Smyrna times., 1866-07-11
FOuTth of .Jnlv Vindicatad

In one of Sir Walter Scott novels he repre-
sents Lous Nj, Of France, as half crelulous,
halt sceptlcal monarch, now consulting his As
trol0glst, and now ready to hang him, if his
predictions did not come out rs he desired
The poor Astrologer, about to be executed.
saves his life by announcing the discovery Just
made, that his death will precede that of his
majesty by just about six months. The King
half suspects, half fears, but thinks i best not
to execute one with whose fate his own may be
so mysteriously connected This has its appli-
cability to the fate of nations.
AT season like this, the Fourth of Jnlv
may well excite US to speculate how far our
fortune Is the precursor of that Of Europe, and
OF the civilized world generally. No one who
carefully studies the history of the first French
Revolution, can doubt that the convulsed state
OF Europe which followed soon after the estab-
llshment of our Independence, was the natural
and Legitimate result of the doctrines promul-
gated in our Declaration Of Independence, and
the triumph of the principles it involved. In
like manner now; only with much greater ra-
pldlty, the success -four National victories and
re-establishment of Union principles, is closely
followed by another blaze of war in Europe
W hen our late war commenced, it WaSchief-
ly through the intrigues of foreign nations and
the expectations by them excited, that the
South was encouraged to enter on the suicidal
course of civil war. Now We can look back
having safely passed through the struggle, and
see the war beginning to rage in Europe, of
which ours was the inevitable precursor 1t
is the principle of abSOlutism afraid of the
spread Of liberty that really lies at the bottom
OF this conflict. And although at first there is
much artful confusion, there can yet, we ap-
prehend, be but little doubt that by degrees
the present complications will wear away, and
bpfnrp annthar hall Eba,t,,
side and abOlltlonism on the other ranged in
opposite and hostile ranks, more obviously dis
tlnct and opposed than at the present moment,
when affairs are strangely mixed up.
A year ago we had just emerged from the
conflict, but there is comparatively little hostile
feeling left, thanks to the benignity of our
Government; and on the part of the North
certainly there is no desire but to rebuild the
desOatiOns of war in the South. Will Europe
arise as easily to be recuperated after the war
on which she is now entering? Russia, we are
told, remains neutral, ." as long as France does
not interfere. But france is now supplying
the army Of Italy with shoes openly, and pro-
badly with arms little more quietly. At any
moment she holds herself at liberty to seize all
she can the treaties Of Europe being, as it
were, torn up, and universal anarchy apparent
II France and Russia enter on the strife, can
England remain neutral, and see Belgium con-
quered, and the Rhine French river?
In fact, all that our late war was fought to
avert In America, 4 e., an anarchy Of States,
the present war has got to determine for ali
Europe, !. e: whether the proposed anarchy
shall or shall not prevail there. The prospects
tor Europe now are far darker than those for
the United States ever where in this respect. =
But we are through our troubles, and with
gratitude on the Fourth of July can say and
feel that all our declarations have been estab-
lished-all that We fought for has been accom-
plished. What other nation can say and feel
the same? Never have we had occasion to
feel more joyful and triumphant on the return
of the Natal Anniversary of the Union
Ledger.