Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1880-06-23
From Our Regular Correspondent
Our European Letter.
LONDON. Eng, june II, 1880

LONDON, Eng, June IL, 1880.
The suspicious of Europe. and notably
those of France, have been aroused by the
addition of $1,000 regulars to the German
rmy, not very large number, it is true.
but enough to indicate a purpose. What
that purpose may be every one is left to
his own conjecture, but it points to the
very reverse of disarming, or the milen-
mum which the good emperor prays for.
The effect of this strengthening of military
force on contiguous and jealous powers
was obvious. France and Russia would
also begin to swell their ranks, and in
order to checkmate this movement the
willy chancellor puts into the mouth of the
emperor the most positive assurance of
continued peace. Germany has no griev-
ances with any of her neighbors. On the
contrary, she is on the most friendly and
affectionate terms with all. Content with
her recent victories, conquests and spoils,
she feels like a stated boa that has swal-
lowed an OK, and only wants to lie in the
sun and digest her engagement. But she
will sleep with her armor on,and will keep
q Watch on the Rhine" and this is about
all the emperer's pecan to peace amounts
to, mere lullaby for his warlike rivals.
In the meantime France is daily gaining
strength, and like Tam O'Shanter's wife,
"nursing her wrath to keep it warm" A
renewal of the struggle to recover the
Rhine provinces is only question of time,
so far as the determination of the French
people is concerned, no matter how well
the governments may mask themselves
with friendly DISCUSSES. Unless both ma
tons are preparing for a great war, these
enormous standing armies are mere
mockery. cruel fraud on the people who
support them. The very appcaral of a
soldier on the street portends II coming
war, and men and emperors may cry
peace, peace, but there is no peace" and
there will be none rs long as human pas
sions exist, for war is the normal condition
of man.
The opening of our great annual picture
show will be the leading artistic event of
next week, but by no means of those
mysterious privileges which pertain to
London correspondents. have already
had look round the walls of Burlington
house, before even the gentlemen of oul
press are admitted, A former letter re-
ferred to some of the works in the studios
of the artists, but there are many othel
interesting things. John Brett has q
sketch of blue summer sea, with some
clouds drifting away on the far horizon
which would be 10y forever" on ones
walls. 1t is so absolutely true and beau
tiful that it acts on one quite rs q tonic
like look ut the sea itself. You almos
sniff the salt SAVIOR as you gaze. Prin
cep's picture of the Proclamation of thu
Queen as Empress of India" is IN abor
ton. So much has been said of it that il
is Il grievous disappointment. 1t is thirty
feet long and occupies the entire end of ;
gallery, which makes matters worse. TIL,
coloring is glaring to the last degree, an(
the drawing cxecrable. One could no
have conceived it possible that Il roya
commission had such Il damaging etfec
on usually clever artist. The academ,
is unusually rich in landscape this year
Leade has glorious Swiss view and s
summer flood in North Wales, which maxi
one long to pack up a portmanteau and b
off somewhere" even before July ha
set in. The grievous thing connected witt
this years exhibition, however, is th,
number of fine works which the council
have had to send away purely from wan
Of space. These have nothing to do witt
the class of pictures which come in il
such shoals this year, and were so ire
deemably bad that they were rejected u
the rate of seventeen a minute.
ALPHA.