, 1866-05-04

FQC LUIS OtNu kpUUIHK. Nut It ia I
moi Ike Bisma1k to do ibis. Hs
would rather plunge Prussia into war
than admit that be has failed. Nlethnr h.
can carry the King with hlna, is the question
Which no man cap answer Our Minister al
Berlin, whose opportunities or Judging arc
the able Berlin correspondent Of The London
Times, think that there is point beyond
which William will not go, and that when he
Is too hard pressed By his Premier be viii
show an ugly, entty nature, aud stubbornlT
his ,Ss, S"R m PoisT In Il Us.
enough TO change his tactics, rather than re-
Sign bis place. But how things will shape
themselves, no man can now predict with the
least certainty. Il Bismark hns his own way.
think, there will be war !; II the Prussian
kipg, the Austrian Emperor, and the German
states have theirs, there viii be peace.
Within the past few days Prussia has been
making Increment which crcatos some sur
prise. She sent noso to the minor powers,
asking them how Tar she might rely On them
In the event OF. q collision with Austria The
answers were all Of them unsatisfactory.
Hcsse Dormstadt plucked up courage enough
to say that her army, although small. would
be employed against the power which should
break the pence. The other States have all
taken their stand upon clause in the Federal
Constitution winch makes II imperative in
esses Of internal dlssension TO appeal to the
Frankfort diet; 1t has been Thought that
Prussia would break over that clause.
without stopping either to ask pcrmis-
sion to do. so, Or to apologize for the
net. But the unanlmiy Of the sfiuor States
which they feel to have anything to do With
Prussia is so great that the latter does uot
dare to provoke them, and has made prop
osition 10 call general Congress for the pnr-
pose Of amending the offensive clause. Whist
VII grow out Of this no one can as yet con:
movement Of larger import than any that
can be detected as Jet.
This much tor the present status ofmatters;
uncertain enough, as the reader will see, antl
to be uncertain until we shall know who rules
In Prussia, King William or Count Bismark. !
am SURE that Austria will not make war, but
am equally sure that she will oefeni herself
| ifehe Is hard pressed, and that the attemnt
| to COW her down will be utterly unayailing. ]
leel certain that William desires peace md
Bismark war; If the latter rules, Europe Is to
be convulsed once more, ifthc former, quiet
will still be maintained. Perhaps ere I write
/ you again the clouds viii let The light IN q
| little clearer than they do to-dny. At present
| the most that can be said with certainty Is,
| that In all such cases rs this, till war Is de.
elared. the chances arc always the greater in
| layOr OF peace
There Is another interesting question which
arises in such d crisis Us this. It is. In the
/ event of war, what part will the othrr great
nations Of Europe take: It is, think, easily
answered. The moral support of every one
Italy excepted, will be given to Austria. Last
year It was clt by all that the two had the
common guilt Of robblus Denmark or: thei,
shoulders, and, II the quarrel had broken ou,
then, it would have been viewed in the same
Light In which the woman down in Maint
looked at the contest between her husband
and the bear. It WIS the first AEht she evel
sce," she said, "and she didn't care which
bcat.n But 4 year has passed By; people
hare let their harshness toward the great pil
laying powers grow cold and now, In thL
new demonstration, Prussia Is aggressor, In,
sqltsr, bully md liar at once, people fee
overlook her late wicked alliance to rob Den
mark. But, SO lar Us actual help is concerned
/ l think Europe viii look on without moving
d finger. And here, too, Italy must be ex
cepted; for, although It may bc true that sbt
has not as ret concluded treaty with Prus
and give the latter the benefit Of about twt
hundred thousand men. France talks Of ncn
trnltty, and have no doubt she uleans it'd
present; but if things are desperate with hcl
nc'ghbor, she wilt put out her hand and tax,
the Rhine provinces rs her pay for not inter
although she has nothing to gain from thi
enlargement Of Prtssia into an Empire in cas-.
victory is with Its arms. Russla will lean
little toward Austria, but will lend help II
neither. Virtually, the two countries vii
stand alone, and nll the assistance that Itaiy
with her troubled finances, is nblc to give
must be in making 1t necessary io
Vcniiia. The German States S'A vii
hold tho balance ofpower, but my impression
Is TINT instead Of giving themselves over II
AustrIn and committing their troops to Aus
trian generals they will display their armies
but do little or nothing till 1t shall be tolera
bly, clear which Is likely to win. Ind ex
pccted a more open siding with Austria thu,
you last I haye obtained little insight int
the hopes OF the leaders Of the MINOR States
They Still talk OF the unity oil Germany, bu
they feel that Prussia must be left out Of Ger
many, and Austria too; they must be simpl,
Prussia and Austria; and the little countrie
must enter Into d close alliance, comm1ttiD,
themselves to neither one Of the great powers
and holding the balance between them
Whether this Is practical admits OF question
there arc too many men who want to be a
the head Of such m alliance, and am afraft
that ambition will be the rock on which thi
great hope will wreck. The Saxon, Barariau
and uee6c prcmiers are all Of them bu1nln!
for distinction above all the weak, but cun
ming Ernest, Duke of Sake Coburg.Gotha, ha
his old ambition klndled Into nc1. intensity
Yet the safety Of these little Kingdoms an
duchlcs is the first point to be kept in mind
| and 1t mny be that In view Of common calam
itY, the various ministers will be able +
work together, and make their alliance serv
not only to answer their own places, but 1
l tue end to prevent quarrel. They all kno,
that Prussia means to swallow them all the
! know that when Bismnrk talks of Schleswie
! 1Iolstein, his eye Is on greater prize, namcl
the Mmo: States Of Germany, md this ma
work edectually in many ways.