Last week we wrote about the -need; for restraint in
Allied policy. There- are many examples: of the moderating' influence of Great Britain in the past, and we mentioned some of them. But we must confess that a better example than any we gave Is supplied by a brilliant little American review called the Villager, published at Katonak, N.Y. :— " The best page in the record of the Vienna Congress," says the. IN/loser,. rage that which records -England's endeavour to restrain Prussia -and Austria. 1 Prussia and Austria were deter.- mined to wreak full vengeanee on France.- The British at Vienna propesed- an indemnity of 600000,000 francs ; Prussia clamoured for just twice the sum. England held that an occupation arrrry of 100000i would be. saffiCient to- guard the victory over-Napoleon; Prussiainsiated on 240;000. Talleyrand h.ad 'declared France would-claim none of Napoleon's winniales, and the statesmen at Vienna were agreed France should be returned intact to her original frontiers ; only Prussia demanded that France be sliced up, the Saar .and Luxembourg. to go to Germany; for example ; Meziereit, Longwy, Sedan, and Mont-. mody to be razed ; Strassburg to be made a Free City. Waterloo had let Prussia into the very heart of France ; Castlereagh wrote to Liverpool in the summer of 1815, I much suspect that neither Austria, Prussia, nor the smaller Powers are anxious to end the present situatien. Their armies, are paid, • clothed,, and- supported by France. . . . The Austrians have marched Bianchi% corps into Provence in order .to feed upon that poor but loyal province. The Prussians have 280,000 men in France for whom they draw rations.' And he added in reply to the suggestion that. the British occupy 'the Trench fortresses, • it is not our bui3inese to collect trophies, butte try and bring back the world to peaceful habits.'" That is exactly the spirit which oughtto move us now.
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