The New York herald., 1863-12-11

enormous debt within the lifetime of the pre-
sent generation, thus furnishing an example
that no other nation can follow. Let the
growlers in our midst and the croakers in
Europe put this in their pipes and smoke it.
They will find it an excellent remedy for their
agitated nerves.
The Proposed European ConRress-The
| Refusal OF England 10 Attend.
| By the arrival of the Etna we obtain two
days later news from Europe. England has
positively refused to accede to NapOleon's pro-
posed Congress to discuss and arrange Euro
psan affairs. Austria and Prussia demand ex-
they can accept his proposal. The course pur-
sued by England will doubtless influence other
European Powers, and we may look upon the
meeting of the Congress as highly improbable
| The French Emperor's project Of grand
council of European natoualities, for the pur-
! pSss of revising and reaTransiog the political
map of that continent, is a movement pfeg.
| nant With the most momentous issues, and
| it is not matter Of surprise that the
| existing governments view IL with equal alarm
aud astonishment. They cannot fail to see
that it Is menace upon existing institutions.
1t is palpable to all that the execution of
the plan would convert monarchical Europe
into great federative republic, presided over
by Louis Napoleon, to which all important
questions affecting the general peace would
have to be submitted. The various States en-
tering into this confederacy might preserve
their internal forms Of government questions
of peace and war would be no longer in their
hands, but ip those Of the congress; and it
would be difficult and delicate matter to de-
fine accurately just where the powers of the
State ceased and those Of the confederacy
commenced, and over what class Of sub
jects the jurisdiction of the latter extended.
These difficulties present themselves on the
very threshold. And so we find Austria laying
it down, as condition precedent to her ac
ceptance, that the actual status of affairs shall
be recognized, and that no proposition tending
to severance of Hungary or veneta from her
empire shall be introduced. In other words,
she will 60 into it just to crafty the whim Of
the French Emperor, if she is assured in ad-
vance that it is all delusion and that nothing
whatever is to como of It,
The Pope is reported by the last news to
have given in his adhesion to the plan At first
sight It might appear strange to find his Holt
ness willing to subject the control of the patr-
mony of st. Peter to the review Of a council of
laymen, some of them heretics aud most of
them liberal in opinion; but in doing 80 he
acted wisely, for one of the first REFORMS to be
effected by the congress should inevitably be
the removal of that last monument Of the Mid
die Ages, which is the chief obstacle to the
unity of the Italian nation. And Plus tho
Ninth reasons, naturally enough, that hs
chances are better if he is represented in the
congress than they would be if he held himself
aloof from its deliberations.
AS to Russia there was perhaps neither the
expectation nor the desire that she should take
part in this European conclave. Her recent
snubbing of the three Powers on the Polish
question has not been forgotten or forgiven.
She is regarded too, rather as an Asiatic than
as European nation. Besides, the question OF
Poland must necessarily form the leading topic
of discussion. 1t is true to-day. even more than
it was when Talleyrand declared it in the Con-
gress of Vienna. that the most exclusively Eu-
ropean question is that which concerns Poland.
And IL Is evident now, even If it was not so
then, that tho only way Of solving that ques-
ton in permanent and satisfactory manner IL
to force Russia, Austria and Prussia to Jisgorge
those huge morsels Of Poland which they each
swallowed, but which none of them can digest
aud reorganize that kingdom with .the boun-
daries which it possessed before the lrsl par
tition.
Such important and difficult subjects as those
to which we have casually alludcd-questions
Of Poland, Italy, Hungary, Ireland, to say
nothing of the Danish duchies-wo1ld come be-
fore the congress which Louis Napoleon with
his wonderful sagacity and TACT imagined but
never expected to see realized.
But, even though he might not fatter himself
with that prospect. he attains another very i'm
portant result by his proposition, and il was
probably the one which he had more particu
larly in vicw-tbat is he succeeds in divert
ing the attention of the French people from
himself and his internal policy to this project
of European congress and to the great ques-
tions involved in it. The results OF the last
May elections indicated a wonderful change of
sentiment in tho public mind Of France. The
pitiful opposition minority OF Eve in the legsla-
tive body finds itself increased to thirty; and
the worst Of it, to him, is that this opposition
represents the liberal sentiment of France, and
includes such men as Theirs, Berryer and Jules
Favre. All the great centres Of population
Paris. Lyons, Marseiles, Havre Bo7d eaux,
Nantes gave majorities against the govern
.s.ot Tho ploctinn 6guroa i'm parta arc In