Gold Hill daily news. [volume] (Gold Hill, N.T. [Nev.]) 1863-1882, 1870-07-22
A FEW REFLRorIoNs ON THE
WAR I'M EuROpE

NOW tnaI Tue WOTIu. 10 Ou1utnlIy au-
vlsed that war exists between France
and Prussia, a brief retrospect Of
events in Europe may not be out Of
place: The tender of the Spanish
to the petty Prince Leopold Of
acknowledgements has stirred
up this strife between France and
Prussia. But 1t is not that alone that
is the cause of the French declaration
Of war. There are old jealousies and
old grievances Of long standing be-
tween the two nations, which the En-
peror Napoleon has long been looking
for an opportunity to settle. For more
than three hundred years Europe was
desolated by bloody aud ~protracted
wars, waged for the purpose Of sustain-
ing the "balance" or equilibrium of
power. This notion first originated
among the princes and republics Of
Italy, and is fully treated Of BY
Machivelli. From his days forward it
was applied on a larger .theater Of
action. Offensive and defensive leagues
we're formed and broken up with the
single view of not letting any one
State become too powerful, or to pre-
vent the union of several crowns In
one family. Men Of sense at last came
to the conclusion that the cure was
worse than the evil, and that the dam
ger Of universal monarchy was too
distant and fanciful to immediate mil
lions Of lives and billions Of treasure
IN the continued and ever-repeated
struggle for its aversion. In the case
of Napoleon the First, however, this
danger was turned into sad reality,
and the coalition which all Europe
formed against him in 1913 was not
called forth BY any shrewd calculation
of chances, but sprang from the neces-
sites of the moment. The nations
actually under his yoke, those whom
he compelled to pay tribute to France
In men and money, and to harbor the
French garrisons, werc the chief ele-
ments Of the combination that hurled
him from his giddy hight. For fifteen
years after his accession, the Third
Napoleon fondly hoped to occupy a
similar position, to be the ruler, or at
least the arbiter of the European con-
tinent, but to prevent a general upris-
ing against his universal monarchy by
a greater modesty Of manner, and less
harshness than his uncle had displayed.
The tiger as well a the cat has velvet
paws; with these he thought he could
press down a continent. In 1866, he
found to his unutterable dismay, that
the Emperor Of France not only was
not sovereign over the rest of Europe,
but that another power seemed supe-
rior to his, both in its military strength
and in its diplomatic dependencies.
Ever since 1866, he has taken the de-
fenslve ; instead Of striving for the
hegemony Of the European system,
and having the States next in rank
combining against him, he has sought
himself, to combine against the feared
and envied Bismarck. Who can fore
tell the result of the contest? 1t Is
only France and Prussia now, but be-
fore 1t Is ended, Italy, Austria, and
even England and Russia may be
drawn into the malstrom. Much as
Americans must regret this European
war on the score Of 4 common civlll-
cation, and q common humanity, we
cannot.shut our eyes to the fact that 1t
will tend to our national profit. Heavy
rs are our burdens Of taxation, they
are, in proportion to our resources,
much less than those Of most Of the
States Of Europe; and the continu-
uance Of burdens which bear most
hardly upon the artisans and labors of
the Old World cannot fail to swell the
tide Of emigration to these shores.