affairs in Europe, as conveyed
In the report from Halifax yesterday Of the news
by the steamship America, wears anything but
pacific aspect.
What most characteristics the present state of
affairs is its marked similarity to the condition
OF things previous to the breaking out Of the
Crimean war. Then we had continual rumors
from "the best informed circles" that the ques-
tons pending would be amicably adjusted, and
official journals preached peace up to the last
moment. Yet England, France, Russia and the
other continental Powers went on with their
belligerent preparations until all Christendom
found itself fighting the battle of the Turk or
maintaining an armed neutrality that was nearly
as costly as war. So in the present CASE In
England, while the official journals disclaim all
intention on the part of the government to per-
NIT itself to be mixed up with the new complica-
tons which have arisen, there is marked
activity in the gunpowder department, and the
country looks anxiously for the opening of Par
lament, which was to take place in few days.
France presents even more marked indications
of war than England. The cavalry is being
filled up with urgency, artillerymen are making
large preparations of cartridges ships are
ordered from Cherbourg to the Mediterranean,
and other signs are visible on all sides.
All these evidences, however, do not prove
that war is going to take place between France
and Austria, or between France and England,
or Sardinia and anybody else. They are posi-
bly, the signs of something else than an interna-
tional war to make or break Louis Napoleon as
arbiter of Europe. The financial revulsion which
swept over the world little more than year
ago has left the material prosperity of the go
vernments and communities of the Continent in
a state which is little more than hollow sham.
The governments have carried themselves
through, and are still keeping up appearances
by series Of loans, which in reality is nothing
more than putting off for short time the day
of reckoning. Trade has not revived, industry
is not prosperous, credit is not restored to that
degree which would warrant the confident belief
that these three elements of peace are in sound
condition. The financial centres of every CAPT
tai in Europe are agitated with the fear that
the public debt, and the vast system which pre-
walls there of squeezing the active classes to
pay the drones and brutal soldiery, are about
to follow the old ossignats Of France and the red
book system of Louis the Sixteenth Germany
in this respect is rotten to the core, with its enor
nous list of princes and petty courts. Austria
has been forced to march eighty thousand troops
into Gallicia to keep down the popular fermen-
tation Italy is filled with idleness, profigacy
and poverty.
But it is in France where this state of things
weighs most heavily. There the financial
revulsion Of 1857 was apparently stayed and
controlled by powerful exercise of the imperial
will but the results were only warded off for
while, and not completely passed over. In Paris
at the present moment it is doubtful whether the
court pays most attention to its preparations for
war, or its efforts to revive the prosperity of
trade and industry. The imperial halls are
brown open twice week, and everybody is in
vited, which is equivalent to command to come,
and no one can appear twice in the same dress
The efforts to stimulate emigration to Algeria,
the resuscitation of the slave trade to the French
colonies, the vast imperial works that are under
taken, the desperate gambling on the Bourse,
are all part Of the same system. Every effort
is made to keep up this sham of artificial pros
perity; but natural laws must in the end prevail,
and the bubble burst The stirring up of the
Italian question, as we have on former occasion
pointed out, has more to do with these political
necessities of Louis Napoleon at home than it
has with any intention of establishing the liber-
ties of Italy. The whole continent of Europe is
preparing the elements of a volcanic revolution,
which must come sooner Or later. It is only
question of how long the tinsel may dazzle, or a
brutal soldery COW the people. A famine or
frolic may inaugurate the change at any mo-
ment
CORRECTIONS ABOUT Mr. SICKIEs.-We are in
formed on cOmnetent authOrifv fhaf tho otor1,