The Sun.
London, England, 1870-08-05 00:00:00

WHAT CAN PRUSSIA DO ?

It must be very evident to those who have watched
Europe during the past few years that both parties in the
present war have been carefully preparing for the possible
contingency of a gigantic struggle. No traveller can have
failed to notice the immense preparations made in the
fortresses of Rheinish Prussia, and the incessant manceu-
vering and marching of Prussian soldiers across the
very region now to be fought over. Never was
the old martinet drill, for which the Hohenzol-
lerns have been so notorious, so kept up in the
royal armies as during the last three years. Rail-
road connections have been improved, and there
is now no part of Prussia from which vast bodies
of men cannot in a few hours be concentrated at Cologne
or on the Upper Rhine. Nor has Bismarck neglected the
essential thing—the sinews of war. An important portion
of the Prussian debt has been funded ; the public credit
is excellent, and, in financial respects, Prussia stands well
prepared for the struggle. The numerouslittle kingdoms,
principalities, and free cities which she has absorbed, noW
furnish her men and means ' • and all South Germany, in
a struggle for the Rhine, will soon be in her service or
an ally. The Prussian Government in one respect,
it is true has not kept pace with her great
opponent. Having but recently become a maritime
Power, her fleet is comparatively inferior ; a fact which,
as her commerce is now, we believe, third in importance
in the world will be very disastrous to her. Yet the
naval authorities have purchased one ironclad frigate—
built in England—which is said to be more powerful
than any single ship in the French Navy. They
have also provided several small "monitors', for
harbour defence. France has been equally dili-
gent in her preparations. " The Line" has been
increased in number, and, since Sadowa, the great body of
the army have been armed with the Chassepot rifle—a
weapon pronounced by our officers to be far superior to the
clumsy needle gun of the Prussians. Her naval prepara-
tions have been immense, and the French navy is now the
second in the world. The French officers are no doubt
thoroughly familiar with everyinch of the Rhine Provinces,
and every feature of the fortresses where the struggle is
to be. In a financial point of view, however, we
doubt if France can be considered so well prepared
as Prussia. Her debt is enormous, and a short harvest is
crippling her means. In the passions aroused, and the
moral forces in arms, the two opponents do not seem to us
equal. In the French population the love of glory, the
hatred of the German, and the ambition of seeing France
again at the head of Europe, are doubtless fully
awakened. Still, to the French peasantry, who make the
bulk of the army, these cannot be vital matters. France
in its integrity, is not threatened, and the French
mind of latter years is more greedy of money than glory.
But with Germans even in the poorest Bauer the strong
passion of nationality is aroused by this sudden at.ack.
Their country is threatened. The Rhine is a symbol of
nationality. All the old German enthusiasm, which has
broken the power of France on so many battle-fields, will
be kindled again. We shall see some modern fiery Blucher
leading the young men once more in vehement
assaults on the French invader. Germany will be in the
position of a man defending his home. Such forces as
these, though of not much account in modern warfare
against superior armies, are of immense importance where
the contending Powers are in other respects equal. If
modern education be of much importance, the great body
of the Prussian army ought to be superior to the French. .
Perhaps with the rank and •file this is not of mueb
consequence. Yet, in respect to the whole body of in-
ferior officers, and in connection with all the mechanical
labours of an army and the power of comprehending a
manoeuvre, superior intelligence and education must give
an advantage. It was plain that Prussian intelligence
gave the army the victory over Austrian stupidity. MaY
it not over French drill ?—New York Times.

The Bishop of Honolulu has arrived in Loudon,
and is understood to have placed the resignation of
his diocese in the hands of the Archbishop of Canter
bury.

M. HENRI ROCREFORT.—This representative of
the French people, whose name was so constantly before
the Paris public a few months ago, seems now to have
become almost forgotten by all but the judicial authori'
ties of the Empire. M. Rochefort's sentence of six
months' imprisonment expires on the Bth inst., but be
has been officially informed that he will not then be.
released, as he will have to undergo a further detention of
four months, to which he was condemned for another
offence under the Press Laws.

Miss Lydia Becker, the champion of "woman's
rights," in the north of England, protests against the
manner in which the Lords have dealt with the Married
Woman's Property Bill. Pretending, she says, to accept
its principle, they have annihilated it. " Perhaps there
are few women who would quite like to marry a mail
who had taken care to have a large portion of hie
estate settled ' for his seperate use,' though thei
would not wish to deprive him of the ownership of
one penny of it. Married men are allowed to own
their property without this ugly condition. We ask the
same freedom for married women." She threatens re-
newed efforts on the part of women to obtain " electoral
rights " if the House of Commons does not resist the
Lords' alterations.