The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1856-1888, 1870-12-03
The European Medley.

Since the present war conlinehceu "
Prussia and France, it is sometimes puzzilng,
from the telegraphic dispatches, to make out
what the exact news is. IF we were in hourly
receipt of such news, in small sections, as they
have it in San Francisco or New York, it might
be more easily unravelled but the news comes
upon us in such a mass that we might just as
well begin to read at the bottom as at the top
BY far the most important intelligence by last
steamer is the attitude Of Russia, and her sup
posed secret g entente cordiale with Prussia,
viewed with alarm by England, and presumed to
lead to an alliance with other powers-Austria
and Italy.
Almost every daily Journal has some new re-
port regarding the purposes of the Car. 1t
would now look that, while to all appearance
Russia was maintaining a strict neutrality, she
has been making immense war-like preparations.
To what end? Certainly not against Prussia, 1T
she be her ally. And nobody believes that it is
to aid France, for that would be against Prussia,
in favor of republicanism, and adverse to despot-
ism. Such is not the genius of Russian policy.
That Russia has long desired the Z" sick man"
territory, every one knows. To prevent that ae-
QUESTION was the cause of the Crimean War.
NldLlGIS IuNC udIHCQ nOINiC1AuIJ 0llOO OtCh,
and France is in an entirely different position
from what she was at that time. We do not
perceive that the condition of England has mate
rally changed her resources are the same now,
as then. She is the superior of every continental
power in her insular situation, financialresources
and the first navy in the world. But as to her
army,-she would have comparatively a small
contingent to fight with on foreign soil. Ii
Russia, after having absorbed Turkey, should
have any Interior designs on the British East
India possessions, England could better oppose
her there than anywhere else,-for she has a
large and efficient native army, commanded by
British officers.
There are no fears for England at home. She
has indefinite capacities for resistance on her own
soil, if any foe were ever likely to land on it. In
all the wars Of the first Napoleon, no enemy trod
the English sod: in fact, it is one hundred and
twenty-five years since the battle of Culloden was
fought, and that was the last on British ground.
1t may be that the present imbroglio is the OPP
portunity for the Car to seize Turkey, although
we notice that the Moslem is fully alive to the
situation, and preparing himself by sea and land
for the crisis. If Turkey should become Russian
tcrTllOTJ, II LliStiG D6 iOT Tie lllcEeSG Vi OUEtSII-
anity and civilization, that even a despotic power
should take the place of an effete race, who, after
all, are intruders upon the shores of Europe
themselves. The present interest and foreign re-
lations of Russia are somewhat mixed, and how
ever much she may be united at present with
Prussia to divide up the map of Europe, the policy
of the Car in the Baltic provinces has irritated
the German people,.
IL would seem, from the present aspect of af-
fairs, as though Prussia must obtain the coveted
Rhenish provinces. Austria, although weak at
present, possesses great resources, and still main
tains an almost controlling influence in the East.
Russia eagerly desires her favor, and if she got it,
could spare a side bone of the s Turkey to
Francis Joseph as well as not. AS to Italy, she
seems TO have got her slice of cake in advance
the acquisition of the Papal States, with the
Eternal City for her capital. What progress
Republican institutions are to make in the turmoil
remains to be seen. We have always been of
the opinion that the German people, from their
enlightenment and sturdy character, are better
fitted for them than any other nation in Europe.
As to French Republcanism, we are sorry to say
we have as yet little faith in it. Whether it will
ever amount to anything in Spain is also doubtful;
and, to our surprise, We saw some talk about it
in the little kingdom of Portugal. But the fact
is, liberal ideas of popular government have SO
far only been developed by the Anglo-Saxon race
the Latin races, as Nap delights to call them,
have not yet come up to the mark, though they
may in time, under the sc baptism of fire." 2
In all this mass we rejoice in the position of
the United States. She is well out of it. and de-
serves. to be, for she has just emerged from as
dark and severe. a trial as most of the European
nations are experiencing now and this, be it
remembered, without much sympathy from any
body. One thing is certain, she is on frst-rate
terms with the Great Bear, and in case of a gen.
eral European war, which W. sincerely hope may
yet be averted, may make a good thing out of
other folks troubles, if they will persist in get
ting into them. =
To look homeward to our islands, how we shall
likely be affected, is a matter of the greatest in
terest to us. If any of the belligerents come this
way, and are out of sweets, we can supply them I;
and if contending foes meet here, they can have
the privilege of fighting it out, outside the reef,
1T a respectable distance, and we can take front
seats and view the row, which will certainly be a
new sensation for our residents along the beach,
ind give them something new to talk about. If
either one of them gets hurt, they can come in,
providing they behave themselves, and, for a con-
'ideration, We'll try to bind up their wounds.
We should want Uncle Sam to be here, that is,
a forcible deputy, to aid us in preserving our
neutrality, seeing that the iron-clads, belonging
the Hawaiian navy, are not yet in a state of
perfect efficiency, ~-r.t st- L-a Z.