THE Cromwell Argus. WEDNESDAY SEPTEMBER 21, 1870.

Cromwell Argus, Volume I, Issue 45, 21 September 1870, Page 4

THE Cromwell Argus. WEDNESDAY SEPTEMBER 21, 1870.

The peaeo of Europe is again broken. France and Prussia are at war. Two mighty military forces are closing in mortal strife. The murderous virtues of the needle gun and the Chassepot rifle will now have a fair trial. The military geuius' of all nations has been directed for sunn years to the invention of tire-arms that shall be the most effectual in the destruction of human life, and the shortening of the periods of war when thev coin. The killing qualities of each skilful contrivance in this way are now likely to be in demand. For a long time p ist tin two belligerent powers have been sparring. They have kept the peace toward each other with much difficulty. Where the war ended between Prussia and Austria, it miv be said to hj ive .begun between France and Prussia. The sadden of the latter p>wer had overshadowed tin great Kmpuv ; it dimnel the lustre of France ; it was like a layer of whitewash upon the brilliant plata-glas* of the Tuilleries. The E uneror shone, even in his own eyes, but half-glorious. He had been out-manoeuvred by Bismarck. Sadowa had eclipsed Magenta. The tn ip of Europe had to be altered to make way for the widening grandeur of a great kingdom. A people long divided and weak stood up before France unified and strong. "A nation was born in a day':'' it rose up before the Emperor like the ghost of the old prophet before the Hebrew king. Sudden greatness was a sin that could only be washed but on the field of battle. The first motive of strife had its beginning at the time of French interference in the adjustment of the matters in dispute between Prussia and Austria, Napoleon came in when the battle was en led to get the best terms he could for Austria ; but the conquering party felt his presence as an impertinence. The intrusion was submitted to only for the time, to be remembered afterwards. And 011 the other hand, the pride of France was wounded as soon as it saw a rival crossing the path of its ambition, and checking the growth of its power. Preparations were pushed on by both parties to meet future contingencies,.that the im- • pending crisis might.not find them unready. Every little move in the political game was watched by both nations with an eagerness that corresponded with the deep stake at issue on both sides; and upon the successful management of this game depended the championship of Europe. The motive to hostilities was strengthened by every event that brought the relations of the two powers into notice. But it was the empty throne of Spain, and who should fill it. th it ended the constrained peace, and opened a war of ambition, the end of which who can forecast ? That it will be severe may be inferred from the two leaders and the two armies being brought face to face. The French Emperor has more to lose by a. defeat than any other crowned head in the world. If his army be defeated, he is defeated everywhere : nothing is left to him or to his. He is not now fighting for an idea, but for the first empire in Europe, for himself and his youthful successor. The Prussians will fight to the death in support of the national prestige, and their pluck may be trusted. But how will the other parts of Europe be affected 1 If A ustria take the field, no doubt it will lie on the side of France. She can hardly do otherwise. She has little to lose by bring beaten; and if, under French generalship, the army fight its way back to its lost weight and consequence, something will be gained for itself, and for the balance of war forces everywhere else. Much will depend on the side taken by Russia. If Spain commit herself to the struggle at all, it will no don lit be on the Prussian side. The Italians will hardly go either way, if they can keep neutral. An attempt may be made to gain possession of Rome. The French troops have held the Papal States for their rightful owner till he established his infallibility, and now he may be left to himself : his dominion is out of all danger. French bayonets air. needed nearer home. Great Britain will hold herself aloof to the last moment. She will not be drawn into the vortex of war, but to avert an alternative more to be dreaded than war itself. And if necessity force it upon hor, will she fight against Franco? The two continental belligerents may fight long and hard without in rh occasion for a fleet, aud our country may read and regret what is on without interference. But if the disputes be transferred to the sea—if they are to be settled by naval .warfare—we' fear our country will be involved..' .In 1303, the great Napoleon said '"'the .French army

xiuJ tho English fleet might., govern the world, if they understood 'each other.'' Sixty years have done something towards improving the understanding between the two peoples, but the governing experiment has not been tried, and we hope the present generation will not witness the attempt. In the meantime, the war will add nothing to the brightness of our NW Zealand sumran; and we are certiin it will add dullness to the winter of our home acquaintances. matters gave a rude shock to our relations with the old country, but our sympathies are still there. When we forget the tau;>las, tho altars, the t3:nbs, arid the tender reminiscences of our home kin Ire 1, let "our right hand forget its cunning."

in a leader a few weeks agj, we directed the attention of tin business people of Oromwell, and the settlers in the district, to the various advantages which would accrue to both by a little change in the miil conveyance. B/ making Cromwell the destination of the mail coach, instead of the Duiistan, the progress of the whole district, with all its growing interests, would be promoted. Our friends at Queenstown are well able to vindicate their claim for the change, and state the benefits resulting to themselves and the Lake district; and we hope they will join us in urging this matter upon the attention of the ruling heads of the mail department. Now is the time to agitato tho question if we intend to avert the disadvantages for the ensuing year. On the whole line of traffic between Dunedin and Cromwell we believe the change we require would not be unwelcome, and on some places we know it would confer conveniences more or less desirable and direct. In various quarters this has been pronounced impossible ; it is said that the through passage from Dunedin to Cromwell cannot be accomplished in two days. The contractor says it is impossible ; the people at the Dunstan say it is morally impossible. One councillor at Queenstown introduced the question ; another pronounced it impossible, though desirable. Thus the half-born idea was stiffled : impossibility snuffed it out. But we would ask, Has not the Government done all sorts of impossibilities, and worked miracles of management, for other districts 1 We have asked for so little in the past that that appears to be taken as the reason why we should, have nothing in the future.. We put in a modest claim to an inexpensive change in the existing mail conveyance, which, as now managed, puts us to all sorts of delays, losses, and inconveniences, and it is pronounced impossible. We are not asking for a preference over our next-door neighbor, to gratify our growing vanity; and the Mounl Ida Chronicle has drawn the pen through the alleged impossibility. The present route may be shortened via Naseby by six miles, and the six miles thus struck out of the middle stage would nearly balance double the distance jointed on to the end of the journey, upon a sound road, well metalled. Let those who glibly dismiss the question by pronouncing it impossible place themselves on our bridge with a map of the province in their hands, and of course with their backs to the east, and they will find, north and south, and at every point of the compass between them, roads raying out, and leading to mining, farming, and squatting interests that give an importance to Cromwell that ought to gain for her just demands a fair and considerate hearing.

Cricketers are requested to attend at the Town Hall this evening, at seven o'clock. A fire occurred at Kawarau Gorge on Friday night. The house occupied by a miner named James Trerabath caught fire from a cinder igniting a gunny-bag which had been laid upon the hearth-stone, and the buildin" was burnt to the ground. Mr Trembath, we regret to hear, lost all his personal property, and narrowly escaped beiug burnt to death. The following letter has been received by Mr F. Foote, who acted as secretary to the Cattle-owners' Committee lately constituted, and a r tenv,irds dissolved at a meeting held on the Bth inst. The Committee having now no existence, Mr Foote has hauled the letter to us for publication. We trust that the owners of cattle will bestir themselves, before it is too late, to maintain their right to depasture stock on the run. The rimholder lias given them timely warning, and if they do not choose to look after own interests, they will have themselves to blame for the consequences of their neglect: - "Mount Pisa, Mth Sept., 1870. " Mr F. Foote. " Dear Sir,—l am in receipt of your note of the 12th inst., rplative. to the failure of the Committee of cattle-owners to appoint a ranger ; and in reply, I wish you would intiraito to the said Committee tha fact that if thev do not appoint a ranger some wavor an itfnr (as expressly desired by them in the first instince. when thev com nisaioned Mr Smitham to bring thu matter heforo me, and to obtain my consent- to "the reduction of: the fee, an I the appointment o c tho.ir own ranger), they will leave nrsnrt altern'<»tj*o hut to order every hoof of- the -cattle off the - rim. -4, Yours truly, •■■■-- • -.. I;• Limiuunan,''

The Cromwell Hack Spring meeting takes place on Friday. There are four "events" on the programme, and we have every reason to expect that a largo number of horses will be entered to contest them. As will be observed from our report of the proceedings of the last meeting of the Town Council, a petition has been sent to the Provincial Government urging the necessity of immediately providing a Court-house and a Gaol at Cromwell. The Government has already promised that we shall have a new Court-house, and they cannot surely much longer delay its erection. • Regarded as a matter of convenience to the district at large, as well as a saving of expense in the conveyance of prisoners to and from Clyde, the establishment of a g3ol at Cromwell should, we think, meet with the prompt and favourable consideration of the Superintendent and his Executive. n Tuesday, the 13th insfc., Vfr W. J. Barrv sol|fby auction at Frankt.; i, the remainder of Mr R. Lancaster's mob of cattle, comprising 227 head. A number had been disposed of here by private bargain, Mr To.van being the principal buyer. The cattle were mostly from the well-known herds of Mrs Deans, of Canterbury. Mr Lancaster informs us that 100 heal were cleared at an average of £5 15s per head, and that the remainder were disposed of in one lot at fair prices. A pair of ponies, together with a buggv and harness, realised £37 IDs—Mr J lines Garroway of Arrowtown. being the purchaser. There was a very large attendance at the sale, and the bidding was spirited. No doubt the well-known ability of Mr Barry as a stock salesman had a good deal to do with the very satisfactory result of Mr Lancaster's venture. The Gazette announces that a sale of town lands in Cromwell will be held at the Court-house here on Thursday (to-morrow); and sales of allotments in the townships of Bendigo, Newcastle, Pembroke, and Gladstone, at Bendigo, on Fri lay. Tn order to give as much as possible of the important news received from Europe bv the last mail, we have to omit our reoorts of Court proceedings, as wall as several other matters of local and general interest. At the "Resident Magistrate's Court, on the 14th hut., (before V. Pyke, Esq., R.M., and W. Smitham, Esj., J.P.), Jamas Muir was brought up on re nan 1, charge 1 with having committed a criminal offence. The prisoner was committed for trial at next of Supreme Court.—The civil cases disposed of were of no public interest. The Collins Variety Troupe have been performing at Clyde and Alexandra during the past few days, and, we hear, with great success. The 7 are expected to appear at Kid I's Hall this week. The entertainment is variel and attractive, and has bsf n v->rv well patronised in the different town 3 visited during the present tour. A trotting nvitch for £ls a-side took place on the Clyde an 1 \lexan Ira road on Friday morning, between Mr S mum's I la and a mire belonging to Mr R. Lancaster. Tlie match was run in harness, the hwses being driven' bv : their respective owners. They started fro n Clyde, an 1 Mr Lancaster pulle lup in ' le tandra twentyeight minutes afterwards. Mr Samson's m>re was about three-quarters of a mile behind. The distance traversal wis seven miles. The w'nnerwis afterwards sold by auction on the Duustan race c mrse for £4O.