The day book. [volume] (Norfolk, Va.) 1857-1867, 1866-07-17
The Present State of Europe.

,hs rule OF few despots, ana TO pefpetuate
tbs principle of the fright divine Of Kings to
GOVERN wrong in fine, to eternaize the
ssystem Of the Middle Ages =.
There ale none who are more disposed than
,,rselyes to respect the faith of treaties The
oSsorvance of the specifications that are en-
brsced in them, is, or ought to be, the source
# prosperity and the advancement of social
progress. e.,eu a.,
n,ents the parties aggrieved should make all
ogarts to right themselves with the other con-
tracting parties, If these endeavors fail, they
,hnuld do their utmost to have the treaty
cancelled by the parties who negotiated it. If,
after every effort, they fail to do this, it is the
duty of the aggrieved State to treat the COM
nact as so much waste paper.
These remarks may be considered by
some az somewhat revolutionary. We think
thew are founded upon common sense.
The best way to test them, is to see the undue
respect to treaties carried cut to legitimate
results: and we can find no better case to IL
ustrate our position, than the present condi-
ton of Germany.
Al the end of the Napoleonc wars all
Europe was exhausted Her people were i'm
poyerished, and whole kingdoms had been
1epopulated by pestilepce and famine-parts
Of the definition of war The wretched people
knew little of freedom and cared less-ali
they wanted was repose. The tyrants who
rpled them met at Vienna, and framed the
famous treaty of 1915.
This document was drawn up with great
solennty by the contracting parties, and all
its stipulations are inserted to benefit the
Crowned heads who compiled tor rather had
it compiled; for the crazy monarchs of Ell-
rope had to make use Of the intellect of their
subjects to express what they had not the
brains to put upon parchment. Unfortu-
nately such men as FoZzo DI BoRGo and
CAsTLEREAaH, were easily enough found;
they were creatures devoted to monafchs' au-
thorty, and mean enough to pander to any
Of the interests or base passions Of the tyrants
Of Europe.
The Treaty is monument of wickedness,
conceived and expounded in language whose
impudent disregard for human rights is only
equaed by its blasphemy; for this charter,
authorizing barefaced robbery of the rights of
man, begins with the most solemn appeals to
the Holy Trinity.
This deed drawn by Tyrants conveyed
away practically in fee the rights OF nations,
and Of the human race; for as it could require
all the high contracting parties to annul it.;
and as 1t was certain that no occasion like the
one that had called them together, could
easily arise to convene them again, these des-
pots fondly imagined that they had secured
mankind in letters Of adamant.
Since 1916, however, this treaty has been
often broken by the more powerful parties
themselves, and they pleaded necessty-the
tyants plea, as it has justly been called; but
when the oppressed nations break the same
trea y. it becomes, for once in the history of
the world, the plea If humanity.
This Holy Document did not bear hard on
the more powerful nations Its penalties
were not enforced upon them, simply because
they could not be 1t was very different,
however with the smaller States of Germany
and Italy, which we're left to the tender mer-
cy Of such powers as Austria, and we know
how trightfully severe has been her rule in
Italy, and Hungary, and all other States
which have dared to resist her tyranny;-and
in all this vilainy she was protected by the
Deed Of Pactication done at Vienna in 1916
Suffering man can submit to great deal ;
but there is a limit even to his endurance
When the last feather has been put on, it
breaks the camePs back. Austria put this
on in Italy, and Italy revolted, and is now
Tree She did it in Hungary, but, alas des-
pctlsm prevailed-we trust for a time only
We feel confident that Hungary will shake
OF the yoke of Austria before this war is
over
Prussia has taken the lead in this revolt
against the treaty of 1916 She puts her
sell at the head of many of the smaller States
u Germany and the people of all of them
nste Austria, and hail Prussia as their deliv-
efer. She will doubtlessy, in short time,
0e at the head of the whole German nation
HAD it been possible to abrogate the treaty
,eeaiy, It would have been done but, as we
nave shown, that was impossible The only
resource was to break it.
mat great Thinker-that mysterious
genus who governs France-several years
" ago proposed to the different Governments of
Europe to appoint delegates to another con-
i,erence, to remedy defects which time had
brought ONT in the treaty of 1916; or, fail
my In that, to abrogate it entirely. His eagle
~ saw into futurity. He knew that the
p'sseht crisis had to come, and he wished to
p.epafe Tor it. His advice was Stunned, how
t s'sf, and now, when too late, the world sees
a AS Wisdom OF the master mind OF this planet
sr. russia may be actuated by ambition we
VIII. y, she Is. But that has nothing to dc
INV a'i Tue question. 1t is enough for us that
1 1o.t contending for the civilization of the
; l..a century, and is determined to destroy
r S;ssl'utlons founded on the degrading barba-
NON "u, !. 0l the Middle Ages 1t is for this rea-
m oa anat Prussia has the sympathy of all Ger
fr any' and the Germans know who are theil
bas n :. better than any other people. She
nls " sne sympathy too Of all nations and peo-
r,s throughout the world, who have any re-
tha a ~; 70 the progress of the human race and
AK; .lghts OF man. None but the advocates o.
hos Siary despotism side with Austria. She
frisn oat one frield in Europe, viz Russia, the
M ,eua OF tyrants everywhere on this earth
mss ss0ver' to;carry her point, Prussia will
a. LAKE * every liberal concession to secure ration
VI liberty to Germanu and if sha asan;ra,