THE PRESENT STATE OF EUROPE.

Daily Telegraph (Napier), Issue 2977, 10 January 1881, Page 3

THE PRESENT STATE OF EUROPE.

The situation of Europe at the present time, the Times remarks, is almost without parallel in history. The soil of the Contineut is loaded with armies ; the minds of men have been surcharged with passionate animosities ; during more than a quarter of a century war after war has poured its waves over the civilised world, each deluge leaving behind it a confused mass of controversies. Yet, for the time at least, these elements of disturbance appear to be working together for peace. There is something like a deadlock in European politics. It resembles in no wise tbe reign of universal heaven-descended good-will which was fondly supposed to have *segun nearly 30 years ago, and ot which the advent was welcomed in the Palace of Glass at Knightsbridge. Then there was a real, an earnest, if a childlike, faith in the permanence of peace. Nations were turning away from war—or so the preachers of peace believed—not in mere weariness, but with a deep moral repulsion Nevertheless, the great Powers within a fe§ months were engaged in the diplomatic strife which led directly to the disturbance of tbe time honored balance of power, and to a long succession of wars. No such ideal schemes of pacification are now entertained. It would be difficult to maintain that the Powers are devoted to Peace when so much of their energies are spent upon preparations for war; but it is manifest that in spite of these preparations, or, perhaps, partly by reason of them, there is a widespread repugnance in almost all the capitals of Europe to the adoption of any measures which may in any posibility tend to a collision. We have every reason to rejoice that this is the case, though we cannot but feel that the restraints thus placed upon the powers sometimes used for evil may also paralyse to some extent the legitimate disciplinary forces of civilisation. Be this as is may, the present state of Europe ia one in which conflicting energies, material and moral, are so equally balanced that we are in doubt where to look for the next impelling movement.