Daily union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1865-1866, 1866-04-18
THE TMWISENCE CT A EUROPEAN
WAR---LkTE REPORTS.

! i -.
We have news this morning from Europe
| 10 the lst inst, which would seem to be por-
tentous of an actual rupture between the des-
| poilers of Denmark. 1t has been apparant
| for some time that Austria was carefully
measuring her resources and moving large
masses of troops as rapidly as possible from
one point of the Empire to another.
Provisions and stores and ammunition are
being accumulated, and horses bought, and
the artillery put in order, as if for an i'm
portant campaign, close at hand.
A portion of the garrison of Pesth has
been removed to Bohemia, where civil war
is just ready TO break out-Hungary being
considered as perfectly peaceful and secure.
The Viennese journals are forbidden to re-
port on the movement of troops. In the
Austrian press there is a very bitter tone of
evaporation against Prussia and certain
eagerness for the conflict. Saxony, too, is
reported to be arming. Prussia, as usual, is
slow to take UP the glove which her old an
tagonist is throwing down. But her army is
fast being put on a war footing, the fortresses
of Silesia are being prepared for any sudden
onset, and the railroads are ordered to be
ready to transport war materials. Prince
Frederick Charles, it is expected, will beap-
pointed COmmander-in-Chief of the Prus-
sian armies.
An important rumor is in circulation, that
Victor Emanuel, in case of a war between
Austria and Prussia, has decided to station
heavy forces near the Po, 10 corporate with
Prussia by an attack on the rear of the
Empire, and to capture, if possible, the long
wished-for prize Of Venice. The struggle
between Austria and Prussia is nominally
for control in the Duchies, but really for SUI
premacy in Germany. 1t is the old struggle
Of Frederick the Great renewed in the mid
die of the nineteenth century.
The conflict Of interests and the bitterness
of feeling have been continually increasing
for the last twenty years. There would
have been war long ago had Prussia shown
anything like the spirit of her rival, or had
Austria felt secure at home. The effort of
the Prussian Monarchy is undoubtedly to
aggrandize itself, especially by obtaining
outlets to the sea. In attempting this, she
has lost much of the good will of the
| smaller German States, and has the opposi-
tion Though only expressed in words of
France and England. Austria has for some
years been, so to speak, stripping herself for
the contest. Her statesmen have labored
| indefatigably to arrange and improve her
finances; Hungary has been partially paci
fed; the revolutionary party quieted great
military railroads have been built which
will connect different parts of the empire
with one another, and production has been
| fostered and increased.
Austria has not stood so little impeded for
| the battle, for many years. She Is strong,
too, in the confidence and respect of Ger
many, and in her vast and long-tried mill
tary power Prussia is also powerful, and
| showed in the recent Danish war how well
she had kept pace with the progress of the
| age in military improvements. Bat she has
not at all the military resources of the Aus
trian Empire, and lies exposed to many en-
emies. The position of her Government
also is weak with the masses of her people
and she has not the confidence of Germany.
Though matters look so threateningly, it
! is possible that actual hostilities may not
ensue Despite the great apparent power of
| Austria, there are elements of weakness
within her borders which must restrain her
from a long and expensive struggle. Her
finances are desperately disordered. Hun
gary is always uncertain until the demands
of the Liberal party are fairly gratifed
| Bohemia is fermenting; Venice is sullen
and discontented, and the Italian counties
of Tyrol are disafected, while the Italian
King is watching continually for his oppor-
tunity to strike; the Principalities are in
revolution, and Russia is waiting for her
chance to gain possession of the Danube
and revenge Sebastopol. So far is this last
the probable contingency that many Euro
pean journalists profess to believe that the
Austrian armanents are all directed against
Russia and her designs on the eastern from
tier of the Empire.
Then, with Prussia, is the danger of
France taking advantage of the confusion
20 annex the Rhine Provinces, and of all
Germany siding with Austria, while a war
would seriously drain the kingdom of its
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