The daily phoenix. [volume] (Columbia, S.C.) 1865-1878, 1870-07-23

she must finally abandon her old posi-
ton in Germany. In 1864 Prussia led
Austria into the war against Denmark,
land managed to absorb oil the advan-
tsges of the entetpfise. That little inter
lude is partly forgotteny now, but the
transactions associated with it are little
to the credit Of other powers besides
Prussia. England sympathized with Den
mark, and NIL but positively pledged it's
assistance to her. There can be no doubt
but Denmark went into the war count
ing upon this assistance. It never came
Denmark was crushed, and Austria
betrayed.
The King of Prussia and the Emperor
of Austria agreed to divide the Elbe
Duchies between them, nt the famous
meeting where the Convention of Gastein
was drawn up. AL this time. Austria
was merely being used by Prussia rs
cats-paw. Bismarck, with the proven
bial zeal of new convert, had taken up
the grand idea of North German Con
| federation, and resolved TINT no price
would bo too high to pay for it. Since
the time of Frederick the Great, the
policy Of Prussia has been to suppress
| weaker States, or place its feudatories on
vacant thrones. The story of tho Elbo
4IuCulSS tuu VI 1IRIOfCT, llluSITulcS Tile
first tendency, and the recent intrigue
with Prinl, is an example of tho second.
| But BiSmurck's intention to render Prus-
sia the dictator Of Germany, was ut first
SO little appreciated by the people, cspc-
cialy when they saw it involved war
with Austria, that he was probably the
most unpopular man in the country.
When he was shot ut, in May, 1866, the
sympathies of his countrymen were en-
tirely with the assassin. 1t was all diff
ferent after the war. Bismarck was re-
ceived in Berlin with more thnu royal
honors, but no man knew better than he
that his ork was only half done.
France could not look unmoved upon
the supremacy acquired by her daring
rival. NJ. Edgar Quinet wrote, in 1867:
''Wi not France often and often awake
from her sleep, thinking she hears the
step of her giant ncighbor? Or, sup
posing she were to full asleep without
taking prudential measures, would not
this be the sign of deadly relaxation?
And what temptation then for Ger
many to take advantage of it! In all
these cases, our danger is equally great "
But what could France do at this period
She had no weapon which she could
oppose to the needle-gun of Prussia, and
the example Of Austria had shown how
mad was the hope of winning battles
with an inferior arm. The hosts of Aus
trla fcll like corn beneath the sickle,
while the Prussian troops were comparn-
lively unscathed. Austria had made the
fatal mistake of undertaking her rival.
The saying attributed to Prince
Schwarzen nberg-"Ilf faM ncilir la Prusse
d'obord pour eusuite la demoLr-whcther
really uttered or not, expressed the SEN
timents prevailing ut Vienna, md the re.
suit was that Austria was herself almost
destroyed.
The Emperor Napoleon could not fight
-buthe could prepare to fight. Prus-
sla' SO far from moderating her aims,
seemed clearly to DO enlarging them
upon the throne of Spain. Napoleon
saw that the hour had como for striking
the blow. Ii he has been ambitious, car
any one pretend that Prussia has not
also been guided by that fatal passion
Is tho ''aggressivencss" all on the side of
Napoleon? This is not question to be
decided by sympathies, but by regard
for the records of history. These two
great powers have been striving to gain
the mastery i'll Europe for years past
Bismarck undoubtedly seemed to be
winning the game. If France and Prus
sia could now be left alonc to fight out
their own quarrel, the world would look
on, not indeed with Indifference, but
with comparative calmness. Of this,
however, we have no guarantee. Any
accident-tho temporary invasion Of Bel
gium-might draw England into the
vortex, and events might occur which
would OF once and irrevocably change
the current of modern history. It is nb-
solutely certain that the present war,
even fits area is not enlarged, will ma
terially change the position of the con.
testants. IT Napoleon failed, he would
disappear from the throne of France,
while King William I would probably
emerge as Emperor of Germany. II
Prussia is compelled to treat for peace,
the loss of her Rhenish Provinces would
probably not be the ultimate measure OF
her humiliation.
Alluding to the outrages of Holden's
minion-Kirk-in North Carolina, the
Augusta Chronicle and Sentinel says: