New-York tribune., 1867-08-30
THE NEW CONFLICT BETWEEN GERMANY
AkD FRANCE


And FRANCE
1t is easy to comprehend the profoud morti-
fication which is felt by the Prussan and tho
National party of Germany general at tho
new interference of France in the prgress o,
the National Union movement. tn work
which was so successfully begun by te bril-
liant campaign of 1866 would long a9 have
been finished but for France. lustri,
could not have prevented it, and Rus
sia England and Italy would never have
thought of preventing it, 1t was solely tie in.
fuence of France which, at the conclusion OF
the peace of Prague, caused the South German
States to be excluded from the new German
Confederation As subsequent neSOtiattou,
with these States showed, their exclusion wa,
insisted upon III the hope that France would
be able to bring them gradually under French
patronage and French control. In addition ia
this. Louis Napoleon, the loud -mOuthed cham.
pion of the nationality movement in every
country of Europe demanded the cesSiOn Of
considerable portion of territory purely Ger
man to France. This was encrgetcally and
Indignantly refused and France, not being yet
prepared for war, Withdrew her demand. A
few months later, France made a secret bargain
a province exclusively inhabited by Germans.
Again the firm protest OF Prussia compelled
her to desst, But the efforts to prevent the
consummation of the unity Of Germany was not
abandoned. Louis Napoleon, after trying "a
overthrow the national independence Of Mex
leo, and, after vctoing the national unity OF
Italy by forbdding the annexation of Rome
has Isked new and defiant step for arrcstna
the unity of Germany. Though we are shll
without Official information as to the character
of the Franco Austrian alliance, all that hl.
been intmated about it in the official paper.
of Paris and Vienna admits of no other con
structiOn than that its chief object is to oppose
the union of the German tribes under the
leadership of Prussia Austria could never
have thought of undertaking such work Il
is altogether NapOleOnc idea
What nation, situated like the German, would
not have repelled such an Intervention with
unanimous Indignation! We are not surprised
therefore, to lcam that the language of the
Prussian press is exceedingly warlike. The
people want to test the ability of Napoleon 10
carry out his sinister designs. The MOniteW
it is true, continues to declare that the
conference of Salzburg is a new pledge
of peace in Europe but every one remem
bers the M0nifeur's articles on Mexico and
| Rome and the money markets OF Paris
London and other large cities take the alarm
They are influenced by the warke threats of the
Prussian press, not by the pacific assurances OF
the Moniteur 1t is generally felt that the stua
ton is critical, and that if France and Austria
can muster courage enough to risk a war for
carrying out their plans they may bring on
war at almost any time.
The condition of Europe is unstable. and il
would be presumptuous folly to predict
whether the new complication will end in war
or not. There are grave reasons, however for
believing that there is no probability of an
immediate war The declarations of the Mont
teur, and the official paper of Vienna, indicate
that the allies are desirOuS to gain time. AuStri
has not secured yet the fin fcial aIrangem =
with Hungary, without VIII = she must hesitate
to engage in any warlike riovement. Neither
Austria nor France have yet completed their
military reorganization The South German
States are still in a state of transition. New
weapons of greater destructive efficiency ara
said to have been Invented by Mr. DreysSig
the inventor of the Prussian needle-gun, and
by Louis Napoleon and to require new equip
ment of the armies. 1t should also be borne
in mind that France, however much COM
mitted to an alliance, will not hesitate
to withdraw whatever may be the disgrace
Of such step, if in consequence
of the alliances of Prussia she should suddenly
be brought face to face with a vastly superior
force. However dangerous, therefore, the
present complication in Europe may look We
do not yet believe in the imminence of war.
But as the movement for the national unity ot
the great peoples of Europe is inepresSiOle,
there will be, without fail, IN the course OF
time, terrible war, if France and Austria con-
tinue to obstruct the national unity OF the
! Germans. the Italians, and the Sclayi