The Austin weekly statesman. (Austin, Tex.) 1883-1898, 1886-09-09

His hesitation has transformed rivalry
between Canadian fishermen and their
neighbors in New England into an inter
national controversy. Now the embar-
rassment of trade pursued by compare
lively very few of our citizens is extended
to another affecting directly or indirectly
the whole country. 1t is lesson in the
necessity of attending to little things and
it applies no less to the affairs of private
life than to the dignifed matters of state.
PHILADELPHIA RECORD.
1t will be safe to accept with the pro-
verbal gram of salt many of the state
ments which are now being telegraphed
as to the probability of an early and
general war in Europe. Some of these
stories are speculatiOns pure and simple,
evolved, as the camel was by the German
philosopher, from the writer's own con-
seriousness, while Others may have been
inspired by interested stock jobbers. But
at the same time it must be admitted that
it will require the strongest efforts of
diplomacy to prevent the outbreak that is
now threatening eastern Europe. The
return of Prince Alexander to Bulgaria,
instead of Strengthening out the present
situation, may only tend to complicate it;
and upon his actions, when once he re-
sumes his rule, much will depend 1t IS
simply question as to whether Bulgaria
shall be united and an independent
power or a Slavic dependency; and to
bring about the latter condition Russia is
likely to adopt every means that state
craft and intrigue can suggest At pres
ent she is smarting under the most pro-
nounced failure that any of her ag gres-
IL Gov nat
with, and she is not likely, with the Mach
iavelian resources at her command, to
abandon any effort to SOW the seeds of
fresh discord. To prove that black is
white and that two and two cannot by
any possibility make four are tasks to
the accomplishment of which she would
| bend all of her energies at a time like
this; and now that an obstacle interfer-
ing with her progress to Constantinople
has arisen the struggle which she will
make to overcome it is likely to be an
earnest one. Neither for Germany nor
England is she at present showing much
liking, and it will largely depend upon
the attitude and temper of those two
powers whether the quarrel shall break
out openly or be allowed to smolder until
some fresh political complication shall
arise.
MISSOURI REPUBLICAN,.
The English press is plunged in Devil
dered grief over the fact that Alexander
of Bulgaria has not declared war on Rus
STA and marched his soldiers toward the
sack of ST. Petersburg. The Standard,
the News and the Times unite in deploring
the pusilanimity which dictated the
prince letter to the czar. This is re-
freshng in view of the English attitude,
which, according to the old verse, "Lets
dare not wait upon would" until her
shadowy prestige has become even less
than a name. highlands honor and safe
ty are both menaced by the Russia ad
vance; but substitutes seem hard to get,
and of course Great Britain cannot be ex-
pected to do any fighting herself. Alex
ander has been deserted by all of those
upon whom he should rely. The pusilani-
nifty is not his for making the best terms
he can with an enemy which can crush
him at will, but it is England's for aban-
doning him to the tender mercies of the
| cZar.
TIMES DEMOCRAT.
While nature is shaking up this side of
the Atlantic, Europe appears to be suffer-
| ing from a general political upheavel.
| The situation TIN oughOut almost that en-
tire continent, and between nearly all the
European powers, is of strained and I'M
| pleasant character, which might be early
developed into something worse
1t is rot i'll Bulgaria alone that there is
trouble, but Russia, Austria, Germany,
France and even England seem sour and
morose, wanting but slight prOyocatiOn
| for war.
The Bulgarian matter has revived anew
the question of the relationship of Rus
STA to Germany and Austria. There is lit
tie doubt that the German people, with
the crown prince at their head, are anti
Russian in their sympathies and would
welcome struggle with the Gar. They
showed their feeling in the welcome they
gave Alexander, in their warm sympathy
with his announced policy against Rus
sian aggression.
A similar sentiment prevails IN AUSTRIA
or at least in the Hungarian half of the
double empire. The two countries have
aims and desires in the Balkan peninsula,
which must sooner or later bring them in
to conflict. The people of Austria would
like to bring this conflict about Mt once,
but the government hesitates about it.
AT the same time that all this trouble is
threatened in the east, Germany and
France are scowling savagely at each
other There is no love lost between the
two countries. The bitterness of 1870
has not disappeared has, indeed, grown
stronger of late years. During the past
twelve months the French people have
shown, in more ways than one, their
hatred of Germany, their desire for la
leVannhp-
this, and therefore, when France sets to
work to improve its army and put it on a
better footing, regards this act In the light
of threat. France is getting ready to
tight" one German newspaper remarks,
Germany must always keep her eyes fixed
on that republic"
Europe appears to be in not at all
pleasant humor just now, and it would re-
luire but a small cause to develop this
lumor into actual hostility.