The sun., 1870-10-21
VOICE ov "A EURoP s<N RBPUBLICAS
STfrFSMAN
The Resuits OF the wsr-Jrhs United States
sfEursse- Cubs and the shame Of Grants
Administrattou.
PTsas Letter Conpathcoed for Publication IN Tzs


Sun.
BRUSSELS, oct. 81 came here from the
Hague plcut three weeks ago. Tie events Of
the last few months have mado this formerly
qu et place the most interesting centre in Europe
ti the present time, in view Of its advantages as
neutral point, political place Of universal
refuge. and loca''o from which the territories
Of the two great contcuding pow crs are most
read ily accessible Belgium in this aspect has
suddenly become what ny own country (Hol.
land) was during the long reign Of Louis XIV.
and his two successors. Here are to be met the
agents and representatives, secret or avowcd, Of
all the powers and parties and opinions that
direct or influence the present action and will de-
termino the very uncertain future Of Europe,
sometimes jostling each other in novel and most
unexpected companionship.
In Holland this war has induced chances Of
opinion, which appeared TO require years to
bring about in our slow and highly conservative
country so tlat !, who have always been con-
sidered for this region an advanced and progress
sivc republican, sm sstonished TO 1nd monarch.
lists and ari.tocrats aud the most plodding Of po-
litical old fogies in some things moving ahead Of
me. Tho fact IT, that though an unsmbitious
and perhaps O selfish people, We are patriotic,
and we have always enjoyed. except under the
brief rule Of France, fair share Of liberty since
we conquered our independence from Spain and
with this moderate share the weakness Of the
nation inclined IL TO be satisfied. Recent devel-
opments have, however, made patent TO every
one what was before only known and suspected
by a few, that We were complscently slumbering
on the brink Of volcano while our very exist
encc as o nation was mcuaced, as II Is now, and
as that Of all weak nations-of Belgium, Of
Switzerland, of Denmark, and eventually Of
Swcden-was aud is. No doubt exists now but
what we were oil barg lined for aud II Bismarck
aud Louis Napoleon had agreed on the division
of the spoil, instead Of endcayoring to outwit
and quarclling with each other, who ecu doubt
but what We should successfully have been
swallowed upi Now that We lave witnessed tile
fleets Of IL" tremendous power Of united Ger
many. welded by the terrible aud INSCRIPTIONS
energy Of Bismarck, who eau suppose that sue
cessful resistance would have been pos ible
against the confined power Of Prussia ard impe-
rial Francei Could we have expected aid from
Great Britain, so trucuent TO the weak and so
subserviont to the strong, and which 80 basely
abandoned Denmark 10 her faicf If the think
inc few indeed had very little faith before in any
qualms Of conscience restraining the spoliators
or bctraycrs Of Poland, the whole public believes
and knows now, aud taxes II as authenticated
beyond doubt, that the crowned conspirators
were bargaining away our existence with as
little scruple as highway robbars exhibit over the
plunder of victim.
IIeuce, you need not be surprised that gentle
men who have always been loud in their loyalty
TO the House Of Grange, or who by right Of
hereditary fidelity oil the clef Offices Of our
petty court and government, find themselves
suddenly on the same platform with individuals
like myself, belonging to a party which has al
ways opposed the House Of Orange since before
tie time Of those modern Gracchi, the De Wits.
Whether monarchists, aistocrats, courtiers, or
conservatives, above all they are Iollanders.
They see something must be done for tn,
future, what they hardly know. but canvass
aud reject and resume plans which the wild
est Imagination could not have conceived
three months ago Of their entertaining for
q moment. Some Of these gentlemen, who
a abort time since were Prussian in their pro-
chvities, are now in full sympathy with aud
build their lopes on The success Of the once Will
fed republic. The idea, which lii:lc while 5go
was considered visionary as the mill nnium, and
cor fined 20 such enthusiasts Gs N -zini, Carl
baldi, the wo.knCmen's unioLs, aud universal
pcRce brothcrloodf Of q coalition of United
States Of Eurorc is everywhere tax form and
consistency. Among other signs Of Il 90 strange
tunes, in which, more perhaps than at . " other, it
A ~ l.. 4
the uonow will hring forth, is the entire and
sudden suusI.uec OF the national antipa,hcs re-
ciprocaliy entertained by our people and our
B,lRan neillbor., growing out Of our for.
mer ili.assolted ead constrained union uud its
violent disseycrmcnt In oil things the Belgians,
Of al ptitios, are united With us now, and can
not 20 further, though more excitable in express
ing themselves, and united in the honest fellow
feeling Of two small fsh who have accidentally
escaped the sharks jaws, and mean 70 do SO de-
hberatcly in the future If they can.
Swiss are here, losing their time To some extent,
II would appear on the surface, to ascertain the
drift Of public opinion, which Is so manifest that
those who run may read. However, they are
rather a deep people like ourselves; and
there is perhaps more truth than in
most popular sayings In tho dic,um
that the Swiss are tho Iollanders Of the
mountains, and the Holanders the Swiss of the
marshes. They are in very close consultation
with representatives Of Southern Germany and
Germans Of the Jacoby school, and probably
know what they arc about.
The Bclgians say (ald wish to call to this
the attention Of our American friends who, while
Louis Napoleon was nourishing, were always
cxpatiating over the material progress that
France had msdo during his rcign) that II tho
world would only look to statistics it would be
found that Belgium had gone in the last
twenty years fifty per cent. ahead OF France +,
so that instead of the Empire being cred.
tied with tho fifty per cent. Of improvement
/: ought TO be dcbited with the fifty per cent
that in France il mpeded and this though little
Bcgium, Ike little Holland and little Denmark
was forced to keep up disTroportonatcly large
aud oncrous rrmy and armament.
The royal family here in belgium is not unpop-
ular, the COLurgs Lciug as harmless as tho
Gucphs, without their vices, and with little
more sense and much moro amiabi.Ity. But