The Louisiana Democrat. [volume] (Alexandria, La.) 1845-1918, 1867-05-01
The Threatening War.
CIV NAPOLEON AFFORD TO BE RArFLEDF
Exc,rEp STATE OF FEELING in FRANCE.

"A war with power organized ZOE
,attle as Germany now is with an army
If at least ,three-quarters OF q million,
md an armed population behind her OF
|orty millions, is an enterprise which
40 people not alarmed for it's existence,
3r wounded in its honor, would be, will
ing to undertake. Frenchmen must
surrender all hope Of their natural
boundary; the frontier, Of the Rhine,
al expectation .of, obtaining Belgium
except With PrussiaaH consent, AL claim
10 decide alone on the future distribu-
N Elpn Of the sultan's dom7nioi1s. These
hopes and expectations and claims may
all be unreasonable, or absurd, or sell
fish, but, they are entertained by
Frenckmeen, were avowed by man SO
moderate as De Tocquevila, are cher
ishcd by the rank and file Of France, as
Americans cherish the hope.of ruling
from the I Il lal to the Pole.
There are Signs abroad that French
men are beginning TO hate Prussia as
they once hated England, and their
hatred is by no means devoid 9ffAfar.-
Strange as; It. seems t. Englishmen,
Frenchaen.h ave meyer forgotten 1873,
meyer unite rid themselves of the belief
that an invasion from the North, n sue
cceSsful invasion, is not beyond the
limits Of possibility. The isten,to ru-
mors about the absorption Of Holland,
the annexation of German Switzerland,
an offensive and defensive alliance be-
tween Berlin ana st. Petersburg, an
agreement between Won Bismarck and
Ricasoli, till they begin to feel as men
felt when the First Bonaparte was on
tie throne, as if nothing were too hor-
rible to be beyond their enemy's
dreams. Accounts Of plans drawn up
by Baron Won Moltke for the invasion
Of France are greedily received, and
photographs Of NJ. Theirs, who denQp9ln u,
ces Germany as a danger, are demand
ed in such numbers that even Partisan
photographers are overworked. They
see, to, Some substantial evidence for
their fears-as government bin, for in.
Stance, which sends every able-bodied
Frenchman into the ranks, q studious
abstinence of the Moniteur from any
allusion to the treaties with the South.
If Napoleon be not alarmed, why does
he risk his popularity with peasants
If he is not indignant, why does he 81
lence the Moniteur, usually SO careful
to reprint all official news7
The higher the popular estimate Of
tile emperor's sagacity, the deeper will
be the app,rekehsions Of all who believe
in him, till they feel at last as if they,
Frenchmen, the race Of oil others
proudest Of it's military fame, were re-
fusing O challenge, are half inclined,
like the peasants Of Turuy, to propose
A levee en- masse to defend the SOIL
That is not a healthy condition ofmind
for great military people, and least Of
all for great people ruled by a dynas-
ty to which success is as the breath Of
life. It will make war easy On the first
occasion, and there are occasions in
plenty. Without believing all the ru-
mors which now load the air of every
continental capitxi, it may, we think,
be taken for granted that Napoleon and
Bismarck ale at this moment engaged
| in diplomatic war for the possession
of Luxembourg.
The King Of Holland, to whom the
Duchy belongs, is willing, it is said, to
sell his rights, and the Dutch, who
dread enntangl efmfsehnEts with Germany,
are willing that it should be sold. The
only difficulty IN the way is Prussia,
which garrrisons the fortress, which
regards it as an outwork Of Germany,
4 which dare not surrender one inch d
1 strictly German soil, and which hopes.
and from the necessity Of its ;ge6gfaph-
ical position will always Continue to
hope, that Holland may One day be vt
tractad with tie Germanic circle. "a
4 seat United Germany upon the AT,
lantic is a dream no German will viii
lingly resign, and the Prussiah King
though Of course officially most fesi.
rous of peace, may object very strenu'
Ously to surrender Luxemburg. Nap0
leon cannot bear to be always bafied
the American complication is over; til,
French Are in ,the dangerous mock
u which the idea that their influence il
waning always inspires; England il
paralyzed by internal dissehsions, ant
. indisposed in any event to intsrfer'
, with France; Germany il exalted til
, lit will bear no menace; the East j
stirring and heaying with excitement
!. all things point B that greatest Q
earthly calamities general European
:. war. We have still three months, 70
Napoleon must give the signal, and tn
:, exhibition does not close till August
: but if he lives, and ssunforseen doe
:, not arrive Germany will yet be weld
ed into a harder unity by blows fror
the outside. Already the mere rune
' Of menace is doing Count Won BIZ
d marck's work, the federal draft is pal
sing as rapidly as if the North Germa
I parliament were filed with soldier
}, and, when it is proclaimed, the king
= Prussia is Emperor of Germany, with
t military dictatorship for three years.
70 And we wonder that on all bours'
10 there are uneasiness and hesitation.
al .~~~>---~>~0s->~-->~>~~
II A Mlx1S' OF THE BABIEs.-Some tin
" ago there was dancing party given I
|: North. Most Of the ladies. present b
q little babies, whose Hvisy perversity
2 IdGifea too much attention to permit /
: ID M 1