The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1866-05-25
The Oracle of Auxerre.

from he Dday NesOS
When the French Emperor, in response to the
address of welcome of the Mayor of Auxerre,
said, addressing the populace of that town, Sin
the midst of you l breathe at ease, for it is
among the laborous populations of the towns
and rural districts that find the true genius of
France" he expressed no more Significantly his
friendly feeling towards the lower classes Of the
French people than he had long before done
when prisoner in the Fortress of Ham after his
unsuccessful attempt at revolution in 1910. In
his Historical Fragments" social and politi-
cal essay written during his incarceration, he
expressed his resolve to act always IN the IN
terests OF the masses, the sources of all right and
OF all wealth, although destitute of the one and
without guarantee TOR the other"
Thus, then, when we tiEd the eXphllosopher
OF the prison at Ham-to-day the great Emperor
with almost ooundless power-speaking words
of encouragement to the masses, it is not to be
supposed that he is, at the commencement of a
deep political scheme, attempting to secure the
popular sympathies in his contemplated move
ments, or that he is desrous of exhibiting his
displeasure at that element of French society
that ranged itself in opposition TO the Govern
ment nominees in the late elections That he
would seek to enlist the concurrence of the
mass OF the French people in his plans what
ever they may be, is natural; but he would
scarcely attempt TO propitate one class at the
expense of the friendship OF another.
But 1t Is his declaration that, in common with
the inhabitants OF the borough of AuXerre, in
which town, according to the words OF its Mavor
1.-THE sacred fire OF attachment TO the EN- ylre
has always been kept burning even in the
darkest times,' he detesed those treaties OF
1915, whereby the armed coalition against
France made nugatory the splendid fruits of
that empires existence that his utterances
oracular though they be- partake of an ominous
significance. 1t gives evidence that in that
sombre nature of his the fire of DELAYED ven
ppalce not eXtlno she'd. that thn do
to tue head OF his house and the founder OF his
family is not forgotten; that the Ietributve DEBT
that France owes to those who glored in her
shame must some day be paid.
No wonder, then, that the gossip.mongers of
Paris and the qui6nuncs OF the continent
: should see III his welghty words at AuXerre
! testimony to his contemplated action in the
pending German quarrel. And it is upon
troubled and complicated field, indeed, that he
! looked when he toreshadoWed in his carmag-
mole 10 the workmen listening to him the policy
that should govern France in the near future Of
war. There is scarcely nation of any preten.
sion IN Europe that does not occupy its allotted
pace in the foreground of the battle-picture.
Austria, Prussia, and Italy are at imminent
odds. OF those nations which seem destined to
become involved in the struggle for empire or tor
existence, France is the chief In a remote way,
put as consequent upon the threatened over
throw OF the stpulatOns of those treaties OF 1915
OF which Louis Napoleon has Just declared his
detestaton, England too, may become an active
struction OF the map of Europe, may be COM
PEELED, also, to arm in another cause which has
not yet made itself apparent, but which is
destined to appear upon the scene in due time,
and when the Combatants shall have become
hotly engaged. This diversion will occur with
the gradual unfolding of the Russian policy,
which would extend the power OF that empire
into Asia, and towards the British posse sions
OF lndia-a policy which, IN ITS attempted eXer-
else at the expense Of Turkey, brought on the
Crmean war, and which, for these many years,
has been the guiding-star of Russian diplomacy
With the whole OF Western Europe convulsed
with conflict the ''giant oil the North" will avail
itself OF the Vexed question OF the Pr1ncipalties
to advance upon the stOlid Turk, who, in the
throes OF an untmely dissolution, may call
upon Allah, but III VAN, tor protection rom his
foes And thus, in the great storm of war that
seems destined to arise from even so small and
poor beginning as the dispute over Schleswig-
Holstein, may we catch glimpse, as it were
of the wonderful workings OF that destiny that
follows in the course OF nations, converting
tious and daring men, and drenching a CONT
nent in blood to satisfy the greed Tor territory
or the longcheushed spirit of revenge of a
single man armed with plenary power for war or
peace.
The cloud that now threatens Europe with the
tremendous calamity of combined and involved
warfare is the most formidable that has ever
lowered upon its political horizon. With the
vast numbers of men that would be engaged |;
the destructive implements of death employed;
the comprehensiYeness of the theatre OF strife
the mind is lost in the attempt to understand al
what terrible cost the nations implicated and 10
be implicated IN the existing quarrel would
gain their respective ends. But as the blood of