The New York herald., 1869-12-04
Prominent Departures.
-Four Old Troubles Up Again-Schleswig-
Iiolsteiu, Ireland, Turkey and the Pope.

What funny old world Is Europe! What
attractions it has as grand old curiosity shop!
What interest it commands by its many and
perpetualy recurring troubles! If peoples
are not warning with their governments or
nations warning with each other, war is always
an immediate possibility. Rumor is always
loud regarding some dangerous complications
or some impending conflict. AS it has been
in the past SO it is to-day, and so it is likely to
be in the future, until thrones, dynasiies, petty
nationalities, with all their paltry distinctions,
have finally disappeared and confederated
Europe fully accepts the teaching and initiates
the example Of the United States.
Among the items of our latest news by At
lantic cable and by mail we find the old story
repeated in various forms. The Scheswig-
Holstein question is revived. Ireland, in spite
Of the conciliatory policy of Gladstone, is again
in state of revolution. The Eastern question,
in spite of the Suez Canal or rather because
of the Suez Canal, promises trouble. The
Pope, who has been giving Europe and the
world generally annoyance for the last ten centu-
ries or more, has again commanded an amount
Of attention which makes one doubt whether
he is living in the nineteenth century or in the
days Of Hildebrand. We have thus four great
questions, all of them important, but none Of
them new, once more commanding attention
and threatening revolution, if not war.
What is the Schleswig- -Holstein trouble
Who knows? 1t was once said that Lord Palm
| erston and somebody else knew what it meant
But tho somebody else died long ago, and Lord
Palmerston is no more. Who then, dare talk
| about Schlcswig- -Holstein? We will not talk
about it. We have only to say that after the
| battle Of Sadowa, and when matters were
| being arranged between the late contesting
| parties Prussia promised to Austria, mainly
| because Napoleon requested it, that the in
habitants Of Schleswig- -Holstein should be
asked to decide by vote whether they should
be citizens of Denmark or citizens of Prussia.
| The treaty of Prague contains this stipulation.
But Prussia still occupies Schleswig- Holstein,
and the stipulation Of the treaty of Prague
has never been fulfilled. Denmark, year after
year, has been insisting that the question
should be subMitted to the vote. Austria and
| France have both backed up Denmark, but
| the promised plebiscite has not yet been
reduced to practical experiment. 1t is our
| opinion now as we have already frequently
avowed, that just as this Schleswig- Holstein
business led to the late war between Prussia
! and Austria, so it would ere now, had Napo-
leon been younger man. have led to q war
in which France, Austria, Prussia, Dem
mark and probably Russia would have
figured. Napoleons years and increasing
inGrmities constitute the principal reason why
Prussia has not fulfilled her obligation and
why war has not resulted. AT the present
moment, however, it Is not too much TO say
that out Of this question war may yet grow
q war big enough TO convulse and revolu-
tionizo Europe. Ii the question should
become serious the presumption now is tha
Won Beust viii do his best to humble Prussis
in the same cause in which she suffered. II il
i clear that in such conflict Austria could
: count on France, aud thus prove to the worlt
/, , the mutability not only Of human friendship
but Of government alliances.
Then there Is the Irish question Ireland i
/ now an old story, and since the days of Shar
: O'Neil up until the whiskey seizures of yes
|. terday 1t has been a world trouble Irshmen
!, where are they not I? 1t is Britain's prid
, that she has numerous and powerful colonies
But in every British colony Ireland is largel,
represented, and wherever, in any British
colony or anywhere else Irshmen are found
they have big sorrow and make q BIZ
trouble. Macaulay once said that wheneve
the North Pole should be found son Of Tar
. . tanland should be seen astride Of it. 1t woui
! not be bolder hyperbole to say that when th
moon is first reached by some earthly voyage
the voyager will find an Irish colony in som
, Of It's dried-up valleys or barren mountai
sides. Be this as it may, II is undeniabl
). that Ireland 10 ss little oQntentsd upder NJ