The New York herald., 1870-10-05

terrific storm, when all on board are at their
wits end to know how to save themselves.
She Is rocking and surging on the waves OF
war and revolution. The old statesmen who
have had the helm In hand have become un-
steady and obstinate, not willing to throw
overheard the dead weight Of the past, and no
bolder and more capable men have yet appeared
to tighten and guide the ship. The monarchs
and aristocracies are intent upon crushing, or,
at least, checking tho revolution. They have
but one thought-to save their crowns and
privileges. To do this they would rather have
the war continued and all the Conti-
nent In blaze than yield to the
republican revolution. The sacrifice OF
hundreds of thousands Of lives, or millions
even, and the accumulation Of stupendous
debts, weigh as nothing in the scales against
their prerogatives On the other hand the
sentiments Of liberty, republicanism, progress
and emancipation from despotlc rule are
deep-seated in the hearts Of the people These
are upheaving society everywhere like q
mighty earthquake. But the people lack or
ganization and able leaders. While they are
tho real and great power they have been SO
long under the heel of monarchical and aris-
tocratic rule that they hardly know how to
use their strength. Still, with all the disad-
vantages they labor under, and with all the
nous military forces under their control, the
people are making the great progress toward
selfgovernment. It Is this conflict between
the privileged few and the masses-between
the ideas Of the past and the present-that is
now raging in Europe and that has brought
about the chaotic state Of things there.
This struggle is seen very prominently In the
relentless war which the Prpssian monarchy
is making upon the republic Of France. With
out avowing it, and, indeed, while 1t is denied
by Count Bismarck, there Is no doubt that the
chief object Of the war now on the part Of
Prussia is to squelch the republic-to strangle
1t in its infancy-lest republican ideas should
spread In Germany and over Europe. This is
natural just as much so as for man to exert
all his efforts to save his property when
threatened. The monarohs and aristocracies
have regarded the people as their heritage
and government over them as their right.
Consequently there is nothing they will leave
undone to maintain their privileges. They
know very well that republic In France is
standing menace to them and their pretensions.
They saw the effect In 1880 and l848 of reyolu-
ton in France. From the central position of
that country, as well a. from the electric force
Of revolutionary ideas that rise there, the
whole Continent becomes agitated. It has
always been, and still is, the focus of rcvolu-
tionary and republican contagion in Europe.
Is it not natural, then, for King
William of Prussia to wage war
against the French republic in the
interest of himself and family and for
his brother monarchs? Is not this
sufficient reason why the other crowned heads,
and why Queen Victoria and the British aris-
tocracy, stand aloof and do not attempt to stop
the war?
Another evidence of this conflict of ideas
and the chaos into which Europe is thrown is
the activity Of monarchical and imperialist
agents. Almost all the news received in
America and spread over Europe is either
given out or concocted by these agents with
a coloring to suit their purposes. At one
time we hear of dreadful doings in Paris and
other parts Of France by the 'sreds" and dis
organizers, and this in the face OF the fact that
the French people are acting with great unity
to preserve internal order while they are
heroically fighting the foreign invader. The
g IoI -
1t is to operate upon the public sentiment of
the world, to create alarm of the republic,
and to make people believe order can
only be maintained under monarchical
government Now we have on one
day q pretended imperlalist manifesto
of Napoleon, emanating from an imperialist
organ established in London, and on the next
day report that this is bogus. But whether
bogus or not it shows the active agency of
parties in Europe to damage and check repub-
lcanism, to sustain monarchy and to make
the present confusion more confounded And
it is well to note that the British capital, more
than any other place, is the hotbed of this
spurious news and these anti.republican move
ments.
But what does this chaotic state Of things
portend2 What is to come out of it2 From
present appearances all Europe and may be
part Of Asia and Africa, is going to be
involved in war and revolution. Even those
monarchs not engaged in war may resort to it
to avert revolution at home and to give another
direction to the public mind. This, however,
may prove in the end two edged sword. The
people are now too enlightened, probably, to
be deceived by that, and the revolution the
rulers would avert by such means may lead to
it. Then there are national and terri
torial questions springing up, aud ques-
tions Of race and religion, as well