The Westport Times AND CHARLESTON ARGUS. TUESDAY, JANUARY 17, 1871.

Westport Times, Volume V, Issue 764, 17 January 1871, Page 2

The Westport Times AND CHARLESTON ARGUS. TUESDAY, JANUARY 17, 1871.

The news by the present mail, except that it indicates a firm determination, on the part of the British people, to oppose the aggressive policy of Russia, might be said to contain little additional information. Its chief features, outside of the Eastern Question, are the re-capture of Orleans, the arrival, in France of large munitions from America, the disregard of the neutrality of Luxembourg by Prussia, and apparently serious war riots at Berlin. The Eren°.h also appear to have had successes in the JSJorth-East, at Ham and Bt. Quentin, while Bourbaki is said to have gained a victory in-the same quarter. To the South of Orleans the war would seem to be progressing in favor of the German arms. Gambetta certainly, on the 12th, reported well of the condition of the troops, but, on the following day, a London telegram states that Prince Frederick Charles had routed the army of the Loire, after four days' nghtin!/. It would appear singular that, if obstinate fighting had been gomg on, no reference should have

been made to it a day previous by Giunbetta. The two items immediately affecting England are the continued arming of Russia, and concentration of her forces on the Turkish frontier, the infringement of the neutrality of Luxembourg, which is likely to be followed by a similar course of action on the part of Germany towards Brabant. Our readers will recollect, at the outset of the war, England declared her intention to defend the neutrality of Belgium, and to wage war'with either belligerent who broke the treaty guaranteeing her independence. It has been seen that, between Prussia and Russia, a perfect understanding would seem to exist. If King William finds it convenient to disregard conventions and treaties, Alexander 11. will not interfere to prevent him. In the power of France ultimately to succeed in repulsing the invader b'es the only guarantee of safety for the minor states of the Continent, both North and South. In fact, while France has been jealously watched as the only power inimical to England, the movements of other powers, whose policy is more antagonastic, have not been subjected to the same rigid scrutiny. The ruin and partition of France will certainly bring great European consequences in its trail. The power of the West to hold in check the ambitious schemes of the two great military states of Central and Eastern Europe, must be paralysed by the displacement of France from her position of a first-class power. &o long as the issue of the campaign on the Moselle remained doubtful, Russia was mysteriously silent; she would not join with England in declaring the infringement of Belgian neutrality to be a casus belli with either belligerent; and her diplomacy was ulono actively engaged, and that successfully —to prevent the Danes from themselves to open sympathy with France. The success of the German arms nmst have caused a feeling of exultation at the humiliation of the victor of Mala-

koft', and, nit hough the result has been, perhaps, as great a surprise for Eussia as for the rest of Europe, she is not i alow to recognise, in the present prostration of France, the hour of her opportuu ty, if ever.. The transfer of

military power from Franco to Prussia ' is a loss to England and a gain to Bussia. Kussia will view with indifference the aggrandisement of Germany by the provinces of Alsace and Lorraine or, oven greater accession of territory, nor will Germany object to the realisation ef the dream of the impress Catharine. If tho present, and, perhaps, future prostration of Prance do not result in the reversal of the sentence of the Crimean campaign, and the re-establishment of Eussian power on the Danube and the Black Sea, it will be that Kussia was not in a position to take advantage of her opportunity. Her forces have not yet been provided with any of the improved arms of recent warfare, her navy is, certainly, too inferior to compare with our own, while her railway system has not been greatly improved since the Crimean war. It is to these facts and to the presence of winter in the northern latitudes, that we, very possibly, owe the forbearance of Kussia.