, 1866-04-20

Gus, compeIs US to believe that, despite
all the fuss, and the changing Of arms,
and the waving Of feathers, and the care
tul instruction in future words OF COM
mand, Austria and Prussia will not go TO
war. Either Austria will at the last mo-
ment retreat, and taking a heavy bribe
as soIatium, sing a Ie Deum for her VIC
tory over human pride; or Prussia, at
the twelfth noun dreadiug the penalties
of conquest, will sing the "Quare Ere
muerunt GenteS,'' and exult over her Chris
tian moderation. When two priZe-fght-
erS can plead the veal of the Fatherland
as an excuse for not coming to time, a
cross is very easily arranged. But while
sharing the instinct 10 the full, we are
bound to admit that we do not share the
intellectual impression. 1t is hard to
realize the idea Of Austria and Prussia at
war, but still more hard to conceive the
path by which they are h%onourably to
avoid the now threatening contest. The
stake admitted to be at issue is great,
greater than EngliShmen perceive, and
the quarrel is very far advanced. The
King and Minister of Prussia have both
pledged themselves very deeply 10 their
people that they will keep the DuchieS.
Both are men who, except under over
towering necessity, will be apt to keep
their word, the Premier because he is de-
liberateIy offering ACKNOWLEDGEMENT as the
preferable alternative of freedom, the
King because he has with the capacity of
a sergeant-major also his conscience, the
conscience which repudiates falsehood
except when it serves a visible military
end. They will retain the Duchies un-
less expelled by force, and if they retain
them will retain also the potential sover-
eighty of Northern Germany. Mecklen-
burg and the Hesses do not intend TO
fight. Hanover is saturated with PruS-
sian feeling. The Free Towns, and the
Sax0ns, and the WurtembergerS are pow
erless in the face of the Prussian army
encamped among them, and if the Du-
chies are successfully annexed Germany
north of the Maine is lost to the Kaiser
for ever. That is a heavy stake, and
that is not all. The Emperor of Austria
loses not only that visionary throne for
which his race have for five centuries
sacrificed all, their souls included, but
will have shaken his hold over his patri-
monial domain, will have shown 10 Hun
gary that resistance wins the concessions
never granted to reason, and will nave
warned Italy that every hour now lost is
an hour of opportunity. He will not
risk so fearful a shock to the prestige of
centuries, will rather encounter the val
which ever since 1915 his family have
expected. Unless the Continental press
is in a conspiracy of lying, he has accept
ed the alternative, and is arming fast. A
great army has been collected on the
Northern frontier, with Marshall Bene-
dek, a fighting soldier, in command. An
Archduke has been despatched to pro-
tect the Southern frontier. Croatia,
Pennsylvania, and other provinces Of the
same kind, in which the garrison is usu-
ally heavy, but which can be left without
soldiers, have been denuded of troops, all
on their march towards the northern
counties. The treasury is poor, but the
needful commissariat has been provided.
All Southern Austria has been informed
that a requisition for horses is within the
bounds of possibility. All furloughs have
been recalled, and all editors warned that
the movements of troops are now among
the closest secrets ofState. These things