The commonwealth. (Scotland Neck, N.C.) 1896-1929, 1899-09-21
VIEW OF THE NATIONS.
Some Close Observation.
MANY THINGS CONSIDERED.

Some Close Observation.
MANY THINGS CONSIDERED.
BY G. GRosvENoR DAVE.
Written For The Commonwealth.
AGlanoe Over Europe.-According
to st. Paul, who evidently spoke from
knowledge. there Is in everyone of us
a warefare between the good and the
bad. To haye these two conditions ex-
istent within ourselves is to be nor
NAL, but when In the struggle the evil
gets the upper hand then there Is cause
for alarm indeed. Now it is interest
ing to believe and very interesting to
try to prove that nations ere Just like
individuals. If the ideas and the ideals
Of the majority of q nation are sound
and practical and somewhat similar
then it Is safe to foretell for such a
nation, just as one would for an indi
vldual. progress, power, repute. View
ed in this way the healthy and rather
unpampered character of theRussian,
the Scandinavian, the German and the
Briton promise strength and contlnu.
ance to their respective lands. Yet one
knows that there are very bad eIe-
ments In the extremes of society in the
first, third and fourth OF these, but not
sufficiently bad to color national life.
Scandinavia will have governmental
troubles within the next quarter of a
century, but the sound sense of the
people OF Norway and Sweden will
probably lead to the avoidance of war
fare and content itself with political
change. The trouble ls chiefly that
they are under the rule OF an imported
monarch, a Bernadotte, and second, that
there ls q jealous rivalry between the
two halves OF the kingdom. Notwith.
standing this last feeling, however, it
Is quite within the range of possibility
that Norway aud Sweden will develop a
republican form of government, whose
integrity, like that of Switzerland,
will be guaranteed by the great powers
around.
Division of purpose, though the peo-
Pile are morally sound as whole, will
probably be the undoing of Austria
Hungary, after the death of the En-
peror Francis Joseph (; for eighteen diff
ferent languages and almost as many
different sets of ideals hold sway with
in the bounds of the empire. The
northern part of the eastern portion
may possibly share the fate of Poland
and be absorbed by Russia. In the
southern part OF the eastern end we
may expect to see more principalities
created like those at present exislng
under Russian domination in the Bal
kan peninsula. The western portion
will probably retain its identity as
Austria, but the general tendency will
be for 1t to become Germanlzed.
Belgium will have before long some
very unhappy experiences. The peo-
pie will grow tired of puppet royalty
as at present played by the king OF
Belgium, but instead of there being for
us any feeling of pleasure in looking
forward to the formation of republic
upon the ruins of this royalty, there
is cause for dread Belgium is too
French in it's character, to effect such
a change decentiy and in order. It's
city dwellers are wretched, crowded ,
immoral, and form precisely the right
soil for growing another crop OF hor-
rors like that Of the Commune. When
the political change comes there will
be French interference and such strong
German opposition to any appearance
of French increase of territory, that
these two nations will set themselves
for final struggle. The inevitable
rasult will be the defeat Of F rance.
France is tottering to national decay
because there are more individuals In
1t OF low personal ideals than there
are Of high. No nation OF Europe
more thoroughly shows Likeness to
an individual in whom evil has tri-
u.nphed over the good. Because there
is constant distrust within it, there Is
to be distrust of it. Because there is
such constant pursuit of the present,
there is positive doubt OF the future.
Because it suspects the natlons around
it of stealing, there IL within 1.-THE
spirit of thievery. Because the might
of its army has been directed to the
crushing of one man, there is room to
suspect that the leaders of the army
have no real care for the nation. eth
ar as to the moral health within it or
a. to it's reputation among the sister
hood OF nations. Religion only In q
formal way, anu content TO substitute
tho bowings and scraplngs OF polite