The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1870-07-23 00:00:00

CPINIONS OF THE PRESS ON THE WAR.

The Titer, stagmatises the war upon which France has
enters-t aa tP griettest national crime since the ia act the
first ?retch E noire. The war in an mlit‘t frit a premedi-
tated war, and it is now too clear that it is the aci of one
man.

The Standard will not believe that Prussia provoked the
war because she deemed it necessary.
The Telegraph regards the near of 1870 as the direct in-
heritance from the war of 1860.
The Daily Neter Is of opinion that the declaration of war
Is utterly Mt ',made on the part of France. Sire has put
hermit in the wrong before the public I.ploinn of Europe.
la the court of history her action will be treated too crime—
a crime against civilization, agairiat humanity, as we as
against toe peace and good order of the world.
The Post, dorm of the morning I widen papers, edmits that
the G.Jverriment of France do not make out a had ease for
themwlam, and thuds, that to immediate proclamation of
neutrality on the p at of the English Crown is necessary, and
adds, that neutrality, It need hardly be said, we shall most
screpuleusly maintain.
Tie E,onernist hohls that nothing that Can be said is arle-
qnate to the ni.-anii gof this moat awful and punish event,
and It tiniest melancholy that with all our bria.ts of n VIEZ
Don, and after so many years of bristimity, an great a mama
(for it Is no less; should he pomihle in the world 'l' coconut
for the Erne, rar's canduct, one must recur to the times fol-
lowing the coup &flat, when I.,on's Napoleon was regarded
as a g milder and desperado capable°, planning any misdeed,
end of committing any mime The most desperate act of •
m,dnight corsuirefor is not morally worse than a breach of
the lease of Europe ill this manner one sudden, and with
no object which any one can state.
The Saturday R•view declares that Napoleon I. never
attacked a neighbour without more plausible pretexts than
any which 1,9.11 he alleged by the Doke iif Gramont A.
WA} wen he hit act of deliberate e Icktainess. A great army
is raised nod minipped In cause there to a sappased rink it
war, and then It Is thought that act admirably organised it
force outfit en he used before it declines in efficiency. If
France succeeds, all the ordinary evils of war will ho a 6
nothing to the evil, of the war spirit nit gran" having harm'
forth trinmphantly, and of its effervescence and succeass
having corrupted. as tin, y' must do, the mind of the tattoo.
In ii doe to satiety tier own cravings fir excitement, France
will have to keen perpetually dictating to Italy, to Spain,
or to conquered Germany. Eternal politics viii' once mere
absorb all the thoughts of Frenchmen, and anything
like domestic reform and free government in France
will be made impos.ible for at least a generation. As
to the rest of the world, the eincce, of France would
be an incontertible loss. It would deteriorate the minds of
wen by exhibiting the spectacled a nation nicking a ground-
less war to ha profit. It would crush the rising liberties and
nascent prosperity of Italy and Spain. It would leave
Europe disheartened, poor, and alarmed. On the other hand,
an France fightn tnerelv to show that she is the mistress of
Western, Continental Europe, it is difficult to see how she can
retire from the en utest easily aud with honour, if Germany '
makes a succesaful defence. The war mast, therefore, either
be a long one, or, it it ice short one, owing to the rapid enc-
omia of France, it melt do infinite harm to France and to
Europe. In whatever way we hmk at it, the prospect is most I
dlslartrteuing, al,(1 it catmint b.l wondered at th-4, on the eve
of such a war, all Errolpu has been stricken with a panic.
Tim rent origin ot toe war, ray% tho Spectator. is 'us note
of 50,000 l'retich soldiers against the Empire at the last plebis-
cite. The war has /:0 cause, no motive, no Matteotti., save
the fear of Napoleon Bonaparte that witnout it his boy's
succession would not be clear. It Is childish to speak of such
o ear PS a •. enel " between France and Prussia. Will
Oar mark remain quiet while Freachmoi are on the Ei. e,
"r Rrt.ar.i lit Plitietit while Deionark becomes a Germs.
provtu.as ? Will armies countel by quarter nutillons resume,
that uwattaltry of talgtaat which "SI tanitarraat eVeby