, 1876-06-28
WILL THEY FIGHT
From the NeU York Herald.)

Alexander OF Russia wore at BPElln an
Austrian, q Prussian and o Russian deco
/. ration and he said to the Austrian Pre-
mier that he " based his politics" on the
relationship of those three Powers, as
symbolized by the association of the three
orders. This was apparently not a mere
phrase, not an idle attempt to tickle the
Austrian vanity with the notion that it
was q Power of the same consequence as
Prussia or Russia but the expression OF
a purpose, the enunciation Of a policy as
to what Powers should be deemed Of
consequence and be counted with in the
settlement of the future Of Turkey in
Europe.
1t Informed Austria that Russia and
Prussia would not settle the case without
agreement with her as a third party in
interest, but that they would not perhaps
exclude other Powers, but act on their
own views of the feasible despite the OPP
position or hostility of other Powers and
1t gave notice to Austria that if she was
not prepared to accept what they would
concede on this basis she must cast her
lot in some other camp. This declaration
> claimed that no others had any standing
in the case. 1t recognized the necessary
difficulties of drawing France into a for
cign war, and the fact that England, by
calmly looking on in 1870 and 1871, had
assented to the calamity which resulted
in her own isolation, and left her without
any other capacity to make her will felt
in Continental complications than such
as must always be associated with her
natural naval strength.
This, therefore, was the position of the
northern Cabinets with regard to England
early in The month of May. They had
resolved to proceed on the assumption
that England was not even a counter in
the game, and now suddenly they find
their advance stopped by her presence, and
their we'll considered programme seems
indefinitely set aside by the occurrence
of events susceptible OF no other cXplana-
tion but hat they were contriyed in the
interests Of British diplomacy. Indeed,
it is already thought that by these events
England has recovered in Europe the
prestige that seemed to have departed
with Palmerston, and the habit Of speak
ing of apparently successful strokes as
brilliant ones is followed in this case.
DuC lnt ldppIuCSS Vi INNS return " LI0
former foreign policy Of England may be
better judged when its results are known.
If England is compelled to withdraw
from the position thus boldly taken in
order to avoid an unequal war, or if ac-
cepting the war England should find it
calamitous, this late return to an obsolete
policy will not have many admirers.
Neither Russia nor Germany would be
averse to q wal in which they could have
England on the hip, for Russia would like
to settle on any convenient occasion that
rivalry of Eastern %pretensions which must
end in a collision some day, and Germany,
with an ambition to become a great mari
time Power, would be pleased to cripple
the nation that stands between her and
the sunshine in that particular. 1t is not
likely that England would be averse to
any war, come when it may, in which she
could have her enemies at o disadvantage;
and the likelihood of war, therefore, must
turn altogether on the view taken in
the respective Cabinets of the relative
strength and the probabilities of success.
So far as the facts are known to the
world the calculation of probabilities is
not such as can greatly le-assure England.