THE LONDON WAR-CLOUDS

The Seventh-day Adventist Publishing Association · Battle Creek, Mich. · May 11, 1876

FromThe Review and Herald, Review and Herald, Vol. 47, No. 19.

THE LONDON WAR-CLOUDS.

All Europe Expected to be soon upon a War Footing.

London, April 3. Letter in Sunday's New York World.

FROM my tall tower in Fleet Street, looking with a comprehensive and careful glance over Europe, I see evidence which encourages me to hope that affairs are rapidly coming to a head, and that ere long we shall be on a war footing again. My belief is strengthened by the private letters which I have received from your correspondents all over Europe within the last few days. “It will be well to be prepared for prompt action,” writes your man at Berlin. “The abdication of the Czar seems to be certain, and it means mischief to Germany. The thunderbolt may strike at any moment.” “Our new government,” writes your next agent at Rome, “can scarcely last long, and the chances are even that in its downfall it will overthrow the monarchy and set up the red republic, or give place to a reactionary government, which, backed up by the hitherto suppressed voice of the masses of the Italian and Roman people, will restore to the pope his sovereignty, and send the General Government back to Florence.” And he adds this significant sentence: “The adoption of universal suffrage in Italy would result in a most overwhelming victory for the Catholic party.” From Paris I am told that the calm which prevails there is the calm which precedes the storm, and not all the soft sayings of Gambetta, nor his pleadings for moderation on the part of his non-dominant faction, can prevent the speedy coming of a convulsion which will end, as the other Republics in France have ended, in the establishment of an empire. From Vienna, Constantinople and St. Petersburg, come similar notes of warning. But there is this counter reflection—that whatever every one expects does not come to pass, and that it is the unexpected which happens. Thus we may all be deceived, and the Centennial year of the American Republic may not be remembered as the date of outbreak of a general European war.

ANOTHER ALARMED CORRESPONDENT.

London Dispatch in Sunday's New York Herald.

The oriental specter which has been abroad during the week has been making general havoc on the European Bourse.

The attitude of the Herzegovinian insurgents causes much alarm in political circles. General Rodich, Governor of Dalmatia and Austrian Commissioner, having failed in mediating between the Turks and the insurgents, has warned the latter against expecting any support from Russia, whereupon the Russian press turns upon him and angrily construes the warning as an insult to Russia. The Austrian press takes the matter up in turn and adds to the turmoil by attacking Russia.

These growing antagonisms between these two great powers sufficiently explains the agitation on the various bourses. And when we consider by the light of recent events the fact that the Czar has declared that whenever Russian interests demand war with the great powers, he will abdicate the throne, there is still further cause for anxiety. Indeed, there now appears to be a very general fear in London that war is imminent.

The Herald correspondent at Vienna telegraphs to-night that he has received reliable advices from Constantinople to the effect that the Sublime Porte intends, if driven to extremes, to arm the Mohammedan population, and declare it their determination to postpone all payments of interest on debts until after the restoration of peace.