The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1867-12-01
Tho Papal Questionable Prospects Of 9
Congress.

Tho Papal Quostiou-Thc Prospects Of a
Congress.
Our cable dispatches relating to this Papal
question and the proposed conference of the
European Powers have been even more unre-
liable than usual. The reports Of one day have
seldom agreed with each other and have often
been contradictory Of those Of the day proceed
ing. Rumors have been autographed to US as
well ascertained facts, and, as natural conse-
quence, Impressions directly the reverse of oor
rect have been produced on many minds.
Accepting the reports as more or less trust
worthy, we had been led to believe that ad-
hesion to the proposals of Napoleon was all
but universal and that congress might be
considered certain. Cable dispatches Of q
more recent date, confirmed in this instance
happily by the arrival Of our mail news, prove
that no such agreement exists, and that con-
gress, after all, is, up to the present moment,
extremely problematical With the single ex-
ception of Austria, which by some means or
other has become the catspaw of Franco, we
have yet to learn that any one of the great
Powers has returned to Napoleon other
answer than request for further explanation.
From our mail dispatches wo are made
aware Of the actual sentiments Of the English
government and enabled to form an opinion
as to the course they will probably follow. In
the House Of Commons Lord Stanley, the
Secretary Of State for Foreign Affairs, in tho
course Of an explanation which was asked by
| the House, stated that "to the invitation to
conference addressed to us by the French
government he had answered that the govern
ment saw little chance Of any satisfactory
result following the conference unless some
definite plan of settlement were proposed
beforehand, and unless It could be ascertained
from previous negotiations that the plan would
have reasonable chance Of acceptance. Sorry
though be might be to lose chance Of remov-
| Ing this cause Of disagreement, to 90 into
| conference without some such previous agree
ment would have been . waste Of time"
Lord Stanley in these words expresses himself
with his usual discernment and caution They
are words almost identical with those used by
the HERALD when the idea OF q conference was
first mooted. We have never been able TO see
how European congress, even If got to-
Cether, could be OF any essential service In the
settlement Of this question; and it was mat
ter Of surprise to us to learn by telegram that
| Napoleon's invitation had been accepted by
the various Powers before II was distinctly
understood what 1t was the object Of the
congress TO accomplish. That tho English
government IL not singular in its opinions
regarding the congress Is made manifest by
some of our most recent kilograms, which for
the reasons given above we are disposed, in
this instance, to accept az correct Italy has
addressed an official note to France requesting
explanations as to the intent Of the Emperor
In the Conference, and King Victor Emanuel
will regulate his action towards the pro-
posal according to the reply. A Prussian
official journal has emphatically denied that
any one Of the great Powers Is as yet COM
mitted to the conference while Russian
journal, supposed to be in the confidence OF
the government, considers that It will be impos-
sible for any congress TO maintain the present
boundaries Of Rome. Looking at all the
facts OF the case we cannot say that con-
rress will not be held but We do say that IL
il extremely dif1cult TO see what congress
could do which Napoleon cannot equally well
accomplish himself II Napoleon wishes to
maintain the temporal power OF the Papacy,
Italy d too weak 70 resist France II con-
plant enough 70 scquissco and Europe d
i ap@Qiantly Ipdl9ak0nt n md aontARm1pl