The Lyttelton Times. THURSDAY, DEC. 29, 1881.

Lyttelton Times, Volume LVI, Issue 6502, 29 December 1881, Page 4

The Lyttelton Times. THURSDAY, DEC. 29, 1881.

.CQtosiAi, newspaper writers are not lie only meaberodf their craft who are oocaaionalljw-pat' 40-* to* wtwrewithal to make “ copy.” Even in

hajj Spy Europe—seeae-of -'wart * and; What are almost "as hutndve Qth the iaU to thickly*-'. peomeddwgionA which go toaappl/ the i. about ■ JsSfc for matter i Jwghly-npiced: hm-rasdarS* p4late^. ; fee tale of,bricks'"hat loAe ftqtilsiteift' s'' A»d gjufc ia ha?d io ’ind ija %ito of •i.tbe l^egrAjplt,' we ; -ai-d' , nd«r‘hhd’ PWl^i : yt‘ the; ap|%s|hc« B jali ewryin-tisacolumoa cfan did. .world coalcajporsiry.* l Tha-Ahieii., etes havo by nb means a. monopoly of l|ls specUjk' >of j'tltough they mu '4diaiti4d to.eacol ih. it. U*h, ' ihstanadi tk&s have' been - dutdohe by a* newsj»p£r'bailing from |^hhd l ho lets'; etec and %rnmg the ; dl ff fedj|o»ro4i Ik queßli® eoJhr miarite its title In that iif . power- of Improving |he -ehihfiig, hour o| r dpport«pity asoet.be attend “hi ste had nothing .much,to ialk about. * The AUltuiah Mara gave its gqsaipt some* thing to-',talk; a^eahi to -h*yo "owupi^d. Wflk* : ;|i w«,isr;tfile:>iss Twlin, who woMd reepomand here Mho expressiw H -|f ulfy ■« as greierAhhi.f M, . Gttmbettir'dhw t to . i»i no doubt, lor he .has eltea‘puMidy ik «Pwp or ; even exactly where. hh" weht, J liistbl .api)|®what;«£ 'a .Mom, getting .£<£& ©iVihe solid Me earlier thaA ittdrt of thd Cteni* frtntal Pres*, proeeedied'te build ihereon' ' which ’if, ?lot dtstih*. guished' for Xonio was' at /any rate imi tile 'lOoMnthito ■hr*b ...ef.Vito'i gp^its, conferred with the ruler of .Germany, and tiie political future of Europe bad bteju settled in an 01. r this ahttleraept'ihp outline, wa»‘4d* dicated. .KeedkaaVto-vkV. r *t^rs«a

«k«fcdhcd ,fo the freest of iuml. Among many oklw equally aarpriehig an* ucMcewiita, the Mmm fatarined it® reader# that the twdilierbell poeiewloa of Atau* wii to bo assured to dor* many, Hint Grate® nm .to wraiv® on important territorial oottWifon* that Auitria was to bo allowed free play in lit® Balkan Fialwmk. and that ike aggressive policy 0/ Ihty in Tunis had drawn ibo rararael dhmpprabatteu from the German Chancellor. The lant docs, wo «od(«m, fairly take away our breath. Thai Gambetta should quietly take upon himself, over an after* dinner cigar, to cause with aware of hit band the pattkmato longings of Franco for Alsace, and of Alsace for France, to vanish and disappear is wild enough talk surely. Thai Bismarck should suddenly retrace his path of ths last four years, and appear in the character of a sentimental Philhellene it at the least improbable. But to stigmatise tho rdb played by poor Italy in the Tunis affair, as unjust and aggressive, is really rather too broad® joke. We shall hear , next that the lodger, who under the persuasive In* ftaenoes of a pistol held to hia head, looks on white the enterprising burglar secures his landlord's plate is an active accomplice or principal in the robbery. Yet this nonsense front the Horn sot the gobmourhc* of the Continent chattering, and its story had to he denied almost seriously. Garnbotta himself, in a way, condescended to do so at Havre.

This Savouring of European news with Attic malt does more than illustrate the power of belief still undimioished in mankind. Tbo Athenian editor has drawn attention to something else besides showing that a certain phase of Greek genius has not failed since the day when Juvenal wrote his Satires. Me has shown the ignorance which still prevails as to the real character and intentions of the strange man who is now at length, to manage directly the affairs of France. For the next few years the foreign policy of France will be controlled by Gambetta, and, to put it shortly, nobody knows what ho is likely to do. We ore told on one day that ho means to hold Tunis; on the next that ho is willing to evacuate it; now, that he is preparing to strike a blow in the Rhine valley: again, that he is pre-eminently an apostle of peace. Next, that ho would not hesitate to pick a quarrel with Italy; while, on the other hand, we are reminded that he is Italian by blood and sympathies. And no one can tell what to believe. All these eamrds ore about equally credible and incredible. Gambecta has been laughed at for affecting a theatrical reserve; for aping the position of the power behind the throne: for acting through agents instead of himself accepting the responsibility of his deeds. All this it true enough; hut it is to the credit of Ills astuteness, at all events, that he has i&Asaged to steer the destinies of Frames for hall a decade, and yet keep Europe so thoroughly In the dark as to his meaning and character. Hot only bumhe played his cards well, but he has don® so without showing his hand.

.There are, however, some who dare to Mpte chat Qambefta’a intentions in affaire are after all of no great way or the other. The i» that he will probably have quite at home to occupy him d&iqg.tltf *next year* or two. Potent df f the last elections, more or less on hio trial. > A Premier is a much busier, os weU exalted personage, than a quasi-dteWbor.- He has to despatch a 'quantity of engrossing business, and to satisfy that are apt to bo ia:Tha gods themselves, descendingYrom Olympus, doubtless found the sym, and, beat .of‘battle sufficiently idStiradtiSg. . Qambetta, coming Jqjnt ♦ chair 4a-jj the Ministerial * desk, will find himself but >; roatLliko his fellows. ' The : nation' ' -djsnwr rhim to lead, ■ libV tmielythe French ; aj# just npm ffla. reforming humour. They, or ,*tao more reflective of 'them, profess themselves tired of bullying un£or|snftts gnestsjmd harrying unhappy Aiwf. I£.MS occurred w ftar of the Legitimist and'Bnohopartist >&d9tsonarie* h,aa boen?*(eW|fl^f|t t .>o an , reaction,» he wary, il haar inceseantiy 4)«en fceplated, because her enemies are only for a false step .to.achieve her oVdrarow, In the now Chamber, bow* ’eve#,; the reactionaries have virtually no .place. The progressiva ’ihdUadicale--apt :q» ibe other bond, important elements. Tikir effect on Gambetta’o lino qi action witt/be watched with' iSiMrt; ■Fr<mch Republic, honestly and earnestly s&prbed' in domestic twferm, will b® i» spectacle hot less hovel ihah edifyiag/ ,