The New York herald., 1862-02-03
The Political and Vlnsnclal Condltlon sf

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The Political and vinsnsisl Conditlen sf
Hu~eps.
Clsncing hastily ct the condition Of European
nations, we find that both financially and politi-
eally, they present many points that contrast
unfsvorably with our own COUNTRY ct the pre-
sent time While, notwithstan ding tho with
drawal Of 80 many Of our population from sgri-
cultural and other industrial pursuits to take
part in great war, and the expenditure Of I'm
mense sums Of money for military and nsvsl
purposes, we have been developing the resources
Of the country beyond precedent, and ex~
periencing a period Of universal commercial
prosperity, foreign governments have been be-
wailing their crippled trade and monetary en-
barrassments, and ~ in the case of Russia,
sinking deeper and deeper into the miro Of do
nestle discord. In the latter empire, tho dis
turbances at Warsaw from time to time have a.
sumed a very serious complexion, and the blood
shed by Russian bayonets in its streets will not
be forgotten by Poland, who eagerly and 70
vengefully awaits the day when, sither by tho
liberatng hand of France, some general politi-
cal convulsion, or the determined efforts Of her
own people, fatal blow may be given to Rus
sian dominion in the land Of Kosciusko. In
Russia proper the emancipation Of tho serfs b
giving the government considerable trouble,
and uprisings are constantly spprehended By
the passage Of the decree abolishing serfdom In
the dominions of the Gear, Russia made for
ward step in civilization similar to that
which England made when che renounced
the system of feudslism; and the ressm-
blance Of serfdom to feudalism is so
close as to separate it altogether from
slavery in our acceptation Of the word a.
applied to negroes The serfs of Russia in
Europe were white men, like their lords; there
fore the emancipation in no way constitutes .
precedent applicable to the institution of Afri-
can slave servitude. Russia has enough to do
to maintain her national existence, and she
stands on the brink of revolution. It was only
the other day that slight disturbance among
the students at the University of st. Petersburg,
in consequence Of a change in the college regu-
lations, compelled the sudden return of tho
Emperor to his capital, and we learn
that the University has since been closed
and the professors and students perma-
nently disbanded. Add to ell this uncertainty
the fiscal difficulties Of the empire, and we have
a prospect anything but promising.
If we look to France, overlooking
few triHing bread riots, we find the ooun-
try in state Of repose, but laboring un-
der such severe depression of trade,
and such a weighty incubus of taxation and
debt, that the Emperor has been forced to
resign his active control Of the public finances,
and to postpone any aggressive movements
which he had originally planned. Apart from
the failure Of the crops, much Of the financial
and social distress now prevailing in France is
owing to our reduced imports, in consequence
of the war and the closing Of the Southern
markets. In Austria the public treasury is as
empty as that Of Turkey, where the extrava-
gance of the household and the dishonesty Of
the government officials are still 50 great as to
keep the country in hopeless state Of bank
ruptcy and confusion. Moreover, the Italians,
aided by the Hungarisns, and probably the
French, only await their opportunity to strike
a fatal blow at Austrian dominion. Prussia il
stagnating as usual, and the new Italian king
dom is deplorably deep in poverty, although
there is hope for both if they do not become
martyrs to petty dissensions. Spain Is weak,
and emerging, snail like from insolvency, only
to plunge herself into fresh difficulties by the
war against Mexico, and the Pope's temporal
sovereignty has only short time longer to live.
The address of the French Emperor to the corps
diplomatique on New Years day, contained an
expression denoting that serious attempt
would soon be made to settle terms for the
evacuation of Rome, and the latter is all that is
required to convert the seat of the Papacy into
the capital of the new Italian kingdom. The
fact of the National Roman Committee having
placarded bills in Rome, declaring that the
issue of Roman consols by the Pontiacal
government after q certain date, would not be
recognized by the italian government, as from
the moment the Italian Parliament declared
Rome the capital Of Italy, the temporal power
of the Pope legally terminated, goes to
strengthen the impression produced by the
words of the Emperor. But any change will
be pecuniarily to the advantage of the Pope,
for he is at present stepped in penury and bent
down with debt.
Turning to England, we see her cotton mills
more or less idle and her trade generally suf-
fering severely in consequence of the war in
this country. We find her enormous taxation
insufficient to meet her expenditure, and her al
ready overburdened population threatened
with worse future. And what II the Sikhs
originate another bloody insurrection in India,
as they threaten to dot On the whole, We
may congratulate ourselves that, even in the
midst of war, we are better of than those Of
Europe, who are at peace.
WHAT ARE PREcEDENTs WoRrn?-When Cap
tain Wilkes was about to take Mason and Sli-
dell off the Trent he proceeded to make certain
that he had good precedents in law and history