The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1869-10-02

1t is no longer to be doubted that Europe
is on the eve of another great convulsion.
The forces exist, but they are pent up and
held in restraint One man more than any
other in Europe maintains law and order,
holding the dangerous classes in check-and
that man is Louis Napoleon Bonaparte. Ma
poleon out of the way, we are certain to have,
if not the wild outburst of 1889, at least a
repetition of 1880 or 18iS. It is even ques-
tionable whether the Emperor himself, in
consequence of failing health and declining
power, may not witness a violent revolution
which he will not be able to control
The reforms which Napoleon has granted
make revolution certain. If he lives and
has power to guide the new forces which he
mas let loose in the empire, all may go we'll
But the contingencies are numerous and the
probabilities are not promising. The new
forces may prove too strong for him. 1t is
TACT which ought not to be overlooked, that
every time the French people have come to
power they have, as first step, interfered in
the affairs of Europe. More than any other
European people, the French people, properly
SO called, are in sympathy with the cause of
democracy all the world over. One great
secret of Napoleoh's success has been that he
has humored this feeling Italy is an exam
pie. Germany is another, although Germany
has gone little beyond the Emperors wishes.
The French people again masters of the
situation, the Polish question, the Schleswig-
Holstein question, the Greek question, the
popular cause in Spain will all be revived,
and the revival will be dangerous. What
adds to the gravity of the situation, and
therefore to the value of the Emperor's life,
is the fact that the treaties of 1915 are all
dead. Napoleon has told us this already;
but Napoleon only proclaimed a fact which
the world had already recognized. Napoleon
did not kill those treaties. They died natural
death. They were weak when they sustained
the blow of 1S4S. They were weaker still
when Italy rose in some of her old majesty,
and burst her bonds asunder. Sadowa made
a p0St-1nOrtem examination unnecessary. The
shadow of those treaties, however, still re-
mains. Napoleon does not despise the
shadow. The French people hate both the
shadow and substance, and, the French people
again in power, revenge will go hand-in-hand
with justice, and the twain may march
over Europe. When we glance at the general
situation-when we reflect on the Eastern
question, on the Slavonic question, on the
Schleswig- -Holstein question, on the German
question, on the Spanish question, on the re-
hgious questions in the East and the religious
questions in the West of Europe when we
think of the large standing armies which are
wasting for want Of employment, and when
we take into account the conservative power
of the Emperor Napoleon, we cannot much
wonder that the probability of his death put
the dynasties in a futter. In few years, if not
sooner we shall have congresses and confer
enees many, and reconstructions not few
Our faith in the governed, in spite of Charles
Dickens, is ''illimitable if they govern them
selves. The tide has set in in favor of a great
European republic Time is necessary, but
the result is not doubtful.