The union Democrat., 1867-10-19
The War Alarms OF the Emperor and its
Consequences.
lFrOm the Pail Mall Gazette. September .th.l

From the Pail Mall Gazette, September sth.l
Ii Is an old reproach to our countrymen
that they are seldom able TO look at any ques-
'lon except from their own domestic point of
view. luis defect may be traced in our treat.
ment OF Ireland, and it is still more appar.
eh' IN the current opinion of foreign affairs.
Our lnsular position partly explains This
shortcoming. Comparatively isolated as we
nave been since the Crimean war, simple
spectators OF all the important events which
have altered the face Of Europe, we are apt
to speculate with a judicial and philosophic
caimnesS which forgets to take into account
the disturbing influences to which human
nature in nations, no less than in individuals
is exposed. There is. apparently.
some risk of our falling into this error in
forming this opinion en- the present relations
between France and Germany. OF course,
from our English point of view. it is very DE.
sirable that Europe should settle down into
peaceful repose. ard that the financial panic
whith Is playing such havoc With commerce
should not be prolonged by military alarms
| Prussia, therefore, (say We. would do we'll
to be content with the spoils she has already
netted. and withdraw her cuyetous ewes from
he Southwestern States France. sitting her
| u 2uS irritation at Prussian aggrandize.
meat. should devote herself to the develop
ment of her rich domestic resources and
Austria has abundant employment in consol
idatlng her disorganized system of nationah.
ties. This is excellent advice, but unfortu
nateiv the countries in question have their
own ideas on the subject, and these ideas hap
oen not to be ours. France being the Power
from which, if there is any immediate move.
ment, the first impulse may be expected to
come, it is worth while to try to discover
what aspect the question presents from the
French point Of view.
! Taken by itself, the circular which has lust
been issued by the French Foreign Office af
| iords US little enlightenment on this subject
There is an obvious absurdity in declaring
that the visit of Napoleon TO Saizburg was
dictated by sentiment (Which public opin-
ion could not mistake" seeing that the
ayowed raiS0a d 'etre of the circular is to cor.
rect the erroneous Interpretation which pub
lie opinion has put on that event 1t may be
perfectly true that the intention of the En-.
peror was merely to - bear and affectionate
testimony of sympathy to the imperial family
of Austria, so cruelty afflicted bv recent
misfortune - bat people may be excused if
they fail to believe that coincidence for the
death of Macmillan was the sole object of a
meeting which was celebrated by festivities
and fireworks. 1t was certainly an original
idea to turn night into day on the Untersburg
because the unhappy Archduke was shot at
Queretaro. Moustier admits,-howeyer, thas
the days OF mourning were broken by an
exchange of ideas on question of general
Interest," - and this is just what plain people,
looking at the obvious inferrences to be drawn
from such meeting, and recollecting what
had followed previous meetings of the same
kind, suspected, and took alarm accordingly.
If Moustier, in order to allay the apprehen-
sions which have very naturally been excit-
ed, had nothing more explicit to say than
that "neither the object nor the result of the
interview was the formation of combination
which there is nothing in the present state of
Europe to justify" he had better have said
nothing at all. Nobody supposes that France
would avow the formation of an alliance
which could not be justified and what is still
wanting to remove the disturbing impressions
which have been produced is plain, positive
statement that no combination whatever has
been formed, or is IN contemplation, for the
intervention of France in the domestice af
fairs Of Germany. Moustier refers to the
previous declarations of the Government as
explaining everything. When viewed in
their historical sequence and in connection
with cotemporary events, we admit these dec
larations are not without their significance
First of all there was the declaration made
through Drouyn de Lhuys that Austria must
be maintained as great Power After the
Austrian defeat came the French demand for
territorial compensation. evidently following
out the idea conveyed in the Imperial speech
at Auxerre, in which such detestaticn for
tha otias 1binb daDrivo1 Ero,oo
left bank of the Rhine. Upon the pron,pt
refusal by Prussia of this demand, Laval
ettc in vain attempted to soothe the wounded
pride Of his eountrymen by an audacious ar
gument that nothing happened except what
the Emperor had foreseen and desired in the
interest of France But still the people show
cd that they were hurt and sulky. and the
Emperor. who had made it the great object
OF his reign to faster the national pride of his
subjects, found himself accused of deficient
sense of national honor.
1t was this which called forth the ossnr
ance in the speech at the opening of the
Chambers that the French flag must always
be kept at the same hight" Next there was
the prefense put forward by Rouher that
French Interests had been secured by the
tripariaton OF GERMANY. which was at once
rented by the publication of the military
conventions between Prussia and the South.
western States. In fact, there has been from
first to last an utter failure in the Emperor's
efforts tn persuade his people that he has been
guiding affairs So as to keep France still par
amount in Europe 4 the same time he
lacks the courage to repudiate the false theory
OF national glory which is worshiped by the
Theirs school and which rest on the princi.
PIE that NANTES; destiny places France at
the head Of Europe, and that whatever
changes may occur, the relative position of
France to the other Powers must not be dis
turhed that is to say, France has been nc.
custcmed TO the proud consciousness of being
half head taller than her neichbors. and
means to insist either on all other nations
being kept down to that standard or else on
receiving such an addition to her own stature
as TO maintain the old proportion. The feel.
ings which are now prevalent NAV he gath
cred from the tone of the press. In the new
number of the Rerue des Dear Mondes For.
cade uses very strong language:
Both in political and military point of
view the military convention between Prussia