New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1875-06-07
BRITISH TOPICS.
NOrEs FROM LONDON.

on THE EUROPEAN SlTUATloN-Mh' h"ooDA
DEPARTURE FOR SOUTH AFRICA
IRON THE REGULAR CORRESPONDENT or III. i"noN
IoNnoN. Nav GA curious piece Of evidence
something the late scare and its origin is supplied by
tho paris correspondent of this weeks Guardian,
,,aner unfinished if ever there one, in the odor
of sanctity, being the organ of the High Church
Marty. am indebted to friend for this, for the
number of papers any one man can read Is hmited'
and have less time for ecclesiastical than for otner
useful literature. The Guardian however, occupies
itself with the things Of this world as well as the
other and is journal Of undeniable respectabii'y
and power. and the following account deserves at
tention on that account. The writer narrates "ha'
he believes to be the history of the memorable letter
in The Times of May 6, which alarmed all Europe:
II appears that the famous document itself which rst
created the sensation originally sent from 1eaa t
was seen and read there by whom could name
fun three weeks before 1t ever saw the gnt d
lint Though coming from Germany, 1t was, as, hee9
Scarcely be said OF French origin and communicated
to French n;e%spaPer or aehensions perhaps either
as regarded the intelligence conveyed OF lhe enec s
Snbljeaton might possibly have upon himself or his Jour
patched the missve TO confrere at Paris wbon ~ mS
the article more 70 his mind and having first duly manp-
ulated IT, and added, to make 1t more sensatS. uo
Ing themselves Mount AKRON. which as am assured.
had place in the original iorwaraed IL VI one th &
GUS protest which accompanied It. Such, have every
reason believe is the not highly credtaDe hsoiy VI
the chief origin Of the late conlnotlon.
This seems improbable enough on the face OF 1t,
but the author of vouched for by the friend who
sends me the story He is, according to my friend,
an honest clear-headed and cOol-headed man. VINO
has good means Of information, and who would not
make the very positive assertions he does unless he
thoroughly believed them. Heexplains further that
the object of the maneuver was both polltlcai ana
financial but his information on this latter poiht
seems all hearsay and is not new. 10 say that there
were persons of high position in the financial world
who knew what was coming and took care 10 prohI
nv IT, is to saw what is said on every such OCCASION
NAV as well quote, also-as specimen OF the
most extreme French view-the assertion OF me
Uorld on this matter That paper has distinguished
itself by the courage with which it has put forward
startling statements and, in some cases, by the
alacrity with which it has taken them back again.
1t now saws: at is within the knowledge OF the
writer who states it upon the highest authority In
England, that Germany had firmly resolved upon
attacking France, and that, had not the Emperor
Alexander nterfered, the German Kaisers troops
would long ere this have been again blleted on
French soil" This raises the question, who is the
highest authority in England The Queenf Or
the Prime Minister Or Parliament 1t Is not
likely that the information in question came
from either of these sources. Highest authority
means presumably highest authority for the
purpose. and would be concevably either Lord
Derby, or the German ambassador, or the Russian
ambassador. The first two may be put aside. 1t is
certain that neither Lord Derby nor Count Munster
has told anybody that the fixed purpose of Germany
has been made to give way before the Emperor OF
Russia But this is precisely what the Russians are
saving everywhere 1t may be concluded that the
Russian Embassy in London think it desirable at
this moment to spread abroad in this country an
opinion that Russia is all-powerful In Continental
politics That is the countersgn for the present
the Emperor Of all the Russas arbiter of all
Europe.
1t is remarked, however, that both Germany and
France speak respectfully of Englands efforts and
that neither of them appears to have taken Ofense
nj the nterpositon. Lord Derby is entitled to credit
The chances were he would displease both parties,
and he has conciliated both. You will have noted
the positive official contradiction from Berlin of the
story that the manic originated in a circular from
Count Bismarck to German representatives abroad,
critcising the new French military laws as danger
Gus to the general peace. truef version OF that
story NAV be that the Russian Government when
they found Berlin uneasy, put themselves IN COM
munication with France, and received reassuring
reply. which the Emperor Alexander made known
to the Emperor of Germany.
Rut now comes Mr. Grant Duff, whose knowledge
of what goes on all the world Is believed to e1-
coed that of any other manufactured by himself II
by nobody else. Once year he unbosoms this load
of information to his constituents of Elgin. We
knew it was near Mr.. Grant Duf's time, and we
have waited mpatiently to learn the exact trath
about the scare, and precisely what Germany means
10 do / regret to say that our just expectations
have been disappointed Mr.. Grant Duff is MIR.
Grant Duff no longer. like the good Homer
sometimes mods, which heretofore have refused to
believe always pictured him to myself as passing
laborious DAYS and sleepless nights In accumulatlng
and diffusing knowledge; reading dispatches from
Patagonia addressing sage counsels to Pnnce Bis
marck and fatherly advice to the Emperor of Rus
sia did not suppose anything could happen about
which Mr. Grant Duff did not know everything AS
rule supposed him to be the author of events-at
least of the good Ones the bad being due to the
Operation of natural causes i know he is in con-
slant communication with " eminent persons" and
"intelligent natives" and friends of mine i'll high
position Yet he does not seem to be clear about
Germany and France. He is little sad about both.
He passed through Paris in March, 1874, on
his way to India, and very eminent
person said to him that if he stopped 100 in the
street and asked them what they wanted 90 would
reply Dictator" Another, not less eminent, as
sured him they were going to have the Empire back
without the Emperor, who was the best thing III IT,
Mr.. Grant Duff seems to have had notion that 1t
might be intended to have the Emperor back, too.
He vas comforted by thS assurance that this was
mistake He passed again through Paris on his way
home, and saw good many people in his search for
political information, but none of them were he
,mbheans." Those whom he did see thought things
were looking hopeful, were it not for war
1t does not appear that ne has been i'll Paris since the
panic When he discusses Germany an American ap-
r,ears IN the scene "an American traveller second
TO none OF his countrymen either in accomplishment
Yyha this araonn be Z lie is q de