The Sun.
London, England, 1867-04-25 00:00:00

SPIRIT OF THE PUBLIC JOURNALS.

TIMES.—In the preparations against contingent
hostilities in which. French and Germans are sup-
posed to be engaged, it is evident that the latter
have at least one important advantage. They are
all of one mind as to the excellence of their military
organization. The " Landwehr system" was, with
the Prussians, of spontaneous indigenous growth ;
recent splendid successes are ascribed to its efficiency,
and it seems so well suited to the peculiar instincts
end habits of the whole nation, that it has now been
adopted by the Minor States so lately at war with
Prussia in all those particulars in which their own
institutions were not wholly uniform with it. Some
faint opposition was, indeed, raised in the North-
German Parliament ; but no objections have ever
been urged against its essential principles, and, in-
deed, the management of the War Department has
been the cloak to cover a multitude of sins in the
policy of the Berlin Cabinet. Von Roon and Von
Moltke have justified Bismark. In France, on the
other hand, there reigns something like anarchy of
opinion on military matters, and it seems as if the
Government there endeavoured to throw upon the
army the blame for its own inaction. Because the
Emperor would not go to war last year, it was rashly
asserted that his conduct was influenced by the un-
satisfactory condition of his army ; and by propos-
ing a reorganization of his military establishment
the Emperor was held to have himself countenanced
the evil report. The Imperial scheme, however, not
only met with instinctive resistance on the part of
the people, but has been subjected to severe, though
by no means hostile criticism by competent judges,
conspicuous among whom are the Due d'Aumale and
Generals Trochuaud Changarnier ; and it is difficult
not to feel convinced of the correctness of their views
in vindication of the present French system. l'hat
system, as they justly contend, is emphatically
French. Itis what has been deemed for many years
best suited to the character of a nation whose warlike
virtues no one ever disputed. The conversion of the
French army into an armed nation would, they
maintain, utterly disorganise and neutralise the
system. There is no doubt the rival nations start
on different principles, and must needs arrive at
different results. Prussia makes every man a soldier,
but dismisses every soldier after the shortest possible
period of service. An army thus organised is not
capable of prolonged exertions far away from home ;
and Gen. Changarnier is borne out in his assertion
that the soldiers of the First Napoleon in his early
Italian and German campaigns were men of quite a
different temper. We are not equally sure, how-
ever, that in the late war the Prussians after a few
days' march " covered the roads with their stragglers
and crowded the hospitals with their sick." The
evidence of our Special Correspondent at their
camp has given us a very different impression as to
the hardihood of these troops. We may agree with
the General, nevertheless, that mere drill is the
smallest part of the soldier's training, and that it
may take years to inure him to the hardships of
distant warfare and the harshness of strict discipline.
For distant expeditions like those of Napoleon I.
small veteran armies are doubtless most effective,
and Changarnier and the Due d'Aurnale are justi-
fied in their opinion that the later armies of the
First Empire lost in soundness much of what they
gained in bulk. But we do not think, for all this,
that " extemporized soldiers" should be so much
disparaged as they are apt to be by military men.
General Changarnier is now seventy-four years old,
and has seen no active service for the last fifteen
years. The American and German wars came
upon him as unprecedented phenomena, for which
his own experience did not enable him to account.
He also viewed the subject too exclusively from
a French point of view. Many of his observa-
tions, indisputably correct as to France, could
not apply in the case of the German race.
The French people are brave and high-spirited, and
make the most dashing and desperate combatants ;
but it is, perhaps, because they have so much natu-
ral mettle that they are comparatively deficient in
endurance. If it is true, as it can hardly be dis-
puted, that it is " the soldier's leg that wins the
battle," there is no doubt that the German youth,
by their fondness for all kinds of athletic exercise,
by their schiitz and turniervereine, by their pedes-
trian feats as Students and apprentices, must pro
duce the best " lee." They must supply the most
solid stuff for infantrye soldiers, precisely as the
Hungarians, reared as it were to the saddle, are all
ready-made troopers. Physically speaking, the Ger-
man ought to make the more available recruit ; and
although the Frenchman has the advantage of a
quicker intelligence and livelier spirit, still there is
something in the steadiness and docility, in the very
dulness and heaviness of his Germ an neighbour which
renders him, as a conscript, less " agitated," less
" disquieted in the enemy's presence," less prone to
" discuss the chances of the struggle and to exagge-
rate the unfavourable ones," and, in short, less
" liable to panic," than, by Chan 6crarnier's confession,
the French young soldier is apt to be. Gen. Trochu
seems also aware of this want of solidity in the phy-
sical and moral character of his countrymen, and
proposes to cure the evil by a manlier system of
training in the schools. There is another point on
which General Changarnier seems to us to judge too
exclusively from preconceived French notions, and
that is his horror of married soldiers. It may be bad
economy in any country to send out fathers of fami-
lies as " food for powder," but where the Government
is willing to take charge of widows and orphans there
is no doubt but domestic affections are rather an in-
citement than a hindrance to a true man in the dis-
charge of military duty. Thousands of Prussian re-
serve men went into the field last year sorely against
their will ; but we question whether they were found
less stout adversaries from any anxious thought of
the families they had left behind. This is a subject,
however, on which the French will no more than
the Italians look with Teutonic eyes. Married men
in the South of Europe are excluded not only from
military and naval service, but also from police and
custom-house duties, as if, by taking a wife, a man
contracted something of his partner's softness and
became unfit for man's original trade. In the midst
of this conflict of opinion among French leading
men, it is, we believe, fortunate for France that, if
she is to go to war at all, she should bring into the
field her army as it is, before any experiment or re-
form is attempted. Such as it is, the French army
has a right to consider itself by far the best in Eu-
rope, if for no other reason onaccount of its constant
experience of active war in her African colonies.
Should an outbreak occur, the legions recalled from
Algiers, and those just brought home from Mexico,
could boast of a far more intimate acquaintance with
the real hardships of the field than the Prussians
gained during the brilliant exploits of their seven
days' trial. We can understand that Changarnier
should scout the idea of mustering " so many French
against so many other soldiers ;" " 60,000 men," he
says, " can meet 100,000 with better chance of suc-
cess than 3,000 have of opposing 5,000 ; and beyond
a certain number, no army can be easily fed and
directed." Such are the views of all sensible men.
Should an appeal to arms become a fatal necessity,
no doubt the French of the present day would still
be the men of Jena, and, possibly, the Germans also
the men of Leipsic. It is precisely because a trial of
strength between the two races would scarcely exhi-
bit any new feature, and hardly lead to any new re-
sults, that the event should be so earnestly depre-
cated. The two enemies are familiar with each
other's valour ; they ought to be ready to do each
other justice without renewing a struggle to which
neither of them has reason to look back with un-
qualified exultation. Rivers of blood would be sure
to flew, irreparable injury must be inflicted, long
before any benefit could accrue to either side—any
such solid and permanent advantage as might re-
pay one-hundredth part of the terrible cost. The
advice so opportunely tendered by Changarnier
to his own countrymen is equally applicable to
either side :—" However critical may be the con-
dition of european affairs, it is equally important
that France and Germany should keep their temper;
that there should be no provocation on either side ;
that they should not ruin themselves by extravagant
armaments, but should busy themselves with the
crowning of their respective edifices—France, her
liberty ; Germany, her unity ; that they should
make other people envious of their happiness, and
inspire them with admiration of their free institu-
tions ; that they should show greater regard to the
peace of the world, and put forth less pretensions to
the glory of universal peacemakers." Should the
war-cloud that is now threatening Europe eventu-
ally vanish, it is not only to peace that we should
look forward, but to general disarmament, and to
that object France and Germany could both equally
conduce ; the former by acting up to her own views
about compact and highly-trained forces, the latter
by adhering to her own plan of a small standing
army with large reserves.
HERALD.—The pleasures of public life must be
great indeed to compensate fer its pains. When
once a man emerges from a private station he forfeits
all social privilege and protection. He is no more
master of himself, ho becomes the property of the
nation, and the nation treats him as it would any
other property—that is to say, just as it pleases. It
may take care of him, improve hint, put him out to
interest, or, on the other hand, it may neglect him,
make ducks and drakes of him, or realise upon him,
and so get rid of him altogether. But whether the
public man be honoured and upheld, or maligned
and trodden down, he is certain to be harassed
almost beyond bearing, and to find his life at the
best only warranting the qualified praise of the
ensign who called carrying the colours of his regi-
ment " an honourable bore." Wherever he goes,
and whatever he does, he is subjected to the closest
scrutiny, and whether for flattery or fault-finding,
the inquisition is the same. And while he is saving

himself from his foes he is always ez.•-rdc`:l—
to
similar annoyance, inflicted with the best of inten-
tions, tions, from his friends. He is supposed neither
eat or drink, walk or ride, without a political object'
and even doing nothing at all is attributed to a PT;
found policy. 'Thus all social freedom is destroyeud,
the public man lives in a moral state of siege, 4,11 w
may at any time have to capitulate through le„
chance words spoken in a club, or an accidental
counter in the street. That he is a public man is a
7„,d.
sufficient excuse for any criticism, whether dietaia,
by friendly impertinence or malicious intention.
must not object to the most minute personal refer-
ence, on the part of "own correspondents," to bid'
self self or his family. Ile must yield himself up to
photographers. He must either ignore or pretence
to be amused at the caricatures of his appearns
in the comic papers, which his friends so keeni's
enjoy and his own servants roar over. The latter is
alone a severe test to a sensitive person, Who es
aware that the man who so reverentially ella,n;ght
his plate at dinner has been in ecstacies of dePtrog
all the morning at the picture of his master listenh
to the voice of a political charmer with a pair ie.
donkey's ears ; or clinging to his favourite eon $
tions, typified by a cocoa tree, in the character eblic
ring-tailed monkey ! But it will never do for a Pll,l
man to be thin-skinned ; he must bear these 3%0;
hundred other familiarities as bravely as rag 7.,a,
he has, in fact, to undergo a test of temper ecllll,',st
lent to the bullying imposed upon a " new fellow
ed
a public school, or the practical jokes which tir
to be visited upon young officers on joining their
regiments. But when the public personage haPPc,,cs
to be a Royal personage also, then, indeed, e°1,,.0
the tug of war. In despotic countries the desPnt,":-00
protect himself, at least against misrepresenta'lot
and satire. Akhbar Klaan or Solyman the Magi:o°nd
could make short work of a libeller or a jester, a'a,
even in Europe in the present day there are S011:0
reigns who are not to be trifled with by gentLetnss
engaged in literature or art. In modern times 18-'13,711
have forbidden the circulation even of respet!
portraits of Royalty, unless approved by themselr',,„
But satire is more difficult to deal with. It way by;
burnt in books and newspapers, but it remains in t,.sl
air, and as it is usually engendered by a bad in°'t,
atmosphere, the only effectual means of counterao„A
ing it is to remove the cause. In the case of crow°7lo
heads, however, it is not so much the enemies
the friends who are to be dreaded, and the atte„ '
tions of the latter have assumed a form of late Yeo- 05
which calls for rebuke. We allude to the discuss° $
which take place among the doctors almost as is
matter of course whenever a Royal personage of
suffering from ill health. Not only is the natur,cro,
the malady made manifest in its fullest partielli3.ol
but the treatment adopted is described with ineuino,
minuteness, while both are made the subject a cuber
troversy by professional pens. We all retne,l33,,ts
the correspondence which took place after the deity
of the Prince Consort as to the cause of the calaml
and the means employed to avert it. Tee Princes,.
of Wales—happily under less serious conditions..,
has been for some weeks the subject of similar ec'll'f
ment. And now, it seems, the Prince ImPer,i3tteoc
France is condemned to the same fate. In the la of
case the revelations have passed the bouradarices
painfulness, and become of a positively ludierdi,
character. By one statement, contained in a 133 e of
cal journal, we were informed that the disordericb
his Imperial Highness arose from a bruise `Atha
had afflicted him " ever since the beginning cl,f„ of
legislative session," certainly a curious suggestl°,:red
cause and effect. And last week we were fare",by
with an account of an 'operation necessitated theri'der
which would scarcely bear mention except liner,
medical sanction. The latter revelation was co
tainly a drop to the dignity of—let us 11013e-ri,er,so
future ruler of France. It may be said that "" e
a
discussions of the ailments of Royal personage: tbe
induced by the sympathetic anxiety with which ,ich
public regard the state of their health. That :-$1
a feeling is strong—as regards our own lot
family at any rate—is not to be doubted. ey
granting the fact, surely some sort of dehere s
should be observed in its gratification. Wuclor
Royal personage is concerned publicity becomes' so
perative to a certain extent; if only for the Plltlijii9
of preventing unnecessary alarm. But beyen' the
point the illustrious sufferer may well claim
privilege of a private person—to be spared the the
semination of details wlsich should be sacred to te,
sick-room. Have the worthy persons who origlil3oo
and to some extent compel others to purve9;ereci
particulars of the cases in question, ever cons by
how their information is likely to be receirecitbet
the friends of the patients? And there is arcoeli
question involved—how far the discussion er 'to?
matters is consistent with professional etique for
In the ordinary cases contained every weertbe
the undoubted benefit of the healing art—indiog
medical journAls initials only are given, aff(n. vs,
no clue to the identity of the subject. In the exmy
ordinary cases alluded to the names are not ~n
3io
openly paraded, but are avowedly the "'to
source of interest in the matter. NaYi liege
doctors who are so inconsiderate of the fee-a
of the patients and their friends are eclll,-clo
unceremonious with one another. Not °lll.7freet
they discuss the treatment in unreserved ttero,
but they applaud it or condemn it as pleases those
and thus open a new source of anxiety for,: bad
who are responsible for its provision. It
care
enough for the friends of an invalid to find the es,
delayed, but it is infinitely worse to hear Bug gess,
tions that there has been a blunder in the bussed if
and that such a thing would not have haPPene
such another thing had or had not been done: Dal
such a practice as this be according to profesB,l the
rule, the sooner professional rule is alterecl,riro
better. Fancy a controversy in the Law
cone,'"
among the members -of the bar after the cone'" 0,,,
of a great case, as to whether Mr. Somebody, `4:10,5t
or Mr. Sergeant Somebody Else, had or had 133"14
his client's ease by taking or avoiding a particwit'
line of argument, calling or not calling certain rell
nesses, and so forth. Such a course would slifee
not be tolerated by the legal profession,
„era
by the public, however the latter may stall" " t
its right of comment upon open proceedings. , re'
high time that these points were considered In oe
lation to great medical cases, not only for the of
of illustrious sufferers, but for the character be
profession which cannot exist—and still lessetts
honoured—without the observance of an etigil
scrupulous and delicate in the highest degree.

COUNTRY MARKETS.

RULL.—TuEsDAT. I pr
At our market to-day there was a good supply
lish wheat, which sold at last week's prices. Grllls,
barley in request at fu'l prices. Beans and peas
dear, while ..oats held for more money. in the
girth, market pi ices were again higher, with few sellets
the spot or for arrival. ot'
English white wheat, 65s to 70s; red, 62s to 659; 149;
sic and Konigsberg, 63s to 72s ; Baltic red, 60s to 699•
Danish and Hamburg, 60s to 63s ; Russian, 570 t°o6o
Barley, English, 36s to 49s ; grinding, Mediterr°ol
34s to 35s 6d. Oats, new English, 26s to 28s; Ru„9. 43.
26s to 275. Beans, old English, 58s to 60s; foreig3itel
to 445. Peas, English blue, 42 to 44s Od ; foreign
44s to 455; grinding, 43s to 44s Od per qr.

LYNN—TUESDAY. 1011
There was a small show of wheat at market to-day' kv '3O-
a slow trade, at last week's rates. Spring corn unit
in-value. - - • bite,
New wheat, 66s to 68s ; new red, 60s to 655; old ssr fC4
—s to —s ; old red, —s to —s per 36 stone. Barlo,:of,
malting, 47s to 51s; secondary, 42s to 455. Oatsq'e6.9,
24s to 26s per 24 stone. Beans, small, 42s to 465.
378 to 41s per 28 stone.

MONMOUTHSHIRE—TUESDAY. anv
Homo-grown wheat in comparatively small suPPly
foreign arrivals have not been large. Malting bar 00'
average sale ; grinding at previous quotations•
and beans without much change.
ri
The following are the a verage quotations:-1,T, h-A
,3rt,fePr,
°A
Ts 6d to 8s Od per bushel; white, 7s 9d to 8s Gd ;
6s 4)d to 6s 6d ; malting barley, 44s to 48s per qr ; ";.s2v'
ing ditto, 34s to 36s Od; beans, 43s to 45s ; white 05"
to 27s Od ; black ditto; 24s 6d to 25s 6d.

SALISBURY.—TUESDAY. ,;(,10(11
At this market to-day the supply of wheat was •L'lleo*
and last week's figures were paid for the best 01;0 °A
Barley met with but limited inquiry. Beans and 13,,,re
limited demand, but prices ruled firm. Oats were utitu.-
in value. ro°
The following are the quotations :—Wheat reabse„ag. 4404
62s to 72s ; barley, 32s to 47s ; oats, 24s to 33s ; bend k,"
to 58s; and peas, 40s to 48s per qr. Tares, from "'' 14'.
7 Gd per bushel ; Best bread, 15d ; household ditto,
per 81b loaf. Flour, 46s to 50s per sack.

Births.
116 0f
BRETT—On the 23d inst., at Beckenham, Kent, the -1
Henry Richard Brett, Esq., of a son. le
BALFOLTR -On the 23d inst., at Rod-hill, Stara,
Spencer Balfour, of a daughter.
„i 0 tll6
WALNER—On the 22d inst., at Sunnybank, Deuu"
wife of Thomas Walker, solicitor, of a son.

Marriages.
too
LEECH —WHITEHEAD —On the 20th inst. at at St.
in-the-West, William Leech, Esq., of. the TernlP.eb!ie)es,to°
son of William Leech, Esq., Morden House, Bir`ivillo
to Florence Bothwell,, youngest daughter '
Whitehead, Esq., The Mount, Coggesball, Essex'
TRlPP—JoicEs—On the 236 inst., at St. George's, 11131,1‘g,
square, George William Tripp, of Granville-Par: jaw"-
heath, to Caroline Ada, elder daughter of Jet,
of Thornton-house, 2G6, Camden-road Villas, N.
Deaths.
,streenti
BENHAM—On the 22d inst., at 8, Upper Barnsbu*
Islington, George Spencer Benham, Esq., form
Buxted, Sussex, aged 82..
FRITH—On the 23d inst., at 7, Pombrid
water, Evelyn Shirley, youngest daughter of ,
SMART
Frith R.A.
On the 226 inst W, Hanley-road, —°raser
rise, Mr. Robert Smart, aged 76 ge Villas, Tirg..l

0"
London: Printed and Published by WILLIA DNo. 1/ f
of No. 112, Strand, Printer, at TIIE SuN Office' witY
Strand, in the_ Precinct of the Savoy, in the CO
U 73
April 25,1867.