, 1880-03-20

is capable, not in expectation of war with
Russia as she is, much less in pursuance OF
a design of war. but in fear of wal with
Russia as she may at any moment become,
of Russia in the hauds of Revolutionists,
or of a Car bent On battling the Revolu-
ton by an appeal to the Panslavist thirst
for glory and extension. Whether the
Chancellor's apprehension is correct OF
otherwise, does not matter, III he reels IL,
then it is correct for him, and it is precise
" the one apprehension which his master
would feel at least as keenly as himself
The Emperor William certainly desires
no war with Russia, and probably would
refuse war against his nephew under any
provocation but direct menace or attack.
But the Emperor, very Conservative, very
aged, and made painfully melancholy by
the ingratitude of his subjects, who, as he
thinks, no. uniustly, have struck at q
Sovereign who has done much for them, IS
lust the man to believe that Revolutlona-
rieS might do anything, and might require
putting down with the strong hand. HIS
life reaches back very nearly to the point
of time when all that happened once
before. Under this explanations, the
natural course for the Chancellor would be
to increase the Army to its utmost hmlts,'
to, warns Austria to be ready, and to hlnt
loudly to- all Germans that he expected
danger from the east, danger he could not
in precise words explain. That is what
he is doing, and that would mean not war;,
but preparation for q wal which mghU
break out, if certain events III Russia,
which have not occurred, but when seem
to German minds possible, should occur.
But if Prince, Bismarck thinks such
probable, then they are probable! Is that
quite so? Prince Bismarck is a very lar
sighted man, with q profound knowledge
of many countries and many courts, puG
he and every other man of his age and
position are liable to be uncOnsclously
influenced by two ideas, not yet proved to-
be true. We suspect that every ruling
man outside England thinks social revolu-
tion, nearer than it is, and under estimates
the immense force of habit, and the greater
force which peasant-proprietorship has
enlisted on the side of order. They feel
tbe re~stlessness of the men of cities too
mnch. and see too much of the violence OF
those who attack themselves; and they are
afraid. and disposed, as we see, to extreme
measures of prevention. And they are all
ONE can see it in every successive
memoir-possessed with the notion, 'lnStll-
led into them by the events Of Louis AVl's
reign, hat every revolution must be pro-
pagandist, that it is a lava-t hoo which
must pour out somewhere. The Inotlon
that it may be non-propagandlst-that,
for example, in Russia, one DrlDe 10 inc
neonle NAV be release from military service
never comes home to them, and their
first idea always and everywhere is to
wall inn the revolution. That implies
military preparation, and it may be militia,
~ preparation directed to that end, ana
not directed to immediate wal, WhiGh We
are now discussing. We only trust that it
is so. We cannot conceive of the result
which would render a European war just
now. with such vast forces in the field and
such ~resolute men to guile them, and com
mencing SO near the centFe wnere one
interests of all European tS;ates,, except
England, touch, less than one Of the most
terrible calamities that ever befell huma-
nifty.