The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1867-06-05

brilliant and visible victory over the mutual
distIust Of nations and the traditional reserve
OF princes, as the third Napoleon sees confessed
all about his palace to-day in the name of in
dustry and of commerce, of human progress
and of the useful arts. Speculation, of course,
will be rife, on both sides of the sea as To the
secret motives which may have led TO this ex-
traordinary congregation of municipalities
and of powers" and as to the probable results
on the policy of Europe of this rare this un-
precedented opportunity afforded to the rulers
81 mankind to take counsel together face to
face. We need not yield to the temptations
of such speculation upon such matters.
f, 1t is enough that in this splendid homage
rendered by Europe to the primacy of modern
and imperial France, we may easily recognize
a signal tribute to the spirit of the age. In
spite of all the wars which have shocked the
world during the past twenty years, in spite
of the rumors of wars which still shake and
perturb the Old World, nothing can be more
certain than that the already dominant and
steadily rising power of this age is the real
interest of the real people of Chrstendom.
'Public opinion" said the present Emperor of
the French on a memorable occasion, "public
opinion always gets the victory in the end"
Nothing can be more true; and the secret of
the sure victory of public opinion is the
emancipation of private industry and of
private enterprise. What is called the ode
mocTatic" change which has of late years been
coming over the social aspect of Europe, q
change which marks itself particularly in the
increased splendor and luXuriousness of the
average style of living in the European oapi-
tails, is simply a symbol of this progressive
emancipation of industry and of enterprise.
The things which half a century ago were the
privileges of Dukes and Earls are now the
habits of thousands of prosperous, though
untitled men in every European country.
AS the one sovereign of Christendom who has
steadily fostered and fought for this progress
sive emancipation of industry aud of enter
prise, the Emperor of the French fills his
rightful place in the hierarchy of rulers, when
he sees the Princes of Europe coming to-
gether in his capital to admire and be
instructed by the most stupendous exhibi-
tion of the results of industry and of
enterprise which the world has ever seen.
The monarch who has seen the industry and
the wealth of France tripled beneath his eyes
during a reign of twenty years, and yet who
| has not feared to lay before France the accu-
mulated evidences of a worldwide progress
| scarcely less remarkable than her own, may
| fairly claim to be hailed as the Napoleon of
| Peace. 1t is impossible to divine the future.
\ The most astute of mortals may make the
most fatal mistakes. The consolidation of
1 great European nationalities may bring on, by
! lamentable fatality, new and great European
wars. But the present at least we can see
and comprehend, and the scenes which are
| passing now in Paris are the most dazzling
homage which has yet been paid to the genius
and the fortune of the heir of Napoleon |.