The citizen. (Frederick City, Md.) 1895-1923, 1895-10-18

ENGLAND AID FRANCE.
why Napoleon Wa. Willing TO NeRottats
for Peace.


Whatever form the struggle between
France and England for ascendancy
had taken throughout the long CEN
turtles it had lasted, 1t was ever apd
always bitter aud envenomed. The
French revolution had offered the
English tories an opportunity, as they
believed. finally and literally to crush
France, even to the extent which
Lord Chatham had always declared
necessary for enduring peace. The
younger Pitt inherited his fathers
idea, and the conqueriag policy o.
the repu bic had enforced his position.
so that since the beginning of the
T present struggle between the two
countries the British nation has re-
posed unbounded confidence in his
leadership and policy. Unfortunately,
he used this popular feeling to retain
power after his own convictions had
changed. But gallant and success
full as the war had been, it at
last seemed to many as If
there were no limits to it's dura-
ton, and to timid minds the lavish
combined with the expensive m4sman-
agement of the naval establishment,
augured bankruptcy. Pitt fell ON the
question Of Catholic emancipation in
Ireland, a matter in which he disagreed
with George I'LL, the small-minded and
feeble king; but the Addington minis
try which succeeded was none the less
/ % -
be in reality and above all else a peace
ministry.
When, in 1899. Paul of Russia, furious
at the perfdy of Austria and weary of
the tyranny exercised by England over
the seas. had instigated renewal of
the armed neutrality, with Denmark
as its nominal head, the delicate at
tentions ~ Bouaparte, of which men,
ton has already been made, coupled
with offers most gratifying to the
cars ambtion-such. for example.
as the grandmastership Of Malta
completely won the heart of the
quixotic Paul Early in 1900 a con
tdential Russian agent appeared in
Paris, whose mission was to urge Bona
parte to declare himself king. and, in
addition to the peace already nego-
tiated, arrange terms for an alliance
between the two rulers for the purpose
OF DESTROYING English power in India,
according to the plans already ar
ranged by the car
An agreement was quickly reached.
which resulted in a treaty Of friend
ell o1r T.. D.
worked out an elaborate scheme.
There were to be two expeditions, one
Russian, by way of the Don and across
the carry to the Volga, thence through
the Ural mountains to the Indus, and
from the Indus to the Ganges; the
other Franco Russian, to proceed by
the Danube, the Black sea, the Don.
and the Volga to AStrakhan and Persia,
where it was to combine with the for
mer and open hostilities. The latter,
in particular, was worked out in the
minutest detail, and every item was
carefully concentrated by Bonaparte.
England's reply to the armed neu-
trality of the northern powers was the
dispatch to the Baltic of powerful
fleet, which reached Copenhagen in
March. 1901. Negotiations were
opened by Sir Peter Parker, who be-
cause of his diplomatic abilities, had |
been made first in command, and last
cd for some weeks but failed. On May |
Nelson, who was second in command,
opened fire on the city, The great ad-
miral's success was only partial, and |
he was only too glad to accept an in.
conclusive truce. England's object,
however, was reached in another way. |
During the night of March 1924 Paul |
was assassinated in his bed, not with
out suspicion of connivanee on the
part of his son Alexander who sue
ceeded him. The new car did not in.
herit his fathers policy. On the
contrary. he Immediately liber.
ed the English ships in his harbors,
and, further, waived his fathers claim
to the headship of the Knights of St.
John, and to the island OF Malta as
their domain. The league of neutrals
fell by its own weight, but England
was left without supporting CONT.
mental coalition in the face Of Marengo |
and Luneville.
The death of Paul likewise seriously |
affected the position Of France, which !
in an instant again became insecure.
This disposed the first consul more
than ever to yield to the universal
clamor for peace. Addington's over
lures had at first been coldly received,
for Bonaparte wanted the restoration
OF all the colonial conquests England
had made during the long war. But
the death OF the car and the at
titude of his successor changed
the situation. Still further came
news that since Kleber's death
one disaster after another had
overtaken Menou Ia Egypt He
had been compelled to surrender Cairo
in June, and the fall of Alexandria
was only question OF time. Abdal-
lah Jacob Menou. as the convert to
Mohammedanism styled himself,
found little grace at the hands of his
coreligionists Negotiations with Eng
land were thereupon seriously re.
snmed. Both sides being equally
eager for peace, arrangements were
completed within reasonable time,
and on October l, 1901, the resulting
preliminaries were ratified. The news
was received in London with JOYOUS
acclamations.-Prof Sloane, In Cen.