The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1868-09-26

gradual and eventual annexation OF Belgium BY
France. Not by resort to arms, II it be possible to
ity and eoquence will be reinforced by the glitterlng
display, not afar on OF an irresistible army Inc
oy son OF te Belgian king is sick ana reaay 10 g,e
All the srts OF medical science have been exhausted
IN the shn attempt to restore animation 70 ine
youthful heart and vigor TO the iangald imbs
the boyish sufferer from his lot OF pain
TWO daughters will remain to Leopold liz
said, to change the Salc law of succession, as was
done in Spain-and, Us In the case OF the Spanish
pincesses win the nope OF % me manu- Oh one
heirs and heresses has never STOOD IN the way OF po
cal betrothals absurd as such betrothals necessa-
riy seemed and abortive, for their purpose they
have almost invariably proved The brother of the
Belgian king is not man likely To make any effect
i've light for his presumptlve Inheritance; but how
popular feeling will show itself remains to be seen.
II the Belgians felt themselves IA secure we do
under the sway of a female sovereign they might
possibly permit the change to be made In the funda-
mental law Of the kingdom without much resist
ance But II the notion once gets into the head OF
the mass that tine real aim Is the matrimonial annex
alton OF their country to France they will be very apt
TO appeal audiby for sympathy and assistance to
Dallle the design The policy which six and thirty
years ago erected Belgium into an Independent but
neutral State remains substantially unchanged.
Neither England. Holland or Prussia can be expected
TO assent to the incorporation Of the Low Countries
with France. The talk about negotiatio for Gus
toms Union had never any coherency ntelligible
meaning in IT,
The Political and Financial Condition.
from the Semaine Fnanciere, OF Paris, Sept. l4.l
The present state OF affairs may be summed up fn
two words. On the one hand every government in
Europe mnltiplies pacihc assurances in the columns
OF the most influential organs each can command.
On the other hand, the public, whose most ardent
wish Is for the mai tenance Of peace well its
most pressing requirements persists In its tncurable
dlstrst, IN dread OF the future and in the belief
that the gravest complications close at hand 1t
Is impossible to deny the existence OF this curious
bias OF tue public mind and equally impossible not
to note its bad effects on the financial market and its
far more serious consequences as regards trade and
manufactures which Sulfer from paralysis In all
their branches. Those who try TO account for this
state OF things by daily occurrences must find them
selves greatly at loss, as during the past week not
single financial political fact has TRANSFERRED cal
culated to affect the value OF public securities. All
the rumors In circulation last Monday were con-
tradlcted on the morrow and some OF them, more
over, bore on the face OF them such an impress Of
abSurdty that nothing but the intense credulity Of
Bourse people could secure for them moments
existence,
There are only two things which seriously disturb
transactions ut the Paris BourSe-irst and foremost
the uncertainty as to UlaS tomorrow mag BRING
.JoTth, ana the italian question, ''black point"
which has been unduy magnified within the last few
days. " our information be correct, and the firm
the point this Italian question consisted merely in
an exchange, not Of dispatches bnt of converse
tons on the French occupation OF the Papal States
between M. Ngra and M. de MouStier. We have
reason to believe that that exchange Of views, now
more than week old, led to nothing calculated to
disturb the relations between France and Italy, The
apprehensions on that ground will. therefore, be
speedily set at rest But after all these cOntradc-
tons will confidence revvef That hope 1t would, In
tire present state OF the public mind. be chimerical
TO entertain so long as the pacific assurances given
by governments and their organs shall not be fol-
owed by decisive and unmistakabe measures.
Uhtil then the nightmare Of uncertainty will continue
to parayle capital and hinder any lasting improve.
ment In the price OF public securities