, 1866-05-22
From the London Times, May ~

upon us from every quarter. Our tele-
graphic column contains a strange med
lev of information, which cannot certain
ly all be true, though, unhappily, it is
impossible to separate truth from false
hood. Italy, we are told, is astonlshed
at the military preparations of Austria,
having made no counter-preparatIon TO
justify such proceeding. She is watch
ing the frontier line of the Mlnclo and
the Pc, and calling under arms the SOL
diers on furlough. Prince Metternlch,
on the other hand, assures the French
Government that Austria is ready TO
effect a complete disarmament In Venetla
if France will guarantee that Nenetla
shall not be invaded. She declares she
will not take the offensive against Italy.
She asserts that she has commenced dis
armament in Bohemia, but refuses to
give UP her concentration OF forces on
the italian frontier. On the other hand,
Prussia believes that she herself is the
object of the ornaments of Austria, and
that the preparations on the side OF Italy
are nothing but a feint to draw Oft the
attention of Prussia from threatening de-
monstrations on her own frontier. Aus
tria firmly believes that Italy is in alll-
ance with Prussia, and that France has
given her consent, and perhaps more
than consent, to the transaction. with
this reciprocally bad opinion of each
others good faith, frankness, and honour,
it cannot excite establishment that, while
negotiations proceed uninterruptedly, ar
maments proceed faster still, SO that eve
nv Power seems to draw back further
- c,uG6ou feooo 4ho ohnnooc of on anil
cable settlement. Everybody seems in
Cuueu 10 uovuuUU, aud "v|01y 30 reeodo-
Time will %unravel this great enigma, and
point out to us who are the dupes and
who are the deceivers, and, above all,
what is the machinery, that is thus sport
ing with the passions and destinles, OF
mankind. There is something behind to
which we have no clue-some perverse
element, like Puck, in the Midsummer
NIGHTS Dream, which delights in setting
friends by the ears, and involving its VIC
TINS in the most incomprehenslble dis
cord.
It would seem impossible that Italy
should dare to bring upon herself the
whole power of the Austrian Empire,
unless she possessed some support more
to be relied on that her own newly-form-
ed army and not thoroughly united pro-
vinces. 1t may be that she has really
entered into q treaty with Prussia, and
that she is destined to draw upon herself
the first attack, so that her antagonist
may suddenly invade a naked Austrian
frontier; and it is possible that the En-
peror of the French may have come
under some obligation to prevent the
conquest of Italy in case the war should
not be successful. On the other hand,
Austria's pugnacity has probably some
other cause than mere hatred or fear of
Italy, else she could hardly have ventur-
ed to commence a war with her southern
neighbours while her Hungarian quarrel
is vet unhealed and undecided. We hear
more of the preparations of every other
Power than Of Prussia, which has hitherto
been considered the most adventurous
and pugnacious of European States. One
question must occur to every one,-has
France abdicated the control she has
hitherto exercised over Europe2 Have
her counsels lost their former weight, her
diplomatists their skill, or her armies