The weekly Portage sentinel. [volume] (Ravenna, Ohio) 1854-1861, 1859-06-16
What the European N War is About.
From subscriber in Massachusetts.

FROM subscriber In Massachusetts.
There ore but few of the farmers in the
country that can tell exactly what the Eu
ropean War is brought on for. Please give
US a plain, simple statement, that we may
be able to understand something clearer on
this subject"
Merchants, lawyers, statesmen, find it as
difficult as the farmers, to "tell exactly what
the European war is brought on for" Far,
mers are about as sagacious us any body, and
the writer Of the above understands pretty
nearly the state Of the case, when he asks
what the war is "brought on" for. He per-
ceives that it is got up war-unnecessary
and unaccountable upon any know prin.
cipies of reason or humanity. The question,
therefore, is mere question Of fact, viz :
,Ohat is it that has moved one or more of the
belligerents to get up this war?
One answer, and true one, is given in
the Epistle of james, 4th chapter and lst
verse "From whence come wars and fight
ing among you! Come they not hence,
even of your own lusts that war in your
members" The lusts and passions of men,
their se!6shness, pride and ambition, are the
cause of all wars, on one side or the other.
Ahey are tne cause OF thlS war.
Precisely in what way these evil passions
have operated 10 produce the present war, it
is not so easy TO determine. Like the pent
up fires of volcano they must have been
struggling for some time beneath the surface,
before the first public manifestation of hos.
tile intent, which took place at Paris last
New Years day, when Napoleon, at meet
ing of the foreign Ambassadors, who had
called to tender him their congratulations,
expressed his regret that the relations be.
tween France and Austria were not SO good
as they had been. A short time previous,
he had publicly stated that the affairs OF Italy
required to be put on different basis. His
meaning doubtless was, that Austria had too
much influence in Italy, and was using her
power for the oppression of the people,
Napoleons regard for popular rights, whe.
ther in France or Italy, is probably not RS
great as his ambition; yet it was conven-
lent pretext in anticipation of war, for he
knew that Italian freedom and independence
had only to be named by him, to enlist on
his side the popular sympathy from one ex.
treml'y OF the peninsula to the other, and
that it would also be a popular cry among
the masses Of his own people.
But back Of all this lay the long existing
ill-will between Austria and Sardinia. The
latter, knowing her own comparative weak.
ness, and the disposition of Austria to wipe
her out from the map Of nations, and thus to
crush the noble example che was setting of
constitutional liberty and religious tolera-
tion, carly saw the necessity OF having such
an understanding with some one Of the great
powers, that in case of need, she might be
sure of an adequate support. Perhaps also
she thought that the addition of Austrian
Italy to her own diminions, would be good
thing, and that such might be the result of
war with Austria, provided she {Sardnia)
could have the cooperation of powerful
ally; and provided also said ully should not
conclude 10 keep the prize himself. 1t may
have been in reference to some such contin-
gency, that Sardinia SO promptly sent
large force to the Crimea few years ago,
at the call Of France and England. At any
rate, an excellent understanding has been
growing up of late between Sardinia and
France, which within the past year has been
strengthened by matrimonial alliance
Along with the alliance political compact
seems to have been entered into, by which
France engaged to come to the help of Sar.
dinia in case she should be invaded.
Austria was at first reluctant to get into
war, but she hated Sardinia, dreaded the con.
tagion of her example, and finding that war
was inevitable, and that it was only ques.
tion of time, she at last precipitated events,
and invaded the Sardinian territory, prefer.
ring to eat up her eneny's provisions, and
diminish his resources, rather than have
them used against herself, in the conflict
which was impending. This entitled Sard.
mia, under her treaty with France, to claim
the CO. operation Of the latter; and as on ener-
getic andhonorable nation, the latter lost no
time in coming to the rescue; more especial
ly as things had come about which she prob.
ably had pre.arranged with Sardinia, and or
IDENTIFY coveted. We here speak of Napo.
leon himself, rather than the French nation.
Napoleon has an ambition to equal and sur
pass his ancestor in everything, not except.
ing military glory; and how could he acquire
military glory, during the dull monotony Of
peace! Such is the case in NUTSHELL
the result is in the future.
There are, however, great variety of
theories as to the cause of the war, accord.
ing to the stand point of the spectator, and
the date at which he commences his obser-
vations.-N. Y. Journal of Commerce.
--N%oSS-
0ATAt 81 Touia on Thu.edov n M;s. EG