, 1875-06-12
The SAWS"
TIE TIMES ON THE LATE WAR GIRL
Sis IN EUROPE,

Now that the War clouds have passed away,
We may all profit by a valuable piece of expe-
rience. For a few days the several nations of
Europe got at least a glimpse of what a great
Wal would mean in the present state Ofthelr rela-
lions. To France and Germany such alesson
was peculiarly instructive. The disasters of
battle are soon forgotten in the glow of triumph
or the 'resentm ent of defeat if the reality be
not often brought back to the mind by some
real danger. The alarm will also tend to
make other countries more eager than ever
that diplomacy should use all its powers to pre-
vent an outbreak. There was but too much
reason to fear that France and Germany would
not have been the only combatants. Russia
might have been drawn into the fray Austria
might have been tempted to strike a blow for
herself; and, if the war had rolled into Belgi-
UNI, even this country might have felt obliged
to test the capacities of its ironclad feet. Hap
PLY, We can dismiss for a time all these fears.
Prince BISMARCK himself, indeed, has taken
the trouble to re-aSsure US, for he has said that
he rejects with something like contempt the
cynical reasoning which was attributed to the
Military Party of Prussia. He would no more,
he has declared, think of attacking France now
because she might some day attack Germany
than de would attempt to ~strangle KULLMAN
because that convict might try to take his life
on getting out of prison thirteen years hen ce.
If not very f~attering to France, the comparison
has at least the merit of expressing so good a
principle of political morality as to suggest
some regrets that the German CHANCELLOR
kept it back until the need for its soothing
influence had almost vanished.
1t would be too much to say that all danger
hoo OaocaA omou haoouoo tho unaofinm &C tho
EMPERoRs has brought a message of Peace
instead of War. To make such a declaration
would be to assert that the state of Europe was
satisfactory before we were all startled by the
cry of danger. But so far from security are
the relations Of the chief Powers that the
prospect would seem dark indeed if we were
not to make a large allowance for the healing
influence of time, and for those happy chances of
Peace which Fill at least as great a share in
history as the contingencies of War: Look
where we may, we see the elements of disturb
ance. There is the feebleness of Turkey, and,
consequently, the temptation to dare much
for the possession of Constantinople. There is
the neutrality of Belgium, menaced on the one
side by France, and on the other by Germany.
There is the eagerness of France to win back
Alsace and Lorraine-an eagerGsss stimulated
ny A0OU 1uoV OFOu II OOA AoH AhIuoDlCohVS
of those Provinces are as yet very French in
sympathy. There is the determination of the
Germans to defend at any cost a prize which
they won by an immense expenditure of mon
ey and blood, and which they believe TO be es-
sential as a rampant against the aggressions
of France. There are the enormous arma-
ments which express the reality of all these
perils, and which are in themselves a standing
menace to Peace. It would be futile to leave
out such elements of discord in any survey Of
Europe. We must also make the sad admis-
sion that most Of them lie hopelessly beyond
the pacifying influence of arbitration. Geneva
Arbitrators may settle such quarrels as touch
merely the pockets or the superficial susceptible
ties of q people, but no nation ever will per-
init any set of arbiters to pronounce a final
judgment on those claims which it holds to
be necessary for its existence as a political
Power, or those aspirations by which it has
been guided for centuries, and which have
helped to shape its character. The dream
that arbitration can take the place Of War is
the most empty of delusions. Nor have we
much hope Of seeing q general disarmament,
although nothing would so powerfully tend
sto give Epsopaa long interlude of Peace. 6
evil Ne thus frankly describe the darker aspect
of the FUTURE because that il the best way