land lies. that if left without French support, Austria cannot
possibly Foremost in significance, to our mind, is Count Bismarck's by herself venture on the effort involved in a policy public and deliberate testimony, on his reappearance in Par- in the East aiming at ambitious and aggressive designs,. liament, to the fact that in autumn war had been imminent, while if Russia should really not be able to understand and was averted only by the chance occurrence of the Spanish the self-inflation of the Hellenes, it will be quite easy for Revolution. It is foremost in significance, because it the Powers quietly to extinguish the flash in the Greek testifies to the actual existence of the rumoured plot, pan. But who knows what is really meant in Paris and the war in question being necessarily no other than St. Petersburg ? an Austro-French one,—and because given at this conjuncture by one who knows so well how to measure his words as Bismarck, the evidence is conclusive to the fact that, in his opinion, the hostility of Austria to Prussia is a thing not of the past, for BOTH the Times' scheme and the scheme of the Pall Malt in that case he would not have gone out of his way deliberately Gazette for disestablishing the Irish Church seem to us. to point to it, but still of the present. The inference thus open to fatal criticism. They substitute nothing definite• forced on us is furthermore supported by the acts of the Austrian for the power of the State which they profess to withdraw, Minister, now that we view them in the reflected light of the —the former scheme being even open to the criticism that• Prussian Premier's declaration. The eight hundred thousand the State would have made no real alteration at all, except men demanded by Count Beust as indispensably necessary so far as regards the revenues of the Church and the connec- under the existing circumstances of Europe, acquire now a tion of the Irish Bishops with the House of Lords. The Times positive meaning which at the time, though surmised, was really wishes apparently to allow the State to undertake for contradicted in certain quarters. But still more pregnant with the future a certain permissive sort of share in the government suggestive matter is the recent gratuitous publication of the Red of the Church by appointing (this is, we think, clearly itaplied Book by Count Beust, which is throughout nothing more than in the scheme) its future Bishops so long as the Church likes. an artful indictment of Prussia on the charge of machinations to acquiesce, and by holding and distributing, in the way it calculated to excite the jealousy of the Hungarians, and to thinks most satisfactory to the Irish Protestant Churchmen,. wean them from any Prussian proclivities. Not a shadow of all the remaining revenues through the medium_ of a to devise any syetem of comprehension which shall in- doubt can attach to the intention of this perfectly gratuitous dude extremes of faith so wide, and yet shall not be publication by Count Beust. He has been labouring to bring a great practical injury to the average English congrega- the excitable passions of the Magyars under his influence by tions in rural parishes, which have no choice except flaring before their eyes the red cloth of a plot between either to submit to the vagaries of a clergyman by whom Bismarck and the Hohenzollern Prince at Bucharest, to annex they are revolted as by a Papist in disguise, or to be driven out to Roumania a portion if not the whole of Transylvania, and of their church altogether. This, as we have often main- in this attempt Count Beust has been decidedly successful- tained, is a mischief so grave and threatening as to menace The Hungarian Press—and notably the Pesti Naplo, which is the very existence of our Church. And we cannot pretend Deak's organ—has been teeming with articles breathing to regret that it is to be abated, even though the result should an Austrian feeling and abusing Prussia by name. For unfortunately be to drive a good many worthy people, who instance, the Pesti Naplo recently declared that in ease seem to us not a little superstitious already, under the of war with Prussia, the Hungarians would do their dominion of a system which is, indeed, much more supersti- duty without hesitation or equivocation, in defence of the tious, but will at least give that degree of intellectual relief territorial integrity of the Monarchy, "and that they never which is obtained when an exceptional and, so to say, capri- would fail to stand by King and Country." Articles in this cious superstition, is referred to an overruling idea, logically sense are being let off in a running fire along the whole line consistent and systematically developed on every side. of the Austro-Hungarian Press ; and indicate, at the very • least, a set purpose in high quarters to warm up political THE AUSTRIAN RED BOOK. passions. Of course it does appear an unaccountable suppo- sition that an Austrian Minister in his senses should be deliber- DIPLOMACY may fairly put its best leg forwards, for, ately seeking to foment a quarrel, with the view of coming to according to all appearances, there is flung on it a job blows in the lower regions of the Danube, and filching from as big as any it has had to grapple with for many a day,—a the Turk a compensation for lost power in Germany. There are job that simultaneously affects the whole political system of a hundred reasons that suggest themselves why such a policy Europe, and is likely to set in distractedly quivering mo- should be out of the question. But then we might also tion every nerve in that system. Only a week ago any say that sound discretion ought never to have allowed expressed apprehension of really serious consequences to an Austrian statesman, in the present condition of the come out of the growl between Turkey and Greece was Empire, to flirt with France, and lay himself out for the kind generally pooh-poohed as a preposterous notion, but now the of combination which it is difficult to assume Count Beust not most sanguine believers in peace have begun to look grave. No to have entertained in the face of Bismarck's plain-spoken one can be blind to the fact that in the last few days the deposition, and the coincident demonstrations by the Austrian state of affairs on the Continent has become rapidly inflamed. Government. Strange and perplexing as the complication must That if left to fight it out between themselves, the military seem, it is a fact that the tone of the official press in Prussia. power of Turkey, in the first instance, could deal a and Austria has, within the last week, grown rapidly more crushing blow to the petty Greek kingdom is generally bitter towards each other, and that Eastern matters are made- believed. The gravity of the hour does not, however, lie to serve as a peg for this angry controversy ; nor is it a point in the menace of a localized war between Turkey and Greece, to be dismissed as quite insignificant that the Government but in the fear lest explosive elements, that have been organ at Bucharest should have deliberately charged the kept within bounds by adroit diplomatic bottle-holding, may Austrian Minister with a direct interest in fomenting the Greek rush to vent themselves with shattering forces in this quarrel. quarrel. On the other hand, if we look more closely into the A brilliant Turkish victory over the Greeks might now easily matter, it will hardly seem possible that the principal action prove the match to kindle an explosion that would bring into in determining any contest arising out of Turkish complica- action the inflammable materials piled up in Paris and Peters- tions should rest ultimately with Austria and Prussia alone. burg, and particularly in Berlin and Vienna. It is in these It would be conceivable for an Austrian Minister to revert to quarters, much more than in anything indigenous—whether the policy of Joseph II., mad though it was, and seek to annex Turkish or Greek, Roumanian or Bulgarian,—that the real the Principalities and part of Bosnia ; but then he would have danger of a serious convulsion lurks. Unfortunately great mys- to deal at the same time with Prussia, which, on the one hand, tery hangs over the real mind of those who have the would not allow the Prussian Prince in the Principalities to. power to rule forces in those quarters, and we are conse- be swallowed up, and on the other would herself be hampered quently left to grope with very inadequate light our way in action by her obligatory alliance with Russia, so long as she in an inquiry as to what we may expect. Still a few gleams sees herself exposed to the enmity of Austria and France. Thus of light have shot recently across this leaden weather-bank we are driven to the conclusion that the final word in the contro- on the political horizon, for which we must be thankful. It versy will be spoken by France and Russia, though at this point can hardly be said that what has been thus fitfully revealed is even the little light hitherto vouchsafed quite fails us. It of a cheering character, but in the perplexing atmosphere it defies our perspicacity to descry as yet aught that might war- is a thing of price to come across anything which, being of rant hazarding a query as to what these Powers are disposed to a tangible nature, offers some positive indication of how the do. The only prediction which we will venture on reaHng, is.
Foremost in significance, to our mind, is Count Bismarck's by herself venture on the effort involved in a policy public and deliberate testimony, on his reappearance in Par- in the East aiming at ambitious and aggressive designs,. liament, to the fact that in autumn war had been imminent, while if Russia should really not be able to understand and was averted only by the chance occurrence of the Spanish the self-inflation of the Hellenes, it will be quite easy for
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