The daily phoenix. [volume] (Columbia, S.C.) 1865-1878, 1866-06-21


on their frontiers can compensate
them for the loss Of Venitia, or is in
the power of the Conference to be-
stow, if even it were suitable. Can
they be expected to annex the indie
pendent Servians, the barbarous
MonteneTins, Bosnia, with large
number of Mahomedans, or the Da-
nubaan principaities, which have just
chosen q ruler for themselves? They
might fairly puzzle any representa-
tive Of the neutral powers by simply
asking him what he could propose
that was honorable and just. We
have ourselves seen as yet no propo-
sltioR that deserves moments con-
sideration, and we suspect that no
| member of the Conference has been
| prepared with a practical scheme. If,
/ then, Austria had accepted the, Con-
ference, she would have retained her
position as q State standing on the
! defensive in support Of strict rights,
and .assalled for refusing to yield to
what no statesman in Europe could
call upon her to yield She might
have waited till her adversaries or her
| advisers refuted each other by con-
Trajectory propositions, and have re-
| tired at length 10 fight or make peace
with her reputation for Temperance
and Justice rcassured. -
It is likely now to be far otherwise.
People win say that Austria cannot
resist the temptation her immense
levies present to her. She has three
follrths of million of men in the
| field. She is, or thinks herself, full
match for all her present adversaries
! Her population nearly equals theirs.
and she has the middle States of Ger
| many, with an army of more than
150, 900 men, favorable to her, and
likely to move in her favori if the war
lasts. In Italy, the Austrian army,
entrenched in one of the strongest
positions III Europe, may allow the
enemy to exhaust his strength against
the Quadrilateral. In the North,
Field Marshal Benedek, the ablest
soldier of the empire, is ut the head
| of an army which may strike a sud
den and crushing blow. From the
| frontier of Bohemia, he looks North
ward and Eastward over the plains of
the Prussian kingdom, and sees no
lnvincible obstacle to the capture of
Berlin OF the reconquest of SiIcsia.
! Whatever may be in store for the
Austrians, they are at this moment
convinced that the outbreak of war
will give them victory and revenge,
aud deliver the empire forever from
the designs of its enemies. 1t is a
! thoroughly warliko spirit which has
dictated their answer to the neutral
powers, and which may now ut any
moment cause the first blow to he
struck. There is, therefore, nothing
further to be done or said Those
who choose war must be left to win
or lose by war. But, if there be still
prudence at Vienna, the Emperor
will abstain from offensive operations
on both frontiers of his dominions.
The anger Of the Court and army
burns tierccst against Prussia, or
rather against the Prussian Govern
ment, for such is the hatred of the
war among large numbers of the
Prussian people, that they may be
looked upon as more on the side of
Francis Joseph than of King William.
1t is too probable that Austria will
seek to strike heavy blow at once,
conscious that no one is likely to in
terfere In defence of her Northern
adversary. But with such blow, all
hopes of peace vanish, and Prussia,
with all her legions, is brought into
the field. There is an additional rea-
son why the Austrians should keep
on the defensive in Italy. It is not
only, as far rs we can judge, better
strategy, but there are political rea-
sons for it. An offensive campainn
could hardly fail to invite the inter
ference of the French. Napoleon
could not see with Indifference the
Austrians again in possession of
Milan. Although the French army
has little desire for another war with
Austria, and although, if it must
fight, it would rather find another
foe, yet the reconquest of any part of
Italy would assuredly bring it again
into the field
HE EUROPEAN W.>R.--The New
York Post says Austria, it seems, at
the last moment, refuses to come into
the conference, which was proposed
chiefly on her account, except on
condition that she shall not lose ter
ritory. This is as though country
gentleman should refuse to enter IA
mock auction shop except ON condi-
ton that he should not have his
pockets picked