New Orleans daily crescent. [volume] ([New Orleans, La.]) 1851-1866, 1866-07-20
a NEW PHASE

iS4llitLht1Nl6 piltsS OF European 0lldlfS. LII
deed the whole course of the war up to this
time has been extraordinary, From the mo-
ment when hostilities were seen to be inevi-
table, almost every day has brought some un-
expected event, and has been the precursor
Of some singular change. The rapidlty with
which these mutations have been produced,
has in it something Of the melo-dramatic.
i The curtain scarcely rises before the scene
shifts. The eye has hardly time to master
the details Of one position before it is con-
fused and perplexed by sudden alteration.
From the moment when Prussia seeded from
the Germanie confederation we seem to have
been looking upon kind of kaleidoscope
phantasmagoria. No wonder then that the
public are puzzled to arrive at any accurate
estimate of the present aspect of ,Eu-
ropean affairs. First We have the for
NAL dissolution of the Bund, BY the
secession of Prussia; then the deolara-
ton of war, and the occupation by
Prussian forces Of the Elbe Duchies next the
invasion of Hanover and Saxony, and the
flight of the phil-Austrian princes contempt
{ raneously with the crossing of the Mincio by
Victor Emmanuels army the sanguinary
struggle in the heart of the quadrilateral the
bloody and desperate struggle Of Custozza
and the repulse and retreat of the Italian
forces. Turning our eyes again to the north
ward, we see the rapid advance Of the PrUs-
sian armies across .sazony and silesia We
scarcely hear that they are at the frontier
when they have descended from the defiles of
: the Riesengebirge upon the plains Of Bohemia
Next we have confused reports Of battles, in
which both sides claim the victory Austrian
bulletins announce the capture Of guns and
! prisoners and the retreat of the enemy. Prus-
sian dispatches claim the capture Of guns and
prisoners and the flight of the enemy
re DeQn in Berlin-Te Deuna in Vienna
But in q day or two it is known that the Aus
trian Ie De,un should have been a miserere.
Great battles have been fought and the Prus-
sian princes have won decisive victories.
Their armies press onward. Prague is before
them Prague where Huss was burnt and
where Frederic almost lost his cause and his
crown But the telegraph is a quick scene
shitter. simultaneously with the report Of
the great battles we have Austria in the atti-
tude of a supplant She hass agreed to cede
| Yenetia. She asks for an armistice She ac-
cepts the French Emperor as mediator. Then
the ar1nistiee is accepted, and peace is at
hand. Thank heaven, the dove with the olive
branch is abroad upon the sea of blood The
deluge of war is abating Governments feel
easier. Stocks go up cotton goes up gold
goes down. The next steamer will bring the
news that fighting has ceased. Not at all. The
next steamer brings the news that fighting is
still going on. The Italians are across the Po.
The Prussian cannon are laundering in the
heart Of Bohemia The armistice is rejected.
The Austrian Emperor summons up something
of the spirit of Maria Teresa and declares
that even if he have to abandon Vienna he
will establish his capital at Pesth, and call
all his people to arms. But, strangest Of all
in this strange and startling series of events,
Yene6a has been coded to France The tri-
color floats again above the place of st. Mark.
The power which seemed to take no part in
the lottery, drew the capital prize. Louis Ma
poleon, for the time at least is master of We
Meta. eWhat will he do with it ?" That is
now the question. The motive with which
Austria donated the disputed province to
France Is plain enough but the motive which |
induced France to accept the gift is not so
clear. Indeed, it is perfectly inexpicable,
except Rupon the theory that, by gaining
possession OF the object Of contention
between Austria and Italy, she expected to
make herself master" of the situation and
to dictate peace by detaehing Italy from the
aiilanee with Prussia AS the ayowed object
ot 4taly N commencing the war was to gain
Eenetia, it is presumed that she will no longer
continue the contest when that province has
passed out Of the power of her enemy. She
can acquire it now only by aceeding to such
terms as France may dictate and among these
the FIRST unquestionably, is a cessation of hos
tilities. In that event Prussia would be left
alone with her German allies to prosecute the
war. But Italy has contracted obligations
towards Prussia which she is bound, in honor
to fulfill. She cannot make a separate peace
even to acquire yenetia. without disoracino
,.,,.s,1e = ~ ~
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- p i'ei grasp tne
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