The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1878-06-21
The Latin Powers at the Congress.

There is one aspect Of the Berlin Confer
ence which brings out in bold relief the
sweeping nature OF political changes and
the signal displacement Of the balance Of
power within single generation. How
much Of weight and dignity now belongs to
the representatives Of Latin Christendom
among the arbitcrs of Eurcpe' How far is
the eclipse Of France compensated by the
formal recognition Of Italy as one of the
great powers, and what solution Of the
Turkish problem will commend itself to the
interests aud sympathies Of the Latin
States
1t is certain that the Romantic nations
taken collectively and opposed to the Ger
manic peoples, now occupy a very different
position from that which they held in the
Paris Congress rather more than twenty
years ago. In that assembly Prussia was
discredited by her timid and vacillating
policy throughout the Crimean war, and
her ambassador had less influence than the
shrewd envoy Of the small Kingdom Of Sar-
DINA. The recognized exponents Of the
Teutonic race, and champions OF central and
northern Europe, were Austria and England,
Yet, although both We're strong, the latter
having shared the toll and triumph Of a
protracted war, and the former emphasizing
her demands 10y a formidable demonstration
on her frontiers, both Queen and Kaiser
We're outweighcd. dwarfed, frustrated, and
Inundated by the ruler Of France. The
Paris Congress imposed upon the Car the
lightest terms ever sxacted from a broken
and bankrupt monarch, and the strange re-
suit was due TO the conspicuous, almost au-
% Of ha
peror In the councils Of Europe.
II Is plain, on the other hand, that France
has had not the smallest share in the overt
or secret pressure which has compelled the
meeting Of the present Congress Her feel
ing on the Eastern question has been mat
ter Of Indifference, since under no circum-
stances was it likely TO be translated into
act. country which tactly ayows an in
tention not TO fight for any purpose or in
any contingencies, except for self-defence.
cannot be said to have a foreign policy.
There is no reason to suppose that the
French Legislature would authorize the mo-
bili2ation Of single regiment to enforce the
decisions Of this conference; and the pres
ence, therefore, of the French representa-
tives Mt Berlin seems to be at bottom
an empty honor. There was time
when the interests OF Western commerce
and Of Latin Christians In the Levant would
| have found their foremost advocate IN
| France, and there Is no doubt that Mr.. WAD-
DINGTON will be prompted by sagacity and
sympathy to strengthen the hands Of his
/ English and italian colleagues But he can
not point, like ASDRAssy. to an army ON
/ the edge Of the Principalitics, or like BEA-
| CoNsFIELD, TO an armorcd fleet in the Oar
daneles. The French ENJOYS vote is n mere
formality; his monition is "A voice, and moth
ing more As regards her position at the
| Congresses Of Paris and Berlin, France
seems to have traversed the whole interval
between substantial dictatorship and prac-
teal nullity.
Very different IL the transformation which
the House Of Savoy has undergone within a
couple Of decades, and far more solid and
extensive authority is conceded to Count
CORT than CAVoUR WAS able TO win by the
exercise Of his remarkable abilities. The
acknowledgment Of a right vested in the
sovereign Of a united Italy to sit with the
arbitrators Of Europe Is something better
than a compliment. II implies n recogni-
tion of the weight added to words by the
possession of a considerable armament and
the resolution to use it. Next to England,
Italy has the largest interest in Levantine
trade and the latter power is directly and
vitality concerned in the commerce Of the
Adriatic. She could not afford to see the
iort- Of Eprus and the Straits Of Brindisi
commanded by a strong Slavonic State
which should also control the Bosporus.
Sne would sooner have the Dalmatan
territory Of her Austrian ncighbor eX-
tended southwark. Let that profit accrue
to the llapsturg Kaiser, but let him sur
render in return the little wedgc-shapcd
| strip ~ Italian territory the Treutmo-
which has for so many centuries offered
easy access TO German armies. In n
word, the position Of tho Italian mem
Der Of tie Berlin Congress, while it Is
ant-Russan and pro-English as regards
the ACKNOWLEDGMENT OF Turkey, is COM
plicatod with a vehement desire to per-
feet and amplify the northern frontier Of his
own peninsula. IL is not easy, therefore to
forecast the conduct OF Italy In all the con-
tingencies that may present themselves; but
| her adhesion to one side OF the other will be