American citizen. [volume] (Canton, Miss.) 1864-1890, 1867-10-26

the best Jf1du ability to encourage
fdfiat 90 o. lie uss faithful N
Keep ilatoath, ndexhort bur neigh-
bors. white ana black, $50 to do.''
GEO. L. POTTER,
n. NJ. YERGEB,
- ID. SHELTON,
@ w. BPOoKE,
d. w. MCRAB,
~ fs-ss" ! u. r, ,IdNEs.
Stat. Central EteCatiue Committee.
,,I4.oAsoN, Miss, Oct. ~, 1851
lt1Ll. W
THE iMpENDING WAR M EuEcPF
A great var in Europe is inevita-
Bile. Those who place the slightest
trust in the assurances OF peace
which the rival governments are con.
tinually making, forget the maxim OF
Talleyrand, that the use of speech is
the concealment of thought. Those
who choose TO take the word OF a
French or Prussian minister forget
that truth is the one especial virtue
which a continental statesman cannot
afford to practice. All great wars III
Europe have begun with proclama-
lions of peace, Othat the very phrase
of " international amitEn sounds like
thereport of a gun. Thenearer the
war, the more earnest are proteSta-
lions of good will and the govern
ments remind us of prize-fighters
who. Just before they beat each other
to "a Jelly, exchange the warmest
shakings, and most cordial SMILES.
We have had more than one instance
/ in this generation of royal rulers con-
graduating their subjects upon the
prospects of long and happy peace at
| the Very moment when they were
preparing their. armies to invade
somebody else's territory. "Franee
desires peace; all her interests are
bound ali in undisturbed commerce,
manufacture and art. She will make
any sacrifice to avoid war;" This is
the manner in which the emperor
talked at Amiens. ss''I have crossed
France with the Empress from Stras-
burg to Dunkirk, and our hearty and
sympathetic reception everywhere
has filed us with the liveliest graft
tude. Nothing, / perceive with pleas
ure. can shake the confidence which
for twenty years the French people
have placed in me. They have estima-
ted at their real value the difficulties
| have had to suTmouht. The llEsuc-
cess of our policy across the ocean
has not diminished the prestige OF
our arms, since everywhere the valor
of our soldiers overcame all opposition.
The events accomplished in Germany
have not caused our country to de-
part from calm and dignitied att
tude, and it relies with justice on the
maintenance of peace" Yet all this
reliance upon the perpetuity OF peace
did not prevent Napoleon from buy
inc iron clad war vessels i'll Amerca
to increase a navy already superior
to that of England. Nor did it put
stop to the unusual activity III re-
organizing, drilling and arlning every
branch of the service. The camps Of
France are as busy as her manutac-
tories. Immediately afser the triumph
of Prussia. measures were taken to
organize the army upon a basis OF
500, 900 men. Prussia, equally EN-
phatic in her protestations, has been
as significant i'll her actions. The
ayOwed policy Of Bismarck is the
consolidation Of the North German
States into one great military power,
of which Prussia shall be head, and
it is notorious that his schemes have
for their Immediate objectt detach-
ing of the South German States from
the influence of Austria. France is
arming; Prussia is arining; the nee
die gun is to De met with the Chasse-
BOT rife. Austria is sacrificing the
hereditary policy of the House OF
Hapsburg to gain what she hasnever
had-the effective support OF Hun
gary, and an assurance that Hun.
garian troops could be depended
upon in battle. Italy, and even
Switzerland, are adding to their ma.
terials of war, while that vast and
semi barbaric power which overhangs
western Europe like a threatening
cloud has already announced that
the Sultan must feyolutiOnize the
whole system of his government.
Every movement of Russia against
Turkey has been the prelude to a
great continental struggle, and, of
all her movements, the late demand
is the boldest. And war does not
result from the action of the Gar as
much as bis action is governed by his
knowledge of the future. Peace may
be preserved by a miracle-but mir.
acles are very rare in politics ; and
! if there is any Significance in facts,
the editor of this paper was right
when he lately gave his opinion, IN
! bis Paris correspondence, that war
was the settled purpose OF the Euro
pean Powers, and that France and
! Prussia would meet on new battle
fields before next spring. The music
of festivities aud the songs of peace
are heard throughout Europe; but
beneath their rejoicing strains Is
heard the far sound of trunpets, and
the roll of approaching drums. The
silence is like that of a bright morn
/ ing when two great armies meet, and,
while the birds sing and the bees
hum in the clover, await for q few
brief moments the command to fire