TOPICS OF THE DAY.
MEDDLING.
IT is a curious propensity of human nature, that every one would mind other people's business in preference to his own. This disposition is far from being confined to village-gossips, who con- gregate to censure the domestic management of their neighbours, leaving their own houses to go out at the windows meanwhile. Monarchs are seized at periodical intervals with the same amiable weakness, and set themselves to regulate the affairs of other coun- tries before they have got their own into the best order. The Journal de Francfort, which is a valuable barometer when it is de- sirable to ascertain what sort of weather prevails in the diplomatic circles of Europe, has of late showed symptoms of rising to "med- dling." The diplomacy of Russia in particular is said to be eager for a " Congress" on the condition of Spain. It is not generally understood that the Bashkins and Tungases are so completely civi- lized, or an efficient government so completely organized throughout the Ressian empire, as to leave its master at a loss for employment at home. Prussia too is said to be by no means averse to the pro- ject of a Congress—although the question whether its own subjects are to have a general Representative Legislature, or not, is still un- settled. The King of the French has betrayed a desire to interfere in the settlement of Spain, even though he should be left to do it alone: but this may after all be minding his own business—finding the sharpshooters of young France another target than himself to practice upon. Of course, if " meddling " be the epidemic of the season, England, which is at all times strongly predisposed, can scarcely escape catching the contagion. And yet the success which has attended the PALMERSTON•PONSONBY settlement of Turkish affairs does not afford much encouragement to a repetition of the experiment. The emancipation of Syria seems to have ter- minated in establishing the liberty of the Druses to massacre the Maronites ; MEHEMET ALL having discharged his old arrears of duty to the Porte, (or rather compounded for them,) is beginning to run up a new score.; and the Ottoman Government, strengthened by the acquisition of Syria and the Hatti-Scheriff of Gul-hane, is begging the European residents at Pera—" the viceroys over it "- not to give Thessaly to the Greeks, which some of them have seriously proposed to do, in order to allow King OTHO'S agents a right to act as political incendiaries in that province without violating the law of nations. But, possibly, the very want of success in this last attempt may induce the British Government to seek consolation in a new experiment on a larger scale ; as Dame Inez sought to console her- self for the waste of her time and trouble bestowed on the education of Don Juan, by setting up a Sunday school for training little children in general.
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