The morning star and Catholic messenger. [volume] (New Orleans [La.]) 1868-1881, 1871-02-26
Poor England.

estS In the lat0 furious contest between
France and Prussia. She, was in no danger
from the former Of these powers. No ad-
vantage that France could have gained
over her enemy would have resulted in
anything injurious to British rights, or in
any policy hostile to British power. But
the attitude Of Prussia was very different.
That nation is the standard bearer Of mill
tary despotism and Of unbounded conquest. ;.
Let her get the Germanic empire console.
dated by craft; let her get Alsace and Lor
raine subjugated and Incorporated, and she
may pause for short time, but it will only
be to gather up her strength for holder
fight. ~,
Prussia will rest just long enough to as
simulate her new provinces, and when they
shall have been thoroughly digeSted then
hungry eye will explore the neighboring
regions for further prey. 1t is we'll enough
to say now that Alsace and Lorraine, and
perhaps Luxembourg, are all that she
wants. OF course they are all she can
manage just now, and she will have her
hands full with them for a9me time to come.
But how easy it will be to trump up new
pretext for further invasion, whom expedi-
.ency shall sanction such policy! The
question will simply be, which shall
be her next victims Will it be Austria,
OF the rest of France, or Italy, or Spain, or
Englandf
From the trepidation existing in the last
named of these countries, one would Judge
that it's population expects to be made the
next victim. The nobility and moneyed
aristocratsJ are quaking in their shoes.
They knuckle and cringe and fawn to
PRUSSIA in every conceivable way they
dare not pass a resolution looking to the
is "danger in it." They are SO badly
frightened that the House of Commons is
almost unanimous in declaring the nation
disgraced by such timidity and poltroonery.
But the rich folks and grandees may have
a very natural and truthful instinct which
warns them of danger at this juncture.
Russia hungers and thirsts for the British
possessions in India and, though Prussia
will want nothing more just for the present,
she is bound by gratitude, and probably
by compact, to let Russia have the next
big mouthful. India gone, and what be-
comes of English factories, English shipping,
English commerce and English wealth.
The enormous power of countless wealth
being gone from the governing class, what
shall prevent the impoverished and embit-
tered populace from rising against the in
solent usurpation which abuses its power
80 inhumanlyf So, with some reason, the
| nobility tremble and grow cowardly.
The innate pluck Of the real British
people will be apt, however, to speak in
spite of the aristocracy, and If John Bull
gets warm, aud the House of Lords stands
in his way, 1t will be swept aside. 1t would
create quite a stir if the House of Com
mons, some fine day, should declare war
against Prussia, and give the upper House
twenty hours to ratify the act.
But they who are foredoomed to a fall
will not act wisely. Babylon was never
richer, prouder and more sumptuoua than
the day when the handwriting appeared on
the wall of her royal palace. On the NOR
row the sword of conqueror flashed
through her streets. England for three
centuries has striven by every conceivable
device to insult the Almighty, to follow up
his Church with all the malignity OF
wicked hate, and to pursecute his chill
dren through blood and artifice. SUCH
things cannot last forever; the day o.
retribution must come at last, and, though
no man may say when, yet all may reason
ably expect that its ruin will be overwhelm
ing.
1t is probable that even in this war Eng
lsh policy has been shaped as mucn o!
bigotry as by fear. 1t is the dearest Eng
+ fish tradition to war against the Caeholi
Church in every way, directly and lnoi
rectly. Their bigotry led the leaders am
the people, too, to conceive that frassi
was representative of Professionalism an
France of Catholicity in this contest;
4 ignoring their true interest and danger
they at first deserted their real allies an
gave all their sympathy to their natui,
, enemy. 1t is but just that their own ioi'
should have prepared the rod with who
;, they should be scourged, and their o"
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