National Republican., 1886-10-09
Is IL War ?

When the Berlin treaty was signed in
ISIS the representatives OF Austril-lIuu-
gary, France, Germany, Great Britain,
Italy, Russia, and Turkey returned TO their
homes with many misgivings about the
permanence Of the hastily patched-up com
pact 1t was necessary that some European
agreement should stop the march of a sue
Cessful Russian army upon Constantinople,
but the domestic affairs OF every single
nation represented at the congress caused
the respective rulers more serious apprc-
hrnslou than even the spread Of Panslavism.
Disraeli made triumphal procession
through London, and bUastcd about the
"peaco with honor which he aud Lord
Salisbury had procured Tor England. But
their lordships quickly found that however
they might have succeeded In swoppiug OF
territory Of the Turks, and the rights OF the
Christians in southern Russia, there were
difficulties before them In Ireland which
were not to be charmed, coerced, or edu-
Gated out OF existence, Russia returned
to her "lrcland" In the form OF u triple
Poland and an indomitable uihilsm. Aus
trla-llungary took away some small change
In the shape Of Bosnia, Herzegovina, and
the Sanlak Of NoW Bazaar, only to ex-
perience in its eastern portion an lnteusl-
fed hatred Of Russia, which had crushed
the hopes Of Hungary in 1S4S, and on the Aus.
trian side TO fin the memories Of Sadowa
more bitter than before. But Germany,
powerful as she had appeared at the interna.
tional congress under the presidency aud
% a
| cphemeral comfort from this superiority in
the council chamber. Emperor Will
! lam and the chancellor found their more
than Irish difficulty in the organized social.
| ism which was not to be appeased by the
humiliation OF Austria and France, or 10 be
diverted by any political concessions. In
| fact, the self-same social movement which
appears in Chicago as anarchy, In Richmond
as Knights Of Labor convention, in New
York as the canvass of Henry George, in
Ireland as the Land League, in Scotland as
the crofter rising, in Wales as the 1.-THE
disturbance, in England as the offer OF Mr..
Gladstone TO buy out the landlords, or the
modified peasant proprietary suggested by
Lord Salisbury-this same movement ox-
hibited manifestations at the Berlin con
gress which brought international deliber.
ations to a conclusion long before the ques
tions involved had been fully considered,
| and only In submission to the earnest request
OF Emperor William. The sores which
were then only half healed have broken out
again with all the force of long accumulat-
ing virus. Europe is n great powder barrel
of which Bulgaria happens at present TO be
the bung-hole. 1t does not matter much
who supplies the fuse. Gen. Kaulbars may
have the honor, or young Alexander, or
little Churchill, or peradyenture the Ger
man chancellor himself. And, as the Eng
lish Spectator says, If this terrible explosion
should occur ait is no adventure, no short
and sharp campaign, Of which the nations
are dreaming, but that gigantic calamity, a
European war, in which whole nations will
be engaged, and first class armies almost
as large as peoples will slaughter one an.
other, aud the industry Of quarter of the
globe will be mortgaged for half a cen.
tury.n