The Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1877-1885, 1878-03-04
Austria'a Position,

Austria has appeared hitherto to be a
necessary element of any combination to
be made against Russia. Ii her presence
10 such combination had not in fact the
importance of keystone in an arch it was
deemed of such moment that no one in
Europe saw clearly Low those opposed to
Russia policy could reach any satisfactory
result without Austria's assistance. Hence
the Vienna Cabinet became the point de
Daire of all the diplomacy, England aud
Russia operated there with the same
energy which they felt they might be COM
PEELED TO display on bloodler fields if that
opportunity escaped them, and the German
| Court seems to have been also an earnest
party to this Cabinet campaign. Enough
| is not yet known of what has been deter
mined at Vienna TO. any one to declare
the result distinctly; but the evident dis
couragement of those English journals
that are early recipients Of government
secrets seems to imply that England is
dissatisfied with the course of events at
| Vienna. Austria has always made great
case of the effort to keep another Power
between herself and Russia, She has
| from other times instinstively felt repul-
sion to the possession OF such neighbor;
yet with this point steadily kept IN view
as an element of Austrian policy and
steadily pursued through many negotiations
in many reIgns Austria has always yielded
and relnquishediher own policy when the
case on the other side was put with the
tempting condition of participation in the
territory of the Power which she wished
to preserve as a sort of buffer for her
ribs against northern collision.
Hungary and Poland furnish
in their history the evidences of this co.,
Trajectory course of Austrian administra-
ton; and Turkey is apparently to supply a
newer illustration. If,as now seems likely
to appear, Austria has been paci6ed by
Russia; if the cabinets of Berlin and st
: Petersburg have joined in guarantees
satisfactory to her and she is to act on her
own inclination to keep the peace and ever
abandons her call for conference, Their
England is again left alone in Europe a.
: the sole Power that objects to Russia
: course. What will she do? She seems Il
, be making warlike preparations on an ex
tensive scale; and if the government wer,
sincere one, an earnest one-if it was no
! patent to all the world that it might meaI
any day the very reverse of what it de
clares-these preparations would be re
garded throughout Europe with the re
r spect that il justly due to England il
arms. But the government of England i
smarting under the modification of the de
feat of its policy at every turn, and equally
: perhaps, at the consciousness that 1t
diplomacy has been so pitiful that defea
was inevitable, and the opinion is widel
spread that it is now merely posturing i
the mistaken conviction that this feebl
|, course will eDableit 10 recover the pres
tige that it's laundering and weakness bav
; lost Consequently there is no con6denc
: that it meaps to fight, despite its prepars
tions. But war is not always the const
queuce of a governments resolute will, inc
!, even of governments conviction that
: is necessary to the nations interests. %
> the contrary. it has as often resulted fror
the desperate straits of political imbecilit
as from other causes, and therefore it is 8
yet not certain but England, though alon
may fhgt Russia.-N. Y. Herald.