The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1874-05-18

the laws.
War Clouds I'm Europe.
We print elsewhere the text of the speech
OF Lord Russell in the House of Commons,
to which reference was made in recent cable
despatch, together with the reply of Lord Derby.
1t will be seen that Lord Russell has no conf
dence in the existence of peace in Europe,
and is anxious to know what has been done
to preserve the honor Of England in the event
Of renewed war. According to Lord Russell,
on one side are Germany with q standing
army of fifty years tenure. on the other side
France, ''the whole of the French army, from
tho highest marshal down to the lowest ensign,
determined to have their revenge" The only
way to prevent this war is for England to enter
into STRONG alliance with the other Powers
to preserve peace. He deprecated renewal
Of the contest as the source of assured misfor-
tunes to English civilization. Lord Derby
made temperate and guarded response. He
recognized the existence of agitation in
Europe, but whether it was ''only the swell
LETT by storms that have passed, or whether
we are to regard 1t as an indication Of new
storms that are about to rage" he could not
say At the same time he could not deny that
Tin the present appearances there may be
grounds for misrepresentation and anxiety"
He recognized that the burning question was
open between Germany and France, but trusted
time would allay it. AT the present moment he
saw no serious cause for apprehending danger
to European peace England would do all in
her power to keep the peace.
This grave debate is supplemented by some
important statements in the Times Paris cor
respondence in reference to the relations be-
tween France and Italy. It seems, according
to this correspondent, that on the occasion of
the visit of the King of Italy to Berlin Bis
marck told him he had underestimate the
financial resources Of France, but overesti-
mated her military power. He thinks it was
o mistake, therefore, not 10 have overrun the
whole of France, as far south as Toulon and
Bayonne, SO as to show the people the power
of Germany. As it was, only part Of the
country felt the war, and the southern prov
inces which were unframed, now cried for
revenge. Another mistake he made was in
not compelling France to pay ten milliards, SO
as to financially cripple her for years. AS it
was, France had paid her indemnity, and was
already richer than Germany, which had spent
the money she had e1acted from her foe. As
it was, all that Germany had won was some
money, which she had used up two provinces.
which had writhed under her dominion, and .
great quantity Of moonshine called military
glory The conviction in Berlin was that the
first difficulty in which Germany engaged
would be the signal for ON assault by France.
Moltke had declared that one of the blessings
of the peace was the fifty years army and
Bismarck naturally began to feel that it would
be well to renew the war and complete the
overthrow of France. At the same time
glorious as the war had been, Germany wished
no more The campaign in France had en-
tailed immense misery on the victors, and
there was no alacrity in the German mind for
o new war. What therefore, he would sug-
gest to the Italian King was to set on foot on
agitation in favor Of the recovery Of Nice and
Savoy. This could easily be famed into q
fame-into q war; and in that war how could
Germany refuse to take part? The result
would be another humiliation for France, the
restoration of Nice and Savoy to Italy and
the completion of the work which had been
SO imperfectly done after Sedan.
It seems natural and logical that Bis
marck would aim to renew the war. Evil
IDENTIFY France has disappointed the astute
craftsmanship of the German Chancellor. He
meant to destroy France, but she had a deep
inner life which the sword could not reach.
Lord Russelps idea is to give Bismarck the
additional aid of an alliance with England.
His recent correspondence with the German
Emperor shows his relations with that Power.
We know also that he is fanatic on
religious questions, and in some way asso-
the Roman Catholic religion. But in this
opinion Lord Russell does not represent the
views of England or of the civilized
world There was o time, in his own
experience as statesman, when it seemed
necessary to form Holy Alliance for the pur-
pose Of keeping France in check. But this
was the France of Napoleon the Great and net
the poor. whipped, debt-burdened, dismem-
bered Republic, which lives convulsive life,
passing from one crisis TO another. The world
sees also that France was punished as no
nation had ever been punished in history !;
that she submitted with patience to fearful
exactions that foreign war was followed by
domestic insurrection of the most sanguinary
nature that since the war she has done all
In her power to keep the peace that she has
submitted to humiliations, and does now from
day to day, to menaces from Bismarck, warn
ings from the German press, interference in
her local affairs, which no Power in Europe
not even Greece or Belgium-would perm
She has no ally in Europe She is alone in
her sorrow and her misfortune. Why, then,
ypola IN alliance aoainat her and in defnncn