NEWS OF THE WEEK.
GERMANY is contented, and the world is tranquil. It was understood throughout the previous week that the mainten- ,.. *nee of peace would depend upon an interview between the Emperor of Germany and the Czar of Russia, and on the 10th inst. the interview was held in Berlin. It lasted an hour, and was followed by conversations between. the Czar and Prince Bismarck, and Prince Bismarck and Prince Gortachakoff, and by evening it was rumoured that peace would not be disturbed as yet, and on Wednesday Dlr. Bourke announced to the House of Commons that there was no further apprehension of war. What passed be- tween the three men who now hold the control of peace and war is not known, and probably never will be. According to French accounts, the Czar declared that he should consider any one who broke peace an enemy, but according to German accounts, peace „was secured by a renewal of the old agreement under which the Czar is to assist Germany, if attacked by more than one Power. At all events, peace is secure till the Czar changes his mind, or Prince Bismarck can occupy Russiao3i the War party in Berlin becomes irresistible, or France has found an ally—that is, it is secure till it silks either Germany or France to break it. As we lave tried to show elsewhere, of real peace there is no more cer- tainty than there was a week ago, and there will be none, while France and Germany, armed to the teeth, are each expecting or feigning to expect aggression from the other.
