The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1870-07-15
THE EUROPEAN COMPLICATT TTON.

TIE EUROPEAN COMPLICATIONS.
The late cable kilograms from Europe clearly
indicate that peace has not been assured by
the withdrawal of Leopold as candidate for
fhe throne of Spain, and formal declaration
of war is hourly expected, as a ministerial
organ of Paris to-day clearly foreshadows it.
France, always a martial nation, seems to
long for an opportunity to measure swords
with Prussia, and the Emperor is apparently
disposed to crafty this feeling. Napo-
leon has already signalized his reign by
waging successful war against Russia and
Austria, by humbling England in the Crimea,
by playing the role of protector to Tur-
key and Italy, and by restricting
Spain in the choice of King. Prussia dur
ing this period has not only escaped his as
sauts but has greatly increased her territory
while acting as q lion in the path of French
ambition, and however much Napoleon may
pride himself upon his success at Sebastopol
or Solferino, it remains disputed political
and military question whether he can defeat
Bismarck in desperate conflict The mere
consciousness that any power in Eu-
rope holds such a position irritates
the popular mind of France, and
dazzling visions of glory blind the eyes of
Frenchmen to the dangers and diabolism of
bloody Continental war. Prussia, on the
other hand has military record of which
she is scarcely less proud than France. Re-
peatedly threatened with annihilation, she
has emerged triumphantly from all her serious
conflicts, and she has steadily been gaining
relative strength while France has been losing
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now if she can honorably avoid it, she is too
proud and powerful to submit to
voluntary humiliation. Her available force
in the impending struggle may be
much diminished or increased by the
attitude she assumes on the questions in dis
pute If the issue had been so made that
Prussia was apparently precipatating war for
the purpose of pampering the ambition of
the house of Hohenzollern, Napoleon might
well have hoped to carry disaffection into the
German camp, and to detach number of the
minor German powers from King William.
That monarch was too astute, however, to be
caught in this trap; and from present indi-
cations he will be able to make it appear, if
war ensues, that the quarrel is thrust upon
him by France. If he is thus converted
into a champion of Germany, Napo-
leon can hope for no allies save
Italy and Austria, and he will find it ex-
tremely difficult, if not impossible, to gain
substantial assistance from either Of those
powers Prussia, on the other hand could
concentrate the strength of a body of Ger
mans nearly as numerous as the population
of France, and if she is hotly pressed, would
England interfered actively at ALL it would
be in behalf of Prussia rather than of France
and Spain, snoarting under the late insult put
upon her by Napoleon, would gladly avenge
it if an available opportunity was presented.
Besides, the Emperor may encounter serious
opposition from adverse parties in
his own dominions. Already M. Theirs
has warned the chambers that the most pro-
bable result of pr ill-advised conflict now is
further aggregation of Prussian power; and
there are strong indications that the princes
of the house Of Orleans not only instigated
Leopold's candidature, but that they are
anxious to use any complications which may
arise from it to strengthen their pretensions
to the throne of France If Napoleon wages
an unsuccessful war, they will make despe-
rate efforts to profit by his disasters, and the
loss of decisive campaign may cost him his
crewn.
Since writing the above despatch has
been received stating that the declaration of
war has been announced in the Corps Legis-
atif. So the plot thickens, and the mortal
struggle between the MASTER spirits of the
Continent, Napoleon and Bismarck, is about
to begin. The future of Europe hangs in
the balance.