The Evening Star SATURDAY JULY 3 1875

Evening Star, Issue 3856, 3 July 1875, Page 2

The Evening Star SATURDAY JULY 3 1875

Were it not that much later intelligence has been received by the Australian cable than that to hand via San Francisco, there would bo x-oason to apprehend that peaoe in Eui’ope was very likely to be disturbed. Ominous paragraphs are duplicated and amplified in the telegrams published in the columns of our morning contemporary, the ‘ Guardian,’ whose special sorrespondent appears, equally with the Press agent, to have forgotten the announcement to hand a week or a fortnight ago, stating that all the turmoil, the threats, and the complications between Germany and Belgium have passed away; that MacMahor has declared he has no intention to bring on another war; and that the Czar has pronounced against a renewal of hostilities between France and Germany. On the face of European affairs we donot lookupon an early waras probable. The ex perience of both France and Germany was dearly bought. It is undoubtedly time that the next great disaster to a defeat is a victoiy, for between equally matched belligerents success can be attained at a sacrifice very little inferior to that of defeat. The difference between the results of the war to the two countries has, however*, been wide. It served to cement the unity and give strength to the German Empire, thus adding to its ability to sustain a second conflict; and since an immense sum was paid by France as indemnity—enough, most probably, to recoup to Germany the cost of the war the loss that Empire has to deplore is tens of thousands of its brave citizen soldiers. On the other hand, the destruction of the French army brought prominently before the world the true weakness of France. It developed the disunion of classes that prevails in that country, and showed that th. ro is a dangerous section holding social theories which strike at the very root of existing institutions, and that they are prepared te force them upon the country amid blood and anarchy. When wo read the bombast to which so many journals give currency regarding French desire for vengeance, which implies unity of purpose and a common national sentiment, and then turn to the records of those dreadful days when the citizens of Paris were arrayed against each other aud the Government, it seems to us chimerical to suppose that anyone of sane mind can advocate a war with Germany, of which the result must be doubtful, and which, successful or otherwise, would weaken the repressive power of the army upon the dangerous masses in the country. France’s real enemies are within her own territories, and of her own inhabitants. It was therefore with no surprise that in later telegrams than those by San Francisco we read MaoMahon had disclaimed any intention of renewing the

war with Germany. He knows it would be a species of national suicide. That there are elements of discord that if not carefully handled may lead to European disorder ii painfully manifest; for it is plain that the name of religion is degraded by the efforts making to place ecclesiastical over the civil power in several countries. But oven this attempt, although made through spiritual agents thoroughly organised and bent upon one common purpose, is not likely to be successful. It has not the sympathy of any European Government, or of the people generally. These are not days in which Petek the Hermit could create nations of fanatics. Thera is still enough left in the world of Superstition and priestcraft; hut the masses do not believe in the old dogmas, and are not easily moved to waste their substance in a war, the object of which they do not sympathise with. If, therefore, there should be ultimately a general European war, we believe it to be‘distant, and the longer it is deferred the less likely is it to take place. Not a monarch desires it, and no national advantage is to be gained by it, excepting possibly the extension of German territory by the annexation of Belgium or Holland, and the Great Powers will not allow that.