, 1865-10-10
5 Z. RQlX A yO 5.

is, OF appears to be, better established
than the same principle in the case of
any of the despotic States. The other
Powers have stood aloof, as much from
the wish for q grasping precedent which
it May be convenient for them to quote
and follow, as from any abstract princi-
pie of policy. But England, while uni
formly objecting in words to acts Of pub
lie robbery, has been praised by men of
all parties for refusing to draw the sword
except on her own behalf.
Who, then, can now talk Of balance
Of power as Il principle guarded 10y the
great Powers, and favourable to the
weaker Powers of Europe because pro-
tecting the latter from wanton aggres-
sion7 The great Powers, instead of
re lily cooperating to regulate the terri
torlal changes of Europe, take, each what
it can get for itself, WithVht seriously
alarming the others for their own safety,
and feels a modest confidence that no
one will interfere so long as only the
little neighbours are eaten up. That
balance Of power consists in INDUCING
onIy a moderate g~reediness has been the
prlnclpte OF the great Powers since the
assimilation Of Savoy and Nice by France.
1t they can only manage to take it turn
and turn about, to annex. and to let their
annexations keep a fair proportion to
those of their sister Powers, the balance
may still be retained, though constantly
trimmed by equal additions TO opposite
scales. IT France without Nice aud Savoy
balanced Russia without a digcSted and
assimilaied Poland,l Prussia without
Schleswig, and Austria without HoIstein,
tho" France plus Nice and Sovoy P'VVa-
bly, balances just as We'll Russia with an
over-run and d~enationalized Poland, Prus-
STA Plus Schleswig and Lauenburg, and
Austria plus Holstein-or whatever she
ultimately intends TO take in place of
Holstein, when she gives up Holstein to
Prussia. Such, apparently, is the only
kind of trimming of the balance which at
present has any strong hold of the ina
ginatlon of the four great ~despotic Eu-
ropean powers. France has indeed q
more generous conception of foreign poll
cy and q certain amount Of sympathy with
the patriotic aspirations of distressed
peoples, but her own conduct in relation
the frontier of the Rhine, and finally her
IdSk Ill MeAlCO, T6uuoT ucF DOCQ unWll-
ling and unable to do anything alone in
the interests Of mere justice to prevent
the other despotlc Governments from fol-
lowing the example of moderate en-
croachment on convenient territory which
she had set.
But this selfish substitute for balance
of power this tacit agreement on the
part of all the great Powers that each
should let the other plumber in turn, so
long as nothing is done to disturb the re-
lative importance of the more powerful
States, is not a sort of balance that can
long rest undisturbed upon it's pivot. It
was not this sort of balance of power
which was intended when Switzerland
was declared neutral, when Belgium was
guaranteed against attack, nor even so
late as 1852, when the succession was
fixed for the throne of Denmark by that
common consent ofthe European Powers
on which the Convention of Gastein fur
nishes SO cynical a commentary. The
only balance Of power which can have
any sort of Manipulating effect on Europe
Is virtual cooperation of the greater