The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1866-06-19
War in Europe - Its Effect Upon Thi.
County.
From the Times.

County
from the Times.
OF course, those who talked of the efficacy OF
Congress as an agency for averting the threat
ened hostilities, assail the course OF Austria in
refusing to be a party to its deliberations.
Having affirmed the value of diplomacy as a
peacemaker between nations prepared for war,
they are bound to condemn the power whose
decision leaves no visible alternative but resort
to arms And yet these complanants against
Austria beg the whole question. They assume
the probability OF peace as the result of Con-
ference, and on this hypothesis construct their
argument. But suppose the probability to lie in
the opposite directon-what then? Suppose,
as may tairly be supposed, than an assemblage
OF diplomatiSts at Paris, now, ended as did
the Conference which sat in London on the
Danish question, and as every Conference held
in similar circumstances has ended, during the
lifetime OF the present generatlon-what then
becomes OF the Obstinacy, the guilt, the mad
ness of Austria? Does not her refusal to parti-
cipate in a proceeding which, judged by modern
example, could hardly be otherwise than futile,
assume the aspect OF wisdom and dignity? For,
II there Is TO be war, the sooner it comes the
better for Austria. Her preparations are in ad-
vance of Prussia, and vastly more complete than
those of Italy; so that delay would lnuIe to the
advantage OF her antagonists. Besides, her
finances, already reputed bankrupt, cannot bear
up Indefinitely under an unproductve strain;
she must fight soon or disarm, and to her. lust
now. the former would be the preferable event.
Her forces may not be able to advance further
into Italy without provoking French mterer.
ence, but as against Prussia there need be no
such restraint. o
From another point of view the policy of
Austria is reasonable enough. OF what possible
avail can be Congress unless the basis of dis
cussion be settled beforehand? Austria asked
not only that it should be settled, but that it
should be settled on principle applicable alike
to each of the powers preparing for war. As
mil hu AIR in fhn Nf
Commons, Austria required an assurance that
''all the powers which were to take part in the
projected conference should be ready to re-
nounce the pursuit of any special or particular
interest to the detriment of the general tran
quility;" not an extravagant request surely, or
one to which the promoters OF a Conference
really intended to promote general as opposed
TO local or dynastc interests would be likely to
object. The fact that the condition thus pro-
posed has led to the abandonment of the project,
is prlnon fdcia evidence OF its sinister origin.
IL implies either that the Conference would be
at liberty to revise everything, which means to
unsettle everything, or that Prussia and Italy
were to be permitted to seek territorial aug
mentation of power" with no possibility Of
assigning to Austria an equivalent While then,
the traditional policy OF Austria can have few
admirers on republican continent, let us be so
Tar just as to admit the seeming equity OF the
ground upon which her statesmen stand in rela-
tion to the proposed Conference. They may
have incurred the immediate responsibility Of
prec1pltating war, but only the superficial
observer can be deceived by the hollow lamen-
tatlons in which the pro.Prussian press are
indulglng on the subject. Austria will indeed
have responsibility to bear but at least it must
be shared to the fullest extent by Prussia.
Removed from all but remote danger of being
dragged into the conflict, England is inclined TO
calculate only the chances in their relation to
trade and finance. Whether the expectation
that good instead of evil win accrue, since the
existing uncertainty will be terminated is GER
tainly open to dehate. The influences at work
are too many and too deeply seated to encou-
rage very sanguine feeling, though after all
there may be business saeacity in a suggestion
which implies the absence of any very formi-
dable source Of financial difficulty
And on this side Of the Atlantic what NAV be
looked ior as consequence OF the war which,
to all human Judgment, is inevitable? Tempo.
rary inconvenience there may be-a necessity
Tor caution there unquestionably is: but as vel
1t is difficult TO trace anything likely to produce
extended difficulty. There NAV be a slight
drain for gold; amidst the panic which almost
always accompanies the outbreak of hostilitles
there may be damage to the European value o.
our securities; there may be possible return O
considerable amounts from Germany, where I
disposition to hoard will soon be visible. But
these are probabilities which should occasion
nothing like alarm. Any depreciation of ON
securities abroad viii be temporary, and will
be followed by rebound when the first husl
of alarm shall have passed away. And for othe
1ncOnVenlences or even losses we shall hay
solid compensation in the impetus which wa
cannot fail to give TO emigration h htherward. A
the same time 1t is clear that much depend
upon the course taken by those whose doing