RUMOURS OF WAR BETWEEN RUSSIA AND AUSTRIA.

Lyttelton Times, Volume X, Issue 602, 11 August 1858, Page 5

RUMOURS OF WAR BETWEEN RUSSIA AND AUSTRIA.

The Paris correspondent of .the 'Standard,' writing on the 9th of April, says^— , ;

. The chief topic of conversation in political circles here is the growing hostility between the two great powers of Eastern. Europe^ The many -Russians in Paris speak of the outbreak of a war as. a probable contingency, and it is generally' expected that the Austrian Ambassador at; St. will, ere take his departure from the Russian capital. It is no secret to any one at all conversant with the state of Europe that for a-long time past a feeling of bitter animosity has existed between the two empires, and it is now stated that Russia is eager totake vengeance on her qnondam ally for her selfish desertion dnring the Crimean conflict. The formation of a camp of 100,000 men at Warsaw is pointed to as a preliminary symptom of; the bursting of a storm which has long been brewing, and the Austrian occupation of Montenegro is mentioned as a likely pretext for an open rupture. These are, indeed, symptom which must strike the most superficial observer, but at the same time it must not be forgotten fchatj however strong may be the inclination on both sides to fight out" -a quarrel of suchlongstanding, neither of the two wouldbe belligerent powers have ever been less able to indulge in so expensive and dangerous a satisfaction. The finances of both countries are not in a condition to bear the charges'of the contest. Russia is only just now recovering from the terrible blow inflicted upon her by the Western Powers,-and the exhausted treasury of Austria is one of the least of her embarrassments. With Italy in her present fever of revolution, and Pieumont as an anxiliary to Russia on her flank, Austria cannot afford to go to war, however great the provocation. Moreover, the two Western Powers of Europe which none of the other powers can pretend to withstand, there is no doubt, would act a3 peacemakers should the apprehensions entertained here become realised. For these reasons, therefore, without in the least wishing to deny that the attitude ot Russia, Italy in a state of permanent insubordination, and' France and England close allies and determined to preserve peace, both parties mutst remain satisfied with showing their teeth and barking at each other. They must, for the present at least, abstain from the luxury ot a bite. From Spain we daily receive rumours ot 'an alliance and reconciliation of a most extraordinary character. The fusion having died its natural death in France, we find its ghost terrifying the Spaniards. Whether, on close inspection^ it would provo oven a "real ghost, "or meroly a royival of the absurd rumours to tho

same effect circulated about a year ago, it is difficult to say. But, as the vague inuendoes put forward by certain organs of the London press, it maybe as well to strip the deceptive varnish with which these on dits are disguised. The long and sbort of the matter is simply this—that a reconciliation has taken place between Queen Isabella and Count de Montemolin and that negotiations are being carried out which would provide for the restoration to the throne of Spain of the branch of the Bourbon family which he represents. It is even added, —with what degree of truth I leave you to to imagine—that the French Government is a party to and approves of this little family arrangement, out of jealousy for the growing influence and popularity of the Duke de Montpensier. This, in two words, is the story which is circulated in Paris, stripped of the hazy periphrases which it has been clothed in for the English market—probably because in its naked absurdity it would prove too flimsy to be gulped down by the unsuspecting British public.

I sent you over yesterday the sentence of the Court of Lucca on the prisoners charged with being concerned in the attempted outbreak at Leghorn last year. Eight, you will recollect were condemned to death. The attempt was a most dastardly one, and far more serious than that at Genoa, with which it was connected in some mysterious way, which has not been cleared up. At Genoa, only one life was lost, but at Leghorn, the victims of M; Mazzini were far more numerous. Soldiers-—ltalian, not Austrian soldiers, mind—walking about the streets on leave, were suddenly set upon and stilettoed. Guard-houses were attacked, and isolated sentries murdered. But the ringleaders were wholly unsupported by the population; the coup de main utterly failed, and the chief actors were soon arrested. Considering the greater, importance of the outbreak, it may excite a*feeling of surprise* that while the insignificant attempt at Genoa has been so'much talked of, the more important one should have passed altogether unperceived, and the riot and the rioters completely forgotten at the very time their trial was going on. This, however, is solely to be ascribed to the very different manner in which the trial was conducted. At Genoa the proceedings were public, and any one who chose might ascertain for himself how they were conducted. At Lucca they were of a strictly private character—the public was excluded from the court, and the Kevolutionists derive therefrom the advantage of being able to circulate mendacious reports of an unfair trial, which there will be found but too many to credit.

A very interesting work is to be published here —the collection of sermons preached in the Lent of last year, in the Chapel of the Tuileries, before the Emperor and the Court, by the wellknown Father Ventura,-a Thealine monk, whose style is very popular here, chiefly in. consequence of its extreme violence and utter disregard of conventionalities. I have seen a few proofs of that remarkable work. One of the sermons, " On the relations between the Almighty and the Powers of Earth," contains a passage so remarkable that your readers-will, I am sure, like to see it; it runs thus:—

"It ,is pot,requisite to search' the history of ancient times for examples of Divine justice towards, those powers who, forgetting that they subsist only through His permission, fancy themselves sufficiently powerful to rely on their own isolated strength. In these latter times France alone, during a space of 80 years, hasj witnessed six successive instances of these ■ lamentable overthrows, so instructive however for those who are willing to understand them. First, it was the absolutism of Koyalty, which after having rid itself of all political control by destroying the old constitution of the State, sought likewise to free itself from all religious obligation, by rising in insurrection against the Church, and, arrived at the acme of its pride and fertile vanity, declared itself equally independent of Divine authority and human censure., Well, that absolutism was overthrown by the strength of the very doctrines Avhose propagation it had encouraged, by the contagion of its own example, and the frightful vacuum it had created around itself, by disregarding all protection from heaven equally with, all human support. Then came that reign without a precedent. in the annals of mankind—that reign of evil, of lying, and of destruction—in one word, that reign of Satan, which called down upon itself the execration of the universej disguising terror under the name of liberty; the contempt of man under the name of fraternity; anthropophagy (sic) under the name of philanthropy; by perpetrating every crime, and calling them Republican virtues, and by the practice- of the most brutal atheism, under the semblance of a social religion. I allude to that government which at the end of the last century terrified the world, and which the Almighty shattered to pieces in a few moments, after permitting it to exist for a few years, in order to remind those who seemed to have forgotten it,-that 'the rule of impiety is the destruction of peoples.' In the third place we find that colossal power which rose up at the commencement of the present century as the restorer of order; raised up from a heap of blood-stained ruins, the prostrate religion, without which France cannot exist; snatched the country from its approaching dissolution, and effaced her shames. But do not fear that in this place I should forget what is due to the exalted persons I see before me, ; As there is no star without its eclipse, no beauty without blemish, no virtue without imperfection, in the same way there is no genius without weakness. It is not therefore surprising that the power in question/dazzled by the radiance of higher clorv than ever man before him had attained, under the fatal impression of that atmosphere of increduUtywith which he was unconsciously surrounded, should have appeared to yield to the sinister idea that material force alone sufficed to secure him the empire. The punishment he suffered was less inflicted by a judge San by a father, for the Almighty deposited in his tomb a seed of life by the trophies of death; obscured his star only to make it shine anew; an c? him perish only to call him to life again. The living proof is cucatU ouv eyes*