The Democratic press. [volume] (Ravenna, O. [Ohio]) 1868-1901, 1877-05-24
THE Aspect IN EUROPE.

eracy which has burst all the bonds OF
union and violated every rule conduc-
i've to cohesion. The concord of Eu
rope, which was formulated at the
Congress OF. Vienna after the Battle oI
Waterloo, W hich was reasserted by the
Treaty OF Paris OF 1856, and reiterated
in the Conferences OF London OF 1861
has fallen TO the winds, and every
Dor as the rival States of Italy once
were, i'll the medieval ages, when Pisa
was arrayed against Florence. and
Venice againse Genoa. In the conflict
which has only begun by the struggle
OF the Russians 10 realize the dream
OF Peter the Great, all Europe will al
most certainly be involved, and the
jealousies and hatreds, which have d
seat even deeper than the Franco
Prussiau war, will be reanimated into
intenser vigOr than they ever before
hnew felt Or experienced.
Even before the days of MarlbOr-
ough and Eugene, Austria and Eng
land have been traditional allies, and
there is every appearance that the old
alliance will be maintained aud
streng .hened by common action be-
tw cen the two Powers. England il
making every preparation for any pos
sible contingencies that may threaten
her communications with the East,
either by Egypt and the Suez Canal.
or the route by the Valley of the Eu-
pirates. Austria is apparently grid
ing up her loins against the rrepOu
derant weight of y Russian occupa
ton of the DanublanProvinces. Hence
it is necessary that Austria and Eng
land should act i'll harmony, the one
supplying the greater part OF the army
the other the ships and the money.
But meanwhile Italy. whose whole
interests, ii once released from fear oil
French attack, should consist in the
concord she established, under the wise
guidance of Count Cavour, in 1853
with the Western Powers, is holding
aioof, and now seems disposed to seek
a Russian rather than an English alli-
ance. She covets the possession OF
the sea-coast OF Dalmatia, and is jeal-
Gus OF any furtherance OF Austrian do
minion. She is also anxious for ali
extension of her boundaries upon a
disputed Tyrolean frontier. Her fleet
is strong and her army is numerically
large, but neither SOiferino nor Ma
genta, and certainly not Lissa, have
given her army or her navy prestige
i'll the annals of modern warfare. Her
finances are IN better state than those
OF Russia. but her paper money is
even yet deprecated below it's value
in noninaiiy equivalent gold coin.-
Despite, however, the peculiarities OF
the character OF Signor Depretis, it is
scarcely to be believed that the country
which gave birth to the Medius.- to
Macchi iav elli, and long and iliustri-
Gus line of ar-sighted politicians and
can eyer be willing TO see
in the hands of the
Russians, and the Mediterranean trans
muted into a Russian lake, with the
sole antagonism of the British fortifi-
cations at Malta, aud the vantage
ground which England will assuredly
seize in Crete and other strongholds
in the event of the dismembei ment OF
Turkey in Europe.
There are other powers to be con-
sidered. BY the treaty of 1856 France
was one of the cosignatories of the
Convention pledging the independ-
ence and integrity of the OttomanEm-
pire. But, owing to the calamities
sustained in the war of five years ago.
and in order to hold bridle-rein upon
Germany, both England and Austria
haye left France out of their calcula.
tions in estimating their strength in
defensive alliance with the Sultan
against the Gar. The intentions OF
Germany are uncertain. 1t is proba-
bic that Bismark himself is personally
hampered with agreements entered
into in 1864, in 1866 and in 1870, but it
is not possible to suppose that the
statesmen aud the Generals of Ger
mauy are willing TO see any extraor.
dinary aggrandizement of that great
Empire with whom, from the
mere force of circumstances, from the
which exists between the
peoples, from the exigencies of her
position, she must soon
er or later measure swords. Ii Ger
many, without protest, permits her
great neighbor to enlarge her borders
and increase her resources by the ac-
QUESTION of the territory which she is
almost undisguisedly seeking she will
be false to the age which has given her
. Bismark and Moltke. And this
we believe to be impossible.
And meanwhile the apparently prin-
cipal combotsnts are hotly engaged
Russia is pressing upon Turkey upon
two sideS-Oue from the East III ASA
with an advance directed against Kars
Erzeroum and Trebizond the other
upon the banks OF the Danube, pursu-
ing the same route which her armies
under Diebitch, in 1929. 1t
would seem that the Russians on the
northern bank Of the great river num-
ber about 10000. The Russians are
massed along the whole line from Ga
lantz to Giurgeyo, and in all probabil-
ity will find some weak spot in the
and cross the stream. The
Turks will then probably retreat TO
their second line of defense upon the
Balkans, and then, if hard pressed,
European harmony may possibly be