PRUSSIA

Colonist, Volume IV, Issue 358, 29 March 1861, Page 2

PRUSSIA

Death of King Erederick IV.—The King died on the morning of 2nd January, at Sans-souci. His Majesty's illness had long been of a hopeless character. The King of Prussia, in a recent interview with the generals of his army, bids them

prepare for a coming struggle as the aspect of the times is very serious, and menaces great dag^r. FRANCE. Extraordinary movements and military preparations are now going on in France. The excuse for which is the menacing attitude of Germany towards Denmark and the speeches of the King of Prussia. There is a talk of a creation of sixty or eighty general officers of the navy- M. Thouvenel, it is reported, has just addressed two circulars to the diplomatic agents of France in foreign countries, one relating to affairs of Gaeta, and the other to Syria. They are reported to contain most pacific declarations. DENMARK. The revival of the Holstein question by Russia, and other German States, has called forth a stormy, warlike feeling. Great naval and military preparations for war are being made, and an address has been signed by all the members of the Legislature, requesting the King to resist every attempt abroad to interfere with the international affairs of Denmark. TURKEY. The Porte is forming an army of 50,000 men on the Danube, commanded by Omar Pasha; a demonstration directed equally against the Principalities and Russia, the latter having assembled a large body of troops in Bessarabia. THE ITALIAN QUESTION. Austria positively refuses to cede or sell Venetia. The reason for this rejection is not altogether territorial, but ambition to maintain her position as the greatest of the German States. Hostilities may be avoided, but it is possible that she may be forced by the popular feeling into a declaration of war, in that case Hungary already preparing would instantly rise, Croatia would follow at the rear of Venice, and before a month the whole Austrian Empire would be in a blaze. We might easily carry the prophetic panorama farther, and involve Prussia in the conflict, and imagine a French army collected on the Rhine; distant as such eventualities may be, they are plainly on the cards. Meanwhile the uneasiness which has prevailed throughout Naples and Sicily, has menaced gravely, if not the security, at least the repose of the Sardinian Government. The disturbances in the Abruzzi have been formidable. In Naples frequent demonstrations, although always put down by a strong hand, have indicated clearly the discontent of the people, while in many places the reaction in favor of the Bourbons has, on several occasions, set in with strength and confidence. There are two dark clouds on the horizon—Rome and Venice. The exact manner in which Rome is likely to fall can be predicted by no man, but it seems to be pretty generally agreed that the crisis of its fate is close at hand. The Pope has pronounced an allocution in the sacred consistory, from which it may be clearly gathered that he looks upon the temporal power of the Popedom as having nearly run out its time. He complains of the spread of Protestantism, of the increased circulation of the Bible, of the treason of Baden abolishing the Concordat, of a disposition elsewhere (meaning France) to throw oft his authority and set up a Church without him, and on the general decadence of ecclesiastical domination. This confession of weakness is generally regarded as the precursor of dissolution.