p. 8 | News and Miscellany

Seventh-day Adventist Publishing Association · Battle Creek, Mich. · Dec 20, 1870

News and Miscellany.

“Can ye not discern the signs of the times?”

Pera, Dec. 10.—Gen. Ignatieff’s interview to-day with Adli Pasha, was unsatisfactory. The demands of Russia were strongly pressed, and the proposed conference was virtually ignored. Ignatieff insisted upon regarding the treaty as already abrogated, and Turkey refuses to admit this interpretation of the situation. There is danger of a conflict at any moment. Russia unquestionably intends practically the breaking of the treaty in her own time.

London, Dec. 13.—A correspondent at Versailles makes the statement that, in a conversation on the political situation, Bismarck said that strong efforts were being made for the restoration of the Emperor Napoleon; that a congress on the Eastern question would not be held without a French plenipotentiary; that France had no authority to appoint one just now; and that he would not recognize the authority of men of the pavement to sit among their betters.

London, Dec. 13, 4 P. M.—The Russian forces are rapidly concentrating near the Turkish frontier.

A Russian Demand.

London, Dec. 12.—The Eastern question is again agitated, and the Russian Minister to Constantinople is asking a further annulment of the Paris treaty, and England is taking precautionary means to guard against surprise.

Russian News.

St. Petersburg, Dec. 12.—Addresses continue to be received, congratulating the Czar upon his action in regard to the treaty of 1856.

The Luxembourg Question.

Vienna, Dec. 13.—All the journals denounce the course of Prussia toward Luxembourg as arrogant. The press implores the powers which guaranteed the neutrality of Luxembourg to rise and repress the insolence which makes all treaties valueless.

It is stated, with more and more positiveness, that Bismarck has given notice that Germany will no longer respect the treaty of 1867, guaranteeing the neutrality of Luxembourg, and that a German army is about to seize that province. This seemed incredible at first; for, beside the jealousies too large an expansion of German territory might excite, it looked like bad policy for Bismarck to force Belgium, just now, to join France against Germany. But it is now stated that a secret treaty of cession between the kings of Belgium and Prussia, has existed for some time, and that the Germans will occupy Luxembourg without opposition from Belgium, by virtue of this secret understanding. “For ways that are dark,” the diplomacy of Bismarck is notorious, though his tricks are not generally vain.

Conscription in Russia.

St. Petersburg, Dec. 15.—A levy of six men in every 1,000 throughout Russia is ordered, to replace the men lost in consequence of the shortening of the term of service of the conscription.

Determined Tone of Prussia.

Berlin, Dec. 14.—The Prussian Government declares that the great powers of Europe have concerned themselves in the Luxembourg matter, in the face of her plain violation of neutrality in the interest of the French, and Prussia therefore reserves to itself a full freedom for her future course.

The Prussian Scheme.

London, Dec. 15.—Proofs of the Prussian scheme for the restoration of the French Empire come from every quarter. Bismarck says this is the only way that the war can end; that the republicans of France will fight forever; that the fall of Paris can produce no effect, and that the only course is to make terms with the empire, go home, and leave the French to fight it out between themselves.

The English Government has given a contract for sixty batteries of eight guns each, of Gatling’s mitrailleuses, to be made in America. The Russian Government also has in its employ a number of American workmen engaged in manufacturing mitrailleuses. There is ample evidence of other kinds, that Russia is preparing for war on a grand scale.