The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1870-10-31
HYSTERICAL DIPLOMACY.


last three months have all failed as com
pletely and quickly as their efforts in the
field Never, in the history of any great
country, have there been such frantic at
tempts at negotiation as those made by the
special envoys who have hastenod from Paris
one after another, and visited the different
Governments which it was supposed might be
induced to listen to their appeals. AS soon
as war was declared, Prince Napoleon made
his way to Copenhagen, where the Emperor
felt certain of finding an ally in the King of
Denmark Thence he pushed southwark to
Florence, where another ally was certain to
be found in the King of Italy. We believe
he had not got any further in his diplomatic
travels when the Imperial Government broke
down, and his attempts at negotiation
came to an abrupt conclusion. As
soon as the Provisional Government
was organized it authorized M. Theirs
to hasten on a special mission to all the gov
ernments of Europe. He left at once for
London, where he had a brief interview with
the English Foreign Minister; then pushed
for Vienna, where he saw the Austrian For
eign Minister; then for st. Petersburg, where
he met the Russian Foreign Minister, beside
having an unofficial reception by the Czar
and then left for Florence, where he visited
the King and the ItalianF Foreign Minister. We
do not know what his instructions were on
leaving Paris, but it is to be presumed that
his authority was as nearly plenipotentiary as
ii possibly could be under the circumstances.
Though possessed of ability and experience
he seems to have succeeded no better in his
diplomatic mission than Prince Napoleon, who
was O pretender and trickster. Then he
turned his attention, where it ought to have
been directed before, to the headquarters of
the enemy. But he no sooner obtsins the
safe conduct to Versailles which he solicited
than he Indignantly declines it because, for
sooth, it does not grant him permission to
first visit Paris and consult with the French
authorities there. Were there ever such Im-
practicables as the present diplomatists of
France? Then, after refusing the courtesy
of the Germans in this ungenerous way, M.
Theirs reconsiders his decision, and we have
now the information that he is on his
way to the Prussian headquarters.
The great difficulty of France in all at
tempts at foreign negotiation just now is
doubtless the same as Bismarck found in his
attempted negotiations with Jules Favre,
when he demanded what authority the latter
possessed and what guarantee he could give
for the carrying out of any terms that might
be agreed upon. Suppose that M. Theirs
offered England, in return for present assist
ance, a new and highly advantageous COM
mercial treaty, with closer alliance of amity
and support, at the close of the war; suppose
he offered Austria the opportunity of ven-
geance against the enemy which had humbled
her, and assistance in her schemes of
aggrandizement suppose he offered
Russia revision of the Paris treaty; sup
pose he offered to Italy the possession of
Rome, which she has just taken on her own
account; the different nations interested,
anxious as they might be to secure their
ends, would find an insurmountable obstacle
in the way of negotiation, in the fact that M.
Theirs could offer no guarantee whatever
| that the government hereafter to be estab-
lshed in France would be either able or
willing to fulfil the terms of the negotiations
to which he was partner. 1t is impossible
to form any idea of the government France
will have when the war is over, or of the con-
ditions under which it may be established,
and therefore it is impossible for any other
government to regulate its present action by
any prospects associated with such an indef-
mite future.
This consideration alone would have been
sufficient to render the mission of M. Thiers
failure. But we suspect there were other
reasons why all French attempts at negotia-
ton were sure to fail after the war had
| begun. We suspect that the diplomatic pre-
parations of Prussia were as complete as hen
military preparations Austria was quite
aware of the peril she would incur on giving
the least sign of taking sides with France
Italy was permitted to know that Prussia
success would imply the Italian occupation OF
Rome. Denmark was kept in wholesome
state of fear. Russia, which was the only
formidable power whose friendship it was
absolutely necessary for Prussia to retain
was, doubtless, made the object of specia
consideration, and of negotiations whose re-
suits are yet to be developed In the pre-
sence of such diplomatic preparations az
Prussia appears to have completed months
ago, what prospect was there for the success
of any such hysterical diplomacy as tina
which the special ENJOYS of France hav,
been engaged in?