New-York tribune., 1867-08-20
pRospEcnrE ALLIANCES IN EUROPE.


Little credence is generally given to the as
suranccs 10y official papers of Europe OF the
existence of friendly and pacific sentiments
between Powers which are commonly supposed
to be plotting aud intriguing against each
other. Not one of the great Courts of Europe
has shown itself very scrupulous in concealing,
and even in denying its real sentiments, if such
a policy was regarded rs promotive of its in
terests. On the other hand, there is little rea-
son for suspectng the sincerity of official jour
nails when they announce that relations with
some foreign Power have become of an un-
friendly nature. Announcements of this kind
naturally offend the Power against which they
are directed, and very commonly are only the
first of a series of hostile acts.
The admission, therefore, by the official ga
zette of Vienna, that Austria is ready to con-
clude an alliance with France against Prussia
and Russia is not without significance. IL is
not the first time that Austria has admitted this in
tention; and the statement of the official pa
per will be believed all the more readily as, i'll
this case, the projected alliance is based upon
real community of interests. In general, the
alliances of European Powers have been guided
by temporary, not by permanent, causes; but
the growth of the national aspirations which tend
to a reconstruction of all Europe has compelled
the Governments to count i'll establishing
alliances, not only their army and their
revenue, but to take into account the
advantages and disadvantages that may
accrue to them from the national move
ments of the day. 1t is under the influence
of such considerations that Austria and France
are naturally drawn toward each other. Austria
hates Prussia not only on account of her
terrible defeat in 1866, but still more as the
representative of German unity, which exercises
an attractive power upon the Germans of
Austria no less than upon those OF the little
Princpalties and Duchics. She fears that the
progress Of the National German unity will
infalibly in the course of time bring on another
collision with Prussia, and she seeks the alliance
of any Power which may have the same reason
for hating Prussia. Such Power is France,
Whatever may be the affectionate assurances
which Louis Napoleon and King William, the
Ministers of France and those of Prussia, the
| Moniteur and the official paper of Berlin may
| give TO each other and to the world, they are
| all the time aware that they are natural oppo-
nents. France naturally desires to prevent the
| consolidation, across the Rhine of a German
| nation superior to France in area and popula-
| ton, and to that end must not only welcome an
ally against Prussia, but it is in her interest no
less than that of the Emperor of Austria
that the absorption of the South German
States and of the German provinces of Austria
by Prussia should be prevented. We there
| fore need no assurance of the official gazette
of Vienna that an antiPrussan alliance of
France and Austria is regarded in Vienna as
desirable.
Russia is a natural opponent OF France in
the Eastern question, for the influence of
| Russia in the East can only be strengthened
if that of France is weakened. But of late
the conflict of her interests with those of
Austria has become much more conspicuous
than with those of France. Thirty years ago
there was no Russian party in Austria; now
such party not only does exist but is rapidly
growing. Papers with outspoken Russian
afinities have been fined and suppressed, and
persons charged with being Russian emissaries
have been arrested in Austria. Such measures,
of course, intensity the national consciousness
of the Scavi both in Russia and Austria,
and the dangerous idea is striking deep
root in both countries that the Sclavic districts oi
Austria, though they contain about one-haii