Débats_, certainly the most influential, as it is the most ably
conducted, of Parisian journals:--"_Le 'ZOLLVEREIN,'_" observes the
_Débats, "a prodigieusement rehaussé la Prusse; l'union douanière avec
la Belgique aurait, à un degré moindre cependant, le même résultat pour
nous.... Nous sommes, donc, les partisans de cette union, ses partisans
prononcés, à deux conditions: la première, c'est qu'il ne faille pas
payer ces beaux résultats par le bouleversement de l'industrie
rationale; la seconde, c'est que la Belgique en accepte sincèrement es
charges en même temps qu'elle en recuiellera les profits, et qu'en
consequence elle se prête à tout ce qui sera nécessaire pour mettre
NOTRE INDUSTRIE A L'ABRI DE L'INVASION DES PRODUITS ETRANGERS, et pour
que les intérêts de notre Trésor soient à couvert._" This is plain
speaking; the Government journal of France worthily disdains to practise
mystery or attempt deception, for its mission is to contend for the
interests, one-sided, exclusive, and egoistical, as they may be, and
establish the supremacy of France--_quand même_; at whatever resulting
prejudice to Belgium--at whatever total exclusion of Great Britain from
commercial intercourse with, and commercial transit through Belgium,
must inevitably flow from a customs' union, the absolute preliminary
condition of which is to be, that Belgium "shall be ready to do every
thing necessary to place our commerce beyond the reach of invasion by
foreign products." Mr Gladstone may rest assured that the achievement of
this Franco-Belgiac customs' union will still be pursued with all the
indomitable perseverance, the exhaustless and ingenious devices, the
little-scrupulous recources, for which the policy of the Tuileries in
times present does not belie the transmitted traditions of the past. And
it will be achieved, to the signal detriment of British interests, both
commercial and political, unless all the energies and watchfulness of
the distinguished statesmen who preside at the Foreign Office and the
Board of Trade be not unceasingly on the alert.