Year: 1874




atmosphere of European politics, and wise
men bid us to be happy in the anticipation Of
great peace. We do not know how often
all distracting questions have been settled
and ''the peace of the Continent assured" A
hundred years ago, after Frederick the Great
had tired of war and conquest and each nation
had had as much war as it craved, we had
a season of love and harmony which was
rudely broken by the falling of the Bastile
and the catastrophe of the French Revolu-
tion. Then it became necessary for the kings
to take up arms against the people, and from
this they continued to take up arms against
each other. So it continued from Valmy to
Waterloo, the bloodiest quarter of a century
that has been seen since Hannibal's day.
After Waterloo We had holy and precious
and fraternal time-the Napoleon of war sleep
ing at ST. Helena while Louis Philippe, as the
| Napoleon of peace, was ruling France. Every
now and then there was a rumbling in the
heavens as of thunder, and flash as though
lightning was in the skies; but it was only
summer lightning-a quarrel between Palmers-
ton and Theirs about Egypt, or some little
Carlist eruption IN Spain, which has been
smoking for forty years as it smokes now-and
it died away after a moments wonder. We do
not know how long this Waterloo spell would
have remained unbroken had not Napoleonic
empire come (which was peace" So anxious
was the new Emperor to keep the. peace that
he began to construct armies and threaten all
who did not support his policy AS emperors
do not construct armies uselessly it was found
that Napoleon had use for his. So he made
war upon Russia and upon Mexico and upon
Austria and finally upon Germany, with what
result all the world knows.


During his pauses from war, while his
army needed a resting spell for equipment
and recruiting, nothing pleased Napoleon
more than to summon q Congress"
The cannon would scarcely cease when
it would be whispered in the official
newspapers that in the interest of peace"
Congress would assemble at Paris. This espe-
cial Congress, it was hoped would finally
settle all unsettled questions-arrange the
Rhine boundaries, pacify Poland, adjust the
boundaries between Denmark and Prussia,
discipline the Gar for his tyranny over reluc-
tant subjects, compel Russia to respect the
armies of the Sultan, and, by removing every
prete1t for quarrel between the nations, insure
perpetual peace. But somehow no good
came from these sanguine and benefcent
anticipations, for Germany had also been con-
structing an army in the 'interest ofpeace, and
SO resolute was its Emperor to preserve peace
that he actually made three wars in six years.
Three wars in this short time are enough to
satisfy even warlike Hohenzolern, certainly,
we think, to satisfy nation like
the Germans, who do not care to throw q
hundred thousand Of their sons into the
bitches and trenches when it suits the will of
an Emperor as august as this anointed
King. So now we see disposition towards
Congress To be sure the Congress is NOM
inally at the invitation Of the Gar, but we all
know that, since Sedan, at least, Russian
diplomacy IS only another name for the
diplomacy of Bismarck. That astute states
man does not care to initiate Napoleon in
any dramatic attempt to settle all the angry
questions of Europe at Congress- He knows
how absurd it would be to hope for such a
result But no country has SO little to lose by
a Congress as Germany or SO much to gain.
The burning questions of Europe are German
questions. The one thought that dwells in all
minds is, ''Can Germany and France live
much longer without war;" What Ger
many wants is time and opportunity to
consolidate the fruits Of her three victorious
campaigns. She is rich in newly acquired pos
sessions, in spoil wrenched from Austria, Den
mark and France. She desires to gain from
some tribunal that will in some way represent
Europe, or at least speak with the authority of
an alliance, an Endorsement of her right to
hold and enjoy this spoil 1t is true that
scandal has arisen because of the man ner in
which much Of it was acquired. People have
charged her with violating treaties in Schles-
wig and Holstein Of dishonoring the sacred
principle of nationality in the annexation Of
Lorraine. And although not of an over sensi-
tive conscience on these matters how painful
it would be to drift into war, even with
France, in antagonism to the public opinions
of Europe So, therefore, if there can be pro-
cured from any European Congress the ex-
preston of belief that Prussia should not be
compelled to observe the Treaty of Prague
and that she was right in annexing Alsace and
Lorraine-if, in other words, it can be declared
that Prussian force represented European JUS
tice-then Germany will have gained pre-
cious diplomatic victory.


To be sure no considerations of this nature
appear on the surface of the specuations
attending the meeting of the Brussels Con-
gress. In the interesting historical resume Of
the Conpress its purpOse and origin, which
was printed yesterday, nothing is more attrac-
tive than the schedule of ideas that will be
considered We believe the usages of war are
to be amended. What is good and what is
evil IN this bloody business Of massacre.