THE " ECONOMIST " ON THE FRENCH ALLIANCE.
To persevere in unsustained accusation is really to force upon him whom we accuse a licence to perform the act imputed without losing further in our good opinion. This has been the bearing of some of our contemporaries to- wards France, in the present war. Happily, however, we note a growing disposition to take what we cannot but consider a broader and more practi- cal view of the present state of Europe, and particularly of the present re- lations between this country and her nearest neighbour. Most heartily do we adopt the remarks made by the Economist on a mode prevailing in some quarters of hinting doubt and hesitating suspicion of France, her Emperor, and motives.
" We are profoundly convinced that if there be any mode of bringing down the dangers anticipated by leading organs of the English press upon Europe, the line they are taking in assuming the bad faith of France, and discussing every question of foreign policy on that hypothesis, is that mode. It will not increase our power to avert evil, if the danger insisted on is actually incurred ; it does increase almost indefinitely She danger itself."
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