The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1891-05-15
rALLEYRAND'S PROPHECY.
His Remarkable Vision of the Future of thu
United States and Prussia.

| His Remarkable Vision of the Future of the
United states and Prussia.
The strongest of all claims that will
be furnished by the memoirs is per-
haps the astounding proof they will
| produce of Talleyrand's foresight in the
matter of Germany and the United
States. In the pages which he devotes
to the last years of Louis XVIII. there
are certain paragraphs in which, speak
ing of the state of Europe toward 1922
25 and of what the errors of 1915 lat the
Congress of Vienual had made of it and
left undone, he distinctly foreshadows
what we have witnessed in the lands
between the Danube, the Elbe and the
Rhine.
Let no one be mistaken" (This is
the sense of his words as noted down
by an attentive auditory What we
accomplished in Vienna was very in
ferior work; sooner or later it must go
to pieces, although it will insure peace
| for few years. 1t is, however, con-
demned by the daily more powerful de-
sires of Central Germany. Everywhere
the Germans are aspiring to a united
ICoOlNCu W hdNC ~ ACeiSAJ AOA
1t, and some day one or the other of the
powers that sit in the confederation
will make this unity and reap the profit
its work. There is no fear of Austria;
she is herself made up of small bits and
can help no unity in others; but Prussia
must be sharply watched for she will
attempt it some day, and should she
succeed, all the conditions of European
equili brium will be overthrown. Then
the basis of power in Europe must be
altered and new forms of European
| civilization must be found"
Still more interesting to the Ameri-
can reader is NJ. de Talleyrand's proph-
ecy, made nearly seventy years ago, re-
garding the United States. At pri-
vate party given in Verona in 1882, on
an evening following one of the daily
sittings of the congress, the prince
spoke at considerable length of the
diplomatic work at the moment being
carried on. He gave as his decided
opinion that what his colleagues and
himself were then undertaking could
not possibly settle the affairs of Europe
or establish their equilibrium for any
definite lapse of time, and he was led
into abiding to the United States, of
which, at that period, it may be said
European politicians took no heed.
Europe" this was his singularly adj
vanced belief)-"Europe should keep it's
eyes well open and furnish no pretext
for the slightest recrimination. Ameri-
ca he added, 'is growing and develop
ing with each succeeding day. The
United States will become an absolutely
colossal power, and an hour must come
in the future when, by some extraor-
binary scientific discovery, it will be
put in more direct communication with
the rest of the world to their east That
day America unexpectedly will-wish
to look in our direction and to take an
interest in what Europe does. Let the
Old World of our continent then be
more than ever prudent, and not in the
slightest degree justify the inquisitive-
ness of the United States, for most as
suredly should it set foot in Europe
the status quo would be rudely dis
turbed and peace and tranqility would
for long years become problematical. +"
--Centurv