The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1867-07-30
THE VIEW YORK PRESS.
EOrroRIAI oPINIoEs or THE LEADING JOURNALS
UPoN CURRENT TOP1cs-CohPILED EvRRY
DAY FoR THE EVENING TELEaRAPH.
Whs threatening Aspect Of Affairs In

TO the position OF aualf5 IN Europe have had
a sufficient odor of speculation about them to
be generally discredited. But the recent des-
matches would seem to indicate the approach
of new crisis in the relations of the two
great German powers Prussia to-day is as
muoh distrusted as France was three years
aoe. However legitimate may be her aspira-
tions as the leader Of Germany; however eau
tious her noliov of territorial revision, she lies
under the disadvantage of being suspected.
The consolidated northern monarchy is
Upeaoe"-precisely in the sense, and with the
qualifications, that the ''empire" in France is
t'peace" Consolidation in Northern Germany
was achieved with such marvellous speed, and
suoh unequivocal success, that it seemed as if
the battle of Sadowa gave assurance to Eu-
rope-so decisive did it appear in its results.
The ''empire" in France was so entirely the
creation of an individual the pretensions of
that individual we're apparently sustained by
so overwhelming majority of the people of
France, that the usual vague declarations of
''peace" from the Imperial lips used to thrill
and delight the stockholders as if they were
superhuman DEGREES, against which all outside
ambition or international combinations must
necessarily be powerless.
The sure test of time has been applied in
both cases. Cesarism in France has long
been distrusted as an agency of peace. 1t was
distrusted when the Italian war for the Lom-
bardo-V Venitian principalities broke out. 1t
was distrusted when the issue of the German
war was made a pretext for attempting the
annexation of Luxembourg to France. 1t was dis
trusted almost from the commencement of the
ill-fated Mexican expedition. 1t has been dis
trusted throughout the progress of this great
Exposition of Industry People are looking
for peace. The great masses of those who
make up the wealth of nations are longing
and praying for ''peace." But thus far the
revised empire" in France has been war.
And the Imperial policy to-day is distrusted
from one end of Europe to the other.
Prussia is not following the teachings of the
second empire" But Prussia, in assuming
to be the leader in the establishment of con-
solidated German power, has had to fall back
upon the force and resoluteness of one mans
will. Bismark is the exponent of a species of
Cesarism. He believes in the virtue of
strong military force. He is willing enough
to work with the people as long as they work
with him. He believes in popular govern
ment as far as it does not conflict with his
policy and his personal ambition. He has
recommended the cOnvening of a constitu
tionally elected Parliament; but in cases of
emergency he has found it expedient to get
along as well as he could without the for
mality of parliamentary votes. He has been
a steady advocate of peace; but events caused
him to figure twelve months ago as the politi-
cal director in war which turned Europe
upside down. In short, the kind of constitu-
tiOnal government, the kind of consolidation,
the kind of peace that the two controlling
minds in France and Germany would esta-
blish, are those which depend primarily
upon military force. "War" with both of
them takes precedence. 1t is the centre and
pivot to their policy. And we should like to
see it illustrated how far Europe has progressed
under this system towards pacific settlement
since the "1hirty Years. Var" The greatest
publicist of that epoch, devoted as he was to
the philosophy and practice of international
peace, spent the best years of his life in pro-
duoing his "De Jtre BeLi." He dealt, it is
true, with the jus pacis, but the prime ques-
tion then, as it seems to be now, was not to
make war impossible, by establishing some
thing like an international federative system,
but by framing humane rules to mitigate the
horrors of international war. Were GrOtius
alive to-day, his task, to h useful at all, would
have to be the same as when he wrote in his
own time. We have apparently made no
advance whatever in the way of hav-
ing international disputes referred to
arbitration. Kant demanded a univer-
sal confederation as the basis of a law
which should govern the conduct of nations
towards each other. How many disciples OF
Kant are there to-day There may be few
thinkers; there may be not a few philan.
thrOpic peace advocates, who would listen to
his broad political philosophy. But among
those who rule and govern in politics here o.
elsewhere, who would listen to arbitration il
the settlement of question involving what il
deemed national honorY We Americans woult
certainly set a very poor example. We ar
religiously predisposed to little bloOd-l letting
We like good display of military force. Ant
perhaps it might be as well, before beginning
to denounce the incessant contest for terrtora
and political ascendancy in Europe, to recko
up, ON our own account, how far we shoul
be disposed-were there a rival America
power at our elboW-to settle down and Ii
quiet under some old treaty framed sealed
and signed fifty or a hundred years ago.
The existence of the French dynasty de
pends upon the ability of one man to max
the power and influence and prestige of Franc
greater than the power and influence an
prestige of any other nation.
The endurance of the new consolidated Ger
man power depends upon the resolution and tn
energy with which one man (for Bismark i
hardly likely to have successor in this gene
ration) seizes hold of and profits by every ad
vantage achieved in the Short sharp, and de
cisive battles of last year. The Prussia
Minister sees this so clearly and acts there
upon SO nervously, that he is suspected-su:
Deoted not more at Vienna than at st. Peters
burg. and at neither more than at Paris. Il
has reopened the question of the Danis
Principalites in a way which shows that
places upon the treaty of Prague different IL
depreciation from that put upon it by Austr
or the neutral powers. That is one cause
renewed trouble; and a telegram we pul
lished recently shows that Austria Goun