The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1870-10-10

point of fact. mistress Of Germany. Sadowa
frightened France; and, since the treaty of
Prague, which Napoleon believed he helped
TO shape, France has been trembling, willing
to fight, yet fearful of the consequences. The
Luxemburg question revealed French feel
ing, but it also revealed French timidity.
Prussia was ready for war then, but
FranceNwas not 1t has been manifest to
every thinking and rejecting man, since
the Treaty of Prague was signed, that
time only was necessary to bring France and
Prussia into open collision. Since that date
France has made demands upon Prussia; but
every demand has been set aside. Napoleon
frt of all spoke of the Rhine provinces; but
Bismsrck would not listen. He next spoke
about Luxembourg but Bismarck, knowing
his strength, was stubborn as before. Once
again France had to yield. France, however,
feeling and copfessing her inability to meet
Prussia in the field begins to set her army in
order. Marshal Mel did France good service,
but the Marshal died, leaving the carrying out
of his plans in other hands. The rest is
known to every reader of the newspapers The
Spanish throne was begging an occupant.
Prim, in his despair, after doing his best to
please the French people and the French En-
error, fell upon a German prince who was net
unwilling to accept the Spanish throne. This
German prince happened to be Hobenzol-
Terra distant relative of the royal family of
P1us sa. This was too much for France to
bear. A German prince, and he Hohen-
zollern, on the throne of Spain was making
Prussia too strong, was q direct insult to
France, and was not to be tolerated. We all
know how Prussia yielded. We all know how
the HohenZollern was withdrawn. But
we all know too, that, in spite of Prussian
courtesy, France declared war The results
of the war are before our readers. Prussia
has been gloriously triumphant. France has
been most ignominiously defeated. The Ger
man armies are to-day besieging the French
capital, and South Germany seeks admission
into the Confederation of the North. The
result of the whole is that Germany has be-
come the largest and the most compact ma
tionality on the face of the globe.
The new Confederation, which will i'm
mediately include no fewer than forty mil
lions of souls, and which, when it gathers in,
as it must, all the outside Germans on her
borders, will number a population of some
sixty millions, gives us q striking and sug-
gestive illustration of the new era which has
dawned upon the world. The old-fashioned
system of small nationalities and many gov
ernments is dead, or if not dead, is dying
fast. Up until the time of our American war
it was not believed that large territory and
large population could be held by one govern
ment Our war made an end of this doubt
ing. 1t was felt all over the civilized world
/ luat, Willis We udu InauS SlSantlc leap, we
were actipgi in perfect harmony with the spirit
of historical progress. The moral of our
war-large nations and few Governments
was caught up in Europe and Germany. un-
der Prussian lead, has made bold and most
successful stride in the right direction. In a
few months, we cannot say years, Germany
will be unit which will imply a population
of some sixty millions. The next great step
will be the union of Scandinavia, taking in
Denmark, Sweden and Norway. The step
that will follow, if it is not first, will be the
unifcation of the Latin races in Europe
Great Britain is already talking of her difficulty
and considering the propriety ola grand fede-
raj union which will embrace all her remote
dependencies-an arrangement which, if it can
be carried out, will secure to her her old po-
sition as mistress of the seas. The Germans,
the Latins, the glish-spealing peoples
these are to be the great powers of the future.
1t is not our business to-day to say which will
win, but remembering the fact that the
whole of North America speaks the English
tongue, we cannot help arriving at the con-
clusion that the time is approaching when
there will be only one grand government and
one common Ian guage, which is more likely
to be English than any other. The world
situation is so new that no one can tell what
day or an hour may bring forth.
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