Year: 1869

Bright bought that Came too Late.


The London correspondent of the New York
Tribune still adheres to his statement that
there has been formed a secret league against
the United States between England, France
and Spain. The report has been generally dis
cretided, and even formally contradicted and
may in the end prove to be utterly without
foundation. But one cannot help wondering
why this or some very much more extensive
alliance was not formed long ago, when the
democratic institutions of this country were
on their trial, and were like a little tongue Of
flame in a universe of darkness that might be
extinguished for the time by q slight effort of
cooperating despots. Why did European i'm
perialism suffer TO grow and thrive here sys-
tenn of government, every year Of whose exist
ence cost it dear? The substitution Of consti-


tutonal for absolute monarchies in Europe is
due to the moral influence Of the United


States. Every Presidential election in Amer


lea has corresponding liberal reform in Eu-


rope to answer to it. Every trial through


which Americ9 has successfully passed has


taken away a stone from the foundation on


which the thrones Of European monarchs rest


The Jealousy of each other and tho remote
ness and almost imperceptible adverse influ-
ence of the transatlantic Republic have served
to keep European monarchs from banding to-
gether against the common foe. The policy


of nol.-intervention in foreign affairs which
has been peculiar to our governments from its
foundation has likewise has its influence in
keeping it safe from the power that would
have reoiced in its overthrow. No sufficient
ca for n do ~, ID


would Justify it even to the imperfect moral


sense of European subjects has been found


And all the while the tree of liberty has been


growing and extending its roots and branches


in all parts Of the world At length we have


grown so strong as to be able to give very val
liable moral support to the subjects of lespet-


SIN everywhere, who are desirous of throwing


off the yoke. The theory of non-intervention


is so far departed from that we stop only a lit


tie short of giving physical support to demo-


cratic movements, like that OF Cuba. In lit


tie while the logic Of our position and our his


tory will require that we extend over all peo-


pie, everywhere, when they strike against ty-


rants, Our protecting @gis. Heretofore, wise
regard for the general good of mankind, as well
as our own, has forbidden such course, and it


may forbid it for brief season yet. But the
democratic forces have gathered such strength


in all civilized countries, and they are already
SO nearly able to cope single-handed with inn
perialism in individual states, that the time
may soon come when the weight of American
influence thrown into the liberal scale may ke
sufficient to topple over every throne in Eu-
rope, and pave the way for a real Omitted
States of Europe" which the dreamers assem-


bled last year at Geneva have already founded.
This crisis is not unobserved by those most
interested The rumor of = triple alliance,
though it may not be we'll founded, must have
taken its rise in some tentative movement in
that direction, either at the Tuileries or st.
James. If it has been seriously considered,
the plan must have contemplated something
more tn IN merely league for the purpose of


united action in reference to the quarrel


between England and Spain, ON the


one side, and this country on the


other. II it has been abandoned, it must


be because the ranks of the democrats in Eu-


rope. itself are already too full to make war
on democracy safe. 1t must be because there
is almost democratic strength enough in Spain
for the foundation of Republic, because the
cry of "To the Tuileries" is again heard in the
streets of Paris, because Victor Emanuel is
in danger Of his life in his own capital and be-
cause the aristocracy of Great Britain is driv-
en- from one position to another by the great
waves of popular discomfort, till it can already
see the inevitable destruction that awaits it.