Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1866-10-16
Agitation Of the World.


Distress Of nations and perplexity' seems
to be the universal aspect of the times. The
alliances Of Europe are being dislocated and re-
arranged by the influence Of national develop
ment voices of trouble come from the East
famine scourglng the population of India !; Tur-
key disntegrating, and Russia giving evident
| indications of resuming her approaches to the
coveted prey on the Black Sea; Poland, heroic
and glorious Poland, bleeding at the heart, Sc
curely manacled, and no hope on earth; the
volcanic soil of Italy still quivering so violently
that it is hard to say whether it is the earth
quake passed Or the earthquake coming, whose
rumblings are SO perceptible; South America
at war from end to end and North America,
just emerged from a protracted and bloody con-
test, apparently making ready to plunge head
long into bottomless abyss Of political and So
cal anarchy. In France there is apparent tran
guilty, but how long would it last after the
death of Napoleon, whose age and infrm health
do not warrant the expectations of protracted
reign. The death of the Emperor would throw
France once more into chaos, In which Bour-
bonists, Republicans and Socialists would again
struggle for the mastery. Spaln In which plots
and conspiraces are continually exploding, is
evidently in transition state and in Germany,
despotism and universal suffrage are for the
moment strangely interviewer and finally, even
the clear and bracing political atmosphere of
Great Britain is electric and portentous of
storms. A London correspondent, (September
l2,) of Northern journal treats the reform ag-
itation in England as an unmstakable symptom
of coming revolution in that country, which
will result in the overthrow of the throne and
aristocracy. Our own people are naturally
more interested in England and its political and
social changes than In any other country, and
the spectacle Of ''the fast anchored isle" slip
ping from its moorings and drifting down the
tide of revolution, would give to Americans a
more lively appreciation the potency. and uni,
versatility Of that spirit Of change which is abroad
in the world, and Of the insecure, quicksand
foundation of most modern governments, than
any and ali of the political fluctuations of the
Continent.
The long continuance of tranquility makes
men fancy that it will be perpetual, but Eng
land has no reason to augr from her peaceful
state that there will be no dread awakening
with the solemn memories in the minds of her
statesmen of that beautiful pacific atmosphere,
full of the poison seeds of political pestiIence
which encompassed Paris ON the eve of the
French Revolution when the literary and court
ly circles were enthused with ideas of an ultra
pacific character; when Condorcet, who lived
to die by poison, speculated on the possibility
of an indefinite extension OF human life, and,
with but a thin crust between them and a vol
canic flood ofhell, men were rhapsodizing about
human perfectibility, about peace and everlast-
ing Justice There are political and social abu-
ses in England which need reform, but we have
no hope that any permanent change for the
better will be accomplished in that country by
sudden revolution. Constitutional monarchy
is as good for England as the Republican sys-
tenn is for America, and any change, either in
England, or any other country which under
genius, can only be of temporary duration =
Baltimore Transcript.