The Fortnightly Review: No. CCCCLXIII, New Series [‎580v] (51/239)

20
AUTOCRACY AND WAR.
will not replace it. Whether such a principle exists who can
say? If it does not then it ought to be invented. A sage with a
sense of humour and a heart of compassion should set about it
without loss of time, and a solemn prophet full of words and fire
ought to be given the task of preparing the minds. So far there
is no trace of such a principle anywhere in sight; even its plausible
imitations (never very effective) have disappeared long ago before
the doctrine of national aspirations. II n’y a plus d’Europe—
there is only an armed and trading continent, the home of slowly
maturing economical contests for life and death, and of loudly-pro
claimed world-wide ambitions. There are also other ambitions
not so loud, but deeply rooted in the envious acquisitive tempera
ment of the last comer amongst the great Powers of the continent,
whose feet are not exactly in the ocean—not yet—and w r hose head
is very high up—in Pomerania, the breeding-place of such precious
Grenadiers that Prince Bismarck (whom it is a pleasure to quote)
would not have given the bones of one of them for the settlement
of the old Eastern Question. But times have changed, since, by
way of keeping up, I suppose, some old barbaric German rite, the
faithful servant of the Hohenzollerns was buried alive to celebrate
the accession of a new Emperor.
Already the voice of surmises has been heard hinting tentatively
at a possible re-grouping of European Powers. The alliance of the
three Empires is supposed possible. And it may be possible. The
myth of Russia’s power is dying very hard—hard enough for that
combination to take place—such is the fascination that a dis
credited show of numbers will still exercise upon the imagination
of a people trained to the worship of force. Germany may be
willing to lend its support to a tottering autocracy for the sake
of an undisputed first place in such a combination—and of a pre
ponderating voice in the settlement of every question in that south
east of Europe which merges into Asia. No principle being in
volved in such an alliance of mere expediency, it would never be
allowed to stand in the way of Germany’s other ambitions. The
fall of autocracy would bring its restraint automatically to an end.
Thus it may be believed that the support Russian despotism may
get from its once humble friend and client will not be stamped
by that thoroughness which is supposed to be the mark of German
superiority. Russia weakened down to the second place, or Russia
eclipsed altogether during the throes of her regeneration, will
answer equally well the plans of German policy—which are many
and various and often incredible, though the aim of them all is the
same : aggrandisement of territory and influence, with no regard
to right and justice, either in the East or in the West; for that and
no other is the true note of your Welt-politik which desires to live.