The national era. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1847-1860, 1859-12-01
THE STATE OF EUROPE,

In our last number We copied an interesting
article from the New York Times. entitled
Condition of Spain-the Moorish Question. ,
IN which the writer is at loss to account fol
the deep anxiety in England concerning so OBJ
scure matter as a war with Morocco. The
reader OF that artice-and it is one of yer,
great interest--wil find solution of its oues
tlonings in the following editorial, which we
copy from one of the ablest journals in Massa
chusetts, the Newburyport Herald:
| Though no open war dsturbs the continent
there is anything but peace, and so it will be
while Bonaparte is in power. This
second Napoleon, who has succeeded his uncle
to power, seems to have been an heir to his
great and his bad qualities, as likewise TO his
destiny as an agitator. He has power in the
sword, but no moral power with the people
There is scarcely man in the world who
trusts his word or credis his purposes He is
the incarnation of selhshuess, and would re-
morselessly swim through an ocean of human
blood to attain his purposes. While he lives
there can be no well-founded peace, for no one
knows what madness may seize him to. morrow.
England is his ally but England, fearing his
alliance, goes armed from head to foot nor
does she allow him to look in any direction but
she follows him. He fights for Italian liberty
with seeming generosity of nature, but the
Italians dlstrust him, and while they applaud
they whisper that he is liar and cheat He
is the patron ofthe Pope, and his arms uphold
the Pontlhcal throne; but the Pope prays God
and man to deliver him from such friend
lie is one of the powers that support the Sui
tan; but the Turk feels himself a prisoner in
tne wtrrTtr, ytfSA s,sau mar, &c
thara or, of Ia Erht Co., Al, o. = Al
East, for Sardinia in the South, against the
Moors in Africa, in league with the English in
China, and by the side of the Spanish in Cochin
China. At the same time, he watches the
English in Egypt and at Perrin, sends an ex-
petition to Madagascar, interferes with the
Principalltes, promises the Hungarians, threat
ems the Belgians, and overawes the Portuguese
If there are any wars to be declared, there
Louis Napoleon's voice is heard if any terms
Of peace to be made, lie sits down at Villa
franca table, and makes them himself; if any
Congress of nations to be held, he names the
place, ana his representatives dictate terms ;
if any treaty to be formed, it is written on
French paper and with Napoleonic pens. Lord
Brougham said it was q sad sight to see a
great nation like France in the hands of a
single irresponsible despot, who could involve
her in war and make peace without consulting
DOdJ DuJ inc lnleTGSlS Vi HIS
family; but how much sadder is it to sec all
Europe in the hands of this modern Caesar
this irresponsible Nero so that not states
man speaks in any country without knowing
that his words are to be examined in France
and his Government held accountable for them /;
not on editor writes in all Europe, without en-
dangering his people, if his words be not such
as would pass the censorship of the press in
Paris not a country sends a regiment of
soldiers or ship in any direction, without In
quiring whether it will destroy friendly rela-
tons with him at the Tuileries not king or
queen in all the continent turns over in bed,
for fear that the ghost of the nightmare of
French invasion will stare them in the eyes.
The sketch we have given is not imaginary.
Look now at his hand in Morocco. The Span
iards have trouble with the Moors at Ceuta, a
penal colony on the opposite side of the straits
from Gibraltar, that the Spaniards have held
with little interruption, for almost three hun
dred years. What is that to France? Clearly
nothing; tthe French are in the fight, stronger
than the Spaniards. So in italy, he allows no
peace. The whole country is disturbed He
stopped his war with Austria, when, as he said,
| it was about to assume proportions inconsistent
with the interests of France. That is, be did
not wish war with Germany. But he gave
no peace to Italy, for his purpose had not been
| accomplished, and therefore his armies are in
the Duches and at Rome, and Garabaldi is
calling for million muskets that look to the
overthrow Of the temporal sovereignty of the
| Pope, and the determination of the Bourbons
at Naples If we could look down to the bot.
| tom of Italian troubles, we should see that the
storm is kept up by the influence, the arms
and the money of BOnaparts. Just the same is
it, probably, in Turkey. The Ottoman empire
is falling 20 pieces; conspiracies are in the
capital, threatening the life of Sultan Abdal
| Midiid and treason is in all the provinces
| Seven years ago, France refused to divide the
"sick mans" estate but to-day she makes terms
with Russia and Austria, for the reconstruc
ton of the map of Europe. He wants Egypt
to make good his dominion over Northern Afri
| ca-all of which must be his in less than a
quarter OF century and to England the only
power that would venture to object to the rob
Der play that would dispose of Turkey as Pc
land has been disposed of, he says in the in
.ulting language of the Paris Patrie:
"There are solemn hours in the existence O
nations, which decide for long time thei
power and their destiny. 1t seems to US tina
England is on the eve of one of these critica
moments. For some years past, this nation
which had become strong rather by diplomacy
and industry than by force of arms, seems tC
have had consciousness Of gradual decline
She straightens herself up in vain.
"The virility with which she crushed Europe
from 1915 till the glorious re-estabishnent O
the Napoleonic dynasty, she no longer feels
within her. Thus we see her to-day uneasy as
to the present, still more uneasy at to what to
morrow is preparing for her; she seeks, full o.
| Jealous doubts the route which will bring hei
back toward her former strength. From this
proceed yacilIations and weaknesses without
number, which astonish the world, and take
statesmen themselves by surprise. England
formerly so decided and so precise, no Longer