The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1870-12-17 00:00:00

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SATURDAY, DECEMBER 17, 1870.

THE PRANCO-PRUSSIAN WAR.

There are not wanting indications of the win.
entering .in a new phase which may not only
create new hopes on the part of the French, lint
change the current id German succes.4. That
this is probable we do not say ; that it is pos-
sible cannot be denied; but in any case the war
has arrived at such a stage that its progress must
be watched with deep anxiety, and perhaps on
the whole with loose doubt and uncertainty than
we have recently been wont to feel in regard to
the expected result.
The arrival of General Dheneeourt at Lille
has been made remarkable by whet be has stated
and important on account of the object of his
visit. He is one of the aide-dc-camp of General
Trocho, and came front the Commander of Paris
by balloon, with important information, and on
an important mission. We may as well at once
say that as to this alleged information we wholly
discredit it, simply because it is contradicted by
many independent and presumably reliable ac-
counts elsewhere. He says, however, that in the
recent sorties the Prussians lost 15,000 killed
and wounded, a proportionate (what is the pro-
portionate?) number of prisoners, and six guns;
that the amount of provisions in Paris is such
that the inhabitants know no privations; that
the measures of defence are complete; and the
city is absolutely safe from attack. It is not
worth chile to expose the hollowness and falsity ,
of these statements; that has been done already
by anticipation in the several accounts of the
sorties from Paris ; while as to the inhabitants
knowing to privations and being ebsolutely safe
from attack, it may be doubted whether one per-
son in the beleaguered city believes either asser-
tion. Passing from General Dlienecourt's state-
ments, and turning to his mission, this indeed
is important. We are told that the object of his
journey is " to communicate to the commanders
of the East, the West, on the Loire, and in the
North, the new plans adopted in Paris, and to
insure the coincidence of the military opera-
tions." If he can effect the latter object this
may have an important result on the progress of
the war, even now at the eleventh hour.
Franc various quarters news arrive which
shows that Franco is yet determined to make
desperate and prolonged efforts to stem the tide
of Prussian success, if not quite alter the char-
acter of the war. The Prussians told us a little
while ago that the Army of the Loire was bro-
ken up in all directions, but General Chanzy has
latterly shown that it can fight vigorously and
bravely, and that so far from being utterly
routed, as who have been led to suppose, that it
could take the offensive, and not wholly without
success. The Prussians have probably lost more
during recent battles on the Loire than they are
willing to allow, while the whole result has cer-
tainly not been such as to demoralise the French
or prevent them from making renewed efforts on
this part of the theatre of war. The same may
also be said with regard to another
part of the theatre of war on the Marne.
Without crediting the statements of General
Dehnecourt, it is quite within reason to believe
that the temporary successes which the French
gained during those sorties, though they were
followed by defeats, were such as to lead them
to make renewed efforts of the same kind, and
Indeed there is reason to believe that such efforts
will be made. The very fact thet the French
cause is desperate will make them fight with the
fury of desperation, though not of absolute des-
pair. While, however, the French may have new
hopes and be animated by new energy, we can-
not say we are among those who believe they
will ultimately triumph. The contest we believe
to be an unequal one. France is without a guid-
ing Government, without any power to direct
and control the war or to treat for peace; she is
painfully deficient in men of administrative abi-
lity and in able Generals in the field; and there
is a want of unity of purpose and plan which is
a serious defect in the conduct of any campaign,
and especially a defensive one. The Germans
afford strong contrasts onthese points. All their
plans are carefully matured before being put
Into operation, and then carried out with great
skill and with persevering determination. The
French in this respect labour under considerable
disadvantages, so that their comparative want of
matured plan and concerted action must not be
regarded so much as a fault ass misfortune ; but
we look at the fact rather than to its causes.
And the German forces are undoubtedly better
organised and disciplined, and fight with more
steady firmness than the French, as well as with
an equality of excellence which seems destined
to triumph in the long run. Looking at the
long series of disasters that France has suffered,
and especially to the serious character of some
of the losses she has had to submit to during the
Last few weeks, we cannot believe that her ulti-
mate triumph is at all likely, but certainly the
war has now arrived at such a stage that it is
clear France means to deserve success if she
cannot achieve it.

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