The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1856-1888, 1870-12-17
The situation in Europe.

The news by the mail of Wednesday night,
though not particularly startling in events, is
nevertheless portentious of what may come, that
must give us pause Paris, beleaguercd by
three hundred and fifty thousand Germans, still
heroically defends herself. But it cannot, in the
nature of things, last much longer. Provisions
are getting scarce, and the privations of the in
habitants must be terrible. We read that a reg
ular system of commissariat is established by the
Provisional Government. OF horse, mule, and
ass flesh, forty grammes, "a gramme is the 24th
part of an ounce) was the daily allowance, and
many were reduced to eat rats, cats, and guinea
pigs. The Government allowance of bread was
two sous worth per day. Sickness prevailed, and
the mortality was stated to be l 500 per week, of
which $50 were from small pox.
Outside of Paris, it is stated that there are
300 600 French in different divisions, and they
are reported to have gained some successes in
their encounters with detached bodies Of Prussian
troops. But they are powcrless to help the me-
tropolis, around which the anaconda clasp grows
closer every day. Meantime, while "la belle
Fr~noo - is bleeding 1T every PORE, the 81 man of
December, from his p~alatial retreat at Wilhclms-
hohe, sends forth a : vindication of his course,
as to the commencement and the conduct of the
war, in the shape of n pamphlet. This is GER
tainly the browning act in the series of plumbers
of which Louis Napoleon has been guilty. The
first Napoleon would never have been guilty of
such supreme folly as to lay the fault of all the
misfortunes of his country upon the shoulders of
his Generals. The names of the late Emperor
and Bazaine,-his instrument in the ill-starred
Mexican affair-will go down to ~posterity with
the inglorious titles of : the surrenderers of
Sedan and Metz" Trcacbery may perhaps be
added to the charge.
Frances misfortnnes are Russia's opportunity.
The Northern Bear has not by any means forgot
ten the Crirnea and Sebastopol, and now, to the
CONSERVATION Of England, be comes out with a
demand for a modification, if not an absolute
repeal of the restrictions of the Treaty of 1856.
England, however, is stated to have already eff
fected a coalition or mutual agreement with
Austria, Italy and Turkey, to resist the designs
of Russia, which undoubtedly mean nothing less
than the absorption OF the domains of - the sick
man, and opening the door to India. Russia,
with her immense population and wonderful re-
sources, is now better prepared for war than
ever, and England will hesitate long before draw
ing the sword. With the Alabama claims vet
unsettled and Fenianism only slumbering. She
cannot look for sympathy from " oar American
cousins" and France, her ally in the treaty now
sought to be abrogated, is quite powerless.
Spain has at last got a King something for
which she has been seeking for a long time, and
the search for which in the direction of Belgium
has caused the present terrible war. The Duke
of Aosta, a son of the King of Italy, has accepted
the crown abdicated by Isabella. 1t is an old
saying that . uneasy lies the head that wears a
crown" 1t remains to be seen whether Aosta
will be an exception to the rule, in these stormy
times.
Altogether. European affairs wear a very
sombre aspect, and we may soon hear of startling
news. Napoleon's prophecy that in fifty years
Europe would be either Cossack or Republican,
recurs to memory.