Nashville union and dispatch. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1866-1868, 1868-05-31
DISARMAMENT EUROPE.

DISARMAMENT IN EUROPE.
The news from Europe is encouraging
for the prospects Of peace. Il has been
negatively encouraging, indeed, for some
time past, and at this season Of the year
no news is good news. In general, spring
zephyrs, budding trees and growing
crops, instead of exercising a pacific in
finenee on mankind, only serve to remind
European rulers, says the New York
Times, that the weather IS once more
suitable for campaigning Bat we have
already got 10 the end of May without
any specific Issue having been raised be.
tween any two Of the European powers
supposed to entertain warlike intention,
and to-day we learn fronl trustworthy
source that proposals for general dis
armamenthas been made by one of the
great powers, and are looked upon with
favor by another. The London Morning
Post confirms the report that England
has formally urged reduction of their
| gigantic ornaments upon the great pow-
ers Of Europe, and assert that the AUS
trian government has given its adhesion
to the proposal. We may presume in
this case that Austria has also proffered
her good Offices in pressing the matter
ON the consideration of the other powers.
OF course it would not be safe to attach
too much Importance to the bare fact that
formal proposal of disarmament has
been made. If France and Prussia
taking the two powers whom it most inn
mediately ahects-are determined to fight,
they can just as easily find a ground
for quarrel in the details and degree of
disarmament as on questions such as the
naturalization Of Luxembourg, which so
nearly plunged Europe into war but a
short time since But there is no real
ground for supposing that such IS the
case. Prussia has again and again an-
nounced that her policy is not one of
further conquest, or military pressure
upon the remaining minor powers of
Germany. If they choose to consummate
German unity by drawing closer to Pms
STA, she is willing to meet their wishes
But there is nothing in the attitude of
Prussia atpresent that France can now,
after having so far tacitly acquiesced in
her policy, reasonably regard as caSus
beli There is no reason for believing
that Napoleon, however willing he may
have been to crafty the French pride by
a sudden and imposing manifestation of
strength, is really DESTROYS of war.
His encourage of military advisers may
be, but no man knows better how to
manage too enthusiastic supporters than
he does
The source, too, from which the pro-
posal for disarmament springs, inspires
some degree of confidence in its success.
The interests Of England are entirely
identical not only with the preservation
of peace but with the renewal Of confs
dence in Europe. The only two terri
tOrial questions in which she is directly
interested are the integrity of Turkey
and the indepenpence of Belgium, neither
ofwhich are at present threatened. Her
revenue, after many years of steady in
crease, now shows signs of depression,
mainly, if not entirely, from the stagna
ton Of trade consequent upon the pre-
Tailing commercial distrust throughout
Europe. She is on eordial terms with
France, friendly terms with Prussia, and
on sufficiently good terms with the other
European powers to offer disinterested
counsels. to them all Lord Stanley is
now known as cool and sagaeious dip-
lomatist, not addicted to the NEEDLE
and middle policy for which his prede-
cessor, Lord Russell, was distinguished,
and we doubt whether he would have |
preached the subject of disarma-
ment had he not some reason to hope
that it would find favor in the eyes Of the
powers concerned. 1t may be fairly |
trusted that he will conduct the prelmie
nary negotiations in such a way as not to
wound the susceptihilities of any Of the |
powers with whom he has to deal, and
we do not see that the delicate task of re-
3tori ng real peace to Europe, in place of
IN armed truce, could have been CONS
nenced by hands more fitted to carry it
o a successful issue.
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