The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1867-08-28
The saIzburg Conference.

From The ~. Y. Herald.
State secrets are proverbially well kept.
State secrets, however, are less well kept than
formerly. They do, at times, ooze out-wit-
ness the Grant and Johnson correspondence.
What has actually been done at Salzburg we
do not fully know. The secret, however, has
not been perfectly kept, and the little which is
known will doubtless have the effect of bring
ing speedily to light what is unknown.
Our latest kilograms make this, at least,
abundantly plain-that Prussia, if she does
not know all, is fully convinced that the two
imperial heads, while they were together, were
busy as they well could be, plotting against
everything which at the present moment she
holds specially dear. Our telegram of Monday
states that the semi official journals of Berlin
have no doubt that certain definite arrange
ments have been come to by the two mOnarchs
in regard to the formation of South German
Bund. Whatever may have been the doings
of the monarchs at Salzburg, and whatever
may be the ultimate results of the conference,
it may be said with the utmost safety that,
while they have mended matters in no par
ticular, they have been successful in aggra-
waiting the situation, and fastening on con-
tiict which many already saw was inevitable.
1t had been difficult thing to discover
sufficient caSus beli. The warlike feeling be-
tween Prussia and France was well known;
but few could see on what preteXt war could
be commenced. We cannot say that pretext
has yet been discovered; but we can and do
say that the points of actual contact have been
brought dangerously near. Feeling has been
embittered and intensified to degree that
threatens to defy all power of restraint. War
between the two peoples has already COM
menced in the journals. Only a little more
prOvocation is necessary, and the pen will give
place to the sword.
w, "a e., i.
insepaTable from modern warfare, we should
feel tempted to say the sooner the conflict takes
place the better. Everywhere the suspense is
felt to be painful. In financial and commercial
centres it is not only painful but disastrous
The threatening attitude on the one hand and
the defiant attitude ON the other, have been so
long maintained that the report of the first
cannon would be felt to be a relief.
If the contest can be confined to Prussia and
France alone, it will certainly be one of the
shortest, sharpest, and most decisive which
the world has yet seen. That it will be so
confined we have only small hope. Austria
we fear, has, for some reason yet unknown,
| allied herself to France. Prussia, as a neces-
| sary consequence, will lean upon Russia, and
Russia will not refuse her help. Fear alone
prevents Italy from joining the enemies of her
/ former benetactor, but now rather eXacting
| patron. The war, therefore, will be European
in its dimensions. 1t will be carried on until
| it is determined which of all the existing
| powers is entitled to the pre-eminence and the
lead. This is really the question now at issue;
nothing but war can settle it; and directly it
is settled, the first step will have been taken
| towards that grand confederation of the nations
| which is to be the characteristic of the Europe
of the future. For time the rival claimants
of this supremacy will be more or less nume-
rous; but each successive struggle will reduce
their NUMBER and in one central government,
whether monarchioal or republican circum-
stances will determine, Europe will be driven
by a stern necessity at once to look for protec-
tion and to concentrate her strength.