The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1867-09-03
NapOleOn's Circular and Speeches Do
They Mean Peaces

From The ". Y. Herald
The Marquis de Moustier, French Minister
of Foreign Affairs, has addressed a circular to
the representatives of the empire at foreign
courts on the subject of the relations of Napo-
Icons Government towards the other CONT
mental powers. The official document, dated
September l, is reassuring, the Minister as
serting that the ''auspicious meeting" at Salz-
burg should be regarded as ''a fresh pledge of
the maintenance of peace"
The Emperor of the French, it must be ad-
mitted, is no idler. The exhausting labors in
separable from the Exhibition and the enter
tainment of illustrious potentates and princes
being virtually ended, he does not court re-
pose. In place of setting out at once for Biar-
ritz, to rest and drink in health from the invi-
gorating sea breezes, he goes forth to meet his
imperial brother of Austria on the twofold
mission of coincidence and diplomacy. The
Salzburg conference ended, whether to his
entire satisfaction or not we cannot tell, he
proceeds to the camp at Chalons, where he
amuses himself, and all the world besides, in
the double exercise of reviewing his troops
and making soup for his officers. This done,
he is in no hurry to get home. Hating at diff
ferent stations by the way, particularly at
Arras, at Lille, and Amiens, he busies him
self feeling the pulse of the manufacturing
population, receives loyal addresses, and
delivers speeches in reply, full to the brim
OF pacific assurances. The question which
naturally arises to every thinking man 5
lips is, what does all this mean? To an
swer this question directly most men ind
it difficult. OF all men living the man Ma
poleon is the least easily read. The "Sphynx
of the Tuileries" is a name by no means in
aptly applied. The oracle seldom opens his
mouth, and when he does speak we seem to
| be as far from knowledge of his thoughts as
| ever. Talleyrand was never more successful
than he in making speech the means, not OF
expressing, but OF concealing thought. The
Salzburg conference was certainly Ominous OF
danger, and there are many who persist IN
thinking that the fruit of it cannot be other
than bitter. The visit to the camp at Chalons
was not more reassuring. The disposition
manifested to feel the public pulse at Arras Is,
to say the least of it, equally suspicious. But
what are we to make of these repeated assu-
RANGES of peace? At the close of the Salzbure
meeting it was announced, evidently with i'm
perial sanction, that the peace of Europe was
now secured The speech at Arras was o.
doubtful significance, and might mean elthei
peace or war. The speeches at Lille ano
Amiens have both of them been eminently
pacific, and the Foreign Office circular is IL
the same vein. What, then, is the CONCLUSION
| to be arrived at
The conclusion to which we feel ourselves
driven by review of the entire situation Is
that Napoleon is desirous of peace; that ne
has convinced himself that the French people
are desirous of peace; that, therefore, we shai
have no war unless war becomes such neces
sity as shall compel the public assent O.
France. There is nothing of which Napoleon
in later years particularly has shown hims el
so ambitious as to be the exponent OF th'
public mind of France. France, 1t IS nov
manifest, does not wish war. Our conVlctlon
therefore, is that we shall have none.
In arriving at this conclusion we are not lor
getful that the empire has not always mean
peace when it said in did, that the Mon'te@
has often cried peace when it meant war; an'
that experience has taught that as rule
il is safest to interpret the Emperor's Language
in the opposite sense. We are as little iorge'
ful that circumstances have materially changes
within the last ten years. In the early year
of his reign he had a name to make, AM
make it no must, by fair means or by foul
He has made his name, and his anxiety nov
is to found house. In order to do this
knows he must consult the welfare Of France