Year: 1879

mum. Peace, prosperity anu splehuor uo
to be divided and served out in equal
shares to all the peoples forthwith. His
Lordship, who is wont to inform the world
on the Lord Mayors Day how the nations
are to be racked and tortured for the year
to come. takes this occasion to say that the
signs are propitious, and that nobody need
feel the least uneasy about his own con-
Germs or his neighbors from this time on
ward, nor until contrary orders. His Lord
ships assurance is based upon his observa-
tion Of the state of trade in chemicals
ssThe chemical trade has been unable to
execute its orders:" not from the want OF
any vigor or activity in the trade ITSELF
but from the preposterous extent OF the
orders. 1t is overwhelmed with success;
and as goes the trade in chemicals SO goes
the world Blue vitriol is the hope of man
kind. Copperas is the chief defence OF
nations Beyond the claims of statesmen
for devoted service and genius the graft
tude of the world is due to carbolic acid.
Shall States be saved from internal dis
sensions that lead to civil wars; from fnan-
cial errors that end in bankruptcy;
from commercial and industrial sys-
TENS that !. impoverish the many and
enrich the few? The sovereignest remedy
is to food the land with complete line
of chemicals, G. o. d., and to canvass every
district with lrummers offering large dis
counts for heavy orders. For the chemical
trade is the .index of prosperity" and
o4ce that is in full swing other things must
follow. Thus the fierce discontents of an
oppressed people may be calmed, adverse
constituencies may be soothed and brought
over and jealous nations may safely be
fouted and jeered at and if any hold out
in their discontents, their hunger, their
poverty, they may at last be crushed by
dashing reference to an imperial policy,
based on the salts of potassa.


Meantime there are some appearances in
the news from Europe that the trade in
chemicals is to be even ivelier by and by
than it has been of late-at least the trade
in some special articles of which saltpetre,
birthstone and certain hydrocarbons are
the most important-for the indication of
the facts is that Russia does not accept in
contrite spirit the situation prepared for
her between statesmen in Berlin and
Vienna, and has been busily delvipg below
their mines. The confederacy of the
Balkan States is q significant fact, and its
appearance on the stage at the present
time indicates the function it is counted
upon to perform. It is Russia's response to
the reported Austro- German alliance It is
q scheme Of organization for Slavic resist
ance to the dominion of foreign State.
Austria, as the successor of the Ottoman
power in the Balkan countries, is not what
the people of those countries desire, in so
far as the people are of any account in the
case, and not what is satisfactory to the


leaders Of the people. Austria's reception


in Bosnia last year indicates the sentiment
toward her of the people of the countries
lately redeemed from Turkish rule-Mos-
lem and Christian. Bosniak and Turk.


The hereditary enemies of centuries of saw
age warfare were able to lay asid Q
their own quarrels in the presence
of an Austrian advance and join hands
against new oppressor. Austrian dominion


is not, of course, to be compared to Otto


man dominion. In the hands of o civilized


Power government does not mean mere


plunder and oppression, as it does in the


hands of the Ottomans. at least in all


Christian countries. Governed upon


proper administrative methods, which


Austria would undoubtedly put into oper-


alton, the people of the countries in the


Balkan Peninsula might eventually be we'll


pleased with the rule from Vienna. But


tions of that nature. The Austrian is q


foreigner, and they are in the first paroxysm


of passion for freedom and lend them


selves to any conceivable com bination that


tends to keep him out.


Consequently oil the recent activity in
Central Europe has simply heated the iron
from which Russia has forged this new in


strument of Oriental politics. Austria's
proposed advance eastward, down the VAL


ley of the Danube and into the mountains
on the Adriatic-the dream of some Austrian


statesmen, but wisely apprehended as a


danger by others-became the central point
of o great game in which all the Powers had
an interest, and which the recently lib
Grated Slavs of. the Peninsula watched with


deeper interest even than that shown by


Lord Salisbury, and certainly with keener
intelligence Of its effects. Bismarck's share
in this game was to tempt Austria with


great bait. To suppose that this cold


and acute statesman was inspired by any


benevolent intentions toward Austria, OF


that he cared straw for any other purpose


than the accomplishment, through her, OF


some ulterior object Of German policy,


would be to do him an injustice. His his


tory affords no ground for the charge that


he has any sentiment in statecraft. He in


tended to ruin Austria if he could; and if


he should thrust her far enough forward in
this nropramme Of Eastern aggrandizement