The weekly north Iowa times. [volume] (McGregor, Iowa) 1857-1867, 1859-04-06
From the London Times March Z.
The Present Attitude OF France.

Like the Pagan Jupiter. who 1t one time
covered the heavens with frightful storms.
which, at another time, he, the same Jupiter,
with equal CELEBRITY, removed. the Emperor Ma.
poleon, after having terrified us 30 long with the
runners of approaching war, now designs to
soothe US with the accents Of peace and security.
Il was full time. The prospects, Of year Of
uncommon promise have been partly hlighted,
and mnre than two mon, tbs already Lost To the
friends Of civilization and advancement by the
generally diffused dread of European war.-
When a few words can % easily alIay the ter
rors that convulse the world, we may naturally
ken, and that We have been allowed to wander
in that outer darkness. which single ray Of
that light. which burns like Rosicrucian fame
in the sacred bureau Of the Monite,sS could 90
speedily and entirely dis ri.
We therefore receive with the most unhesita.
ting belief the assertion of the non.of1cial por.
ton of the Moniteur, which seems always pecu.
liarly set apart for official communications. that
the language Of the French journals is not in
any way to be COMPOUNDED with that Of the gov.
eminent. and that though they may, without
warning or censure. breathe the very flames Of
war, We must not on that account entertain the
slightest doubt Of the continuance of peace un.
til the government itself shall formally an.
This is indeed comfortable doctrine. and
frees Us at once from all those gloomy appre-
tensions of impending war which, the recent re.
marks If the Presse, the Pays. aud the Steele.
and. 10 hals, the circular OF the Miniater of
the Interior may have inspired. We are only
too willing to recant our heresies. We are de-
Lighted to believe that our inquietudcs are i'll.
founded" and that, while we were half inclined
70 sSs'hnf s6s. and
and that he has promised to assist Piedmont in
case of her invasion by Austria, but has prom
iscd nothing more. We are willing to confess
With shame and contri,ion that We have msta.
ken The provision Of difficulties and the weigh
ing Of consequences for something more i'm
medately connected with action, and We learn
with grief that in 40 doing We have been guilty
of imagination, falsehood. and madness We
admit that we mist.,ok for an establishment on
war footing that army, that navy. and that
matt rial which the Emperor has established for
the purposes of profound pence and that to
buy 1000 horses for the artll. ~ is quite with
in regulation limits, and the most natural thing
in the world for State whose only object il to
allay the a, prehsnsions Of its neighbors. Like
us, France has to change the nature of her ar.
tilery like us, she has TO reconstruct her navy.
How could VIC confound the hustle in her arse
nails occasioned by these urely raciac lsbors
with the din and tumult that herald the calam-
tiles of coming war? Who could gudge
France the construction flour frigates to trans
port her troops from France 70 Algeria, and
from Algeria 10 France. aud who could mis-
construe the four mixed transports destined to
provide for the wants Of Ciyita Vecchia, and
the revietualng If the expedition to Cochin
China How could We ever 'throw clouds on
70 clear situation or lend publicity to those
vauge and absurd rumO-s which represented
tn public cre,iulity" the Emperor of the
French a. seriously pre,aring for war We
submit humbly to the rebuke Of the Moniteur,
and desire nothing more than that the Emperor
will condescend to prove heneeforth by his
actions a conclusively a. already by his words
how vain and idle have been our apprchen.
sons.
We lear that the error has originated from
our not having formed sufficiently magnifi
cent and military notion Of the true nature o.
peace. and not having observed in vast military
monarchies how close is the relation that peacs
bears to war We cannot allege better in
stance of this than that while the arsenals o.
the Empire are engaged in substituting more
powerful but much lighter artillery for the gunl
already il .use it 10 necessary ct the same time
| to buy up suddenly 4.00O new horses t. move
the newly created batteries. We will endeavol
to cultivate more military notions OF other flint
things the Moniteur promises ~. and perhaps
when we have done 90 we shall be better abb.
to do justice to the present intentions and future
prospects, Of France.
! We trust, however, we may be forgiven tn
wish that the new kind of peace the Empero
has invented could be made little less sxpsn
sive to his neighbors, and that France could b
induced TO Git under her vine and her fgtree. +
reap her harvests and press her olives. without
tremendous apparatus Of the materials Of des
truction, which, though it doubtless contribute
much to her domestic peace and happiness, +
the development of her resources, and the econ
omy Of her finances imposes most grievou
and intolersble burden in the shape Of counter
re parations upon us. her less fortunate and lee
wealthy neighbors and allies.