New-York daily tribune., 1859-07-04
TILE NEXT GREAT BATTLE.

THE NEXT GREAT BA TILE.
From The London fines, 1874
General Count SchlIck who succeeds Count Gyula
in the command of ths Austrian army, ls an oficer
whose name familiar TO Europe ten years since,
when the Hungarian war was raging He played n
part of incOnsiderable importance in that contest
and is now not than 60 years old Ii we are TO
understand that he succeeds TO the active command
instead of Marshal Hess who had been previously
named for it, the Austrian Government may be sus-
pected Of having imbibet some radical notions on the
subject Of the age Of military commanders. The
young Emperor may possibly have made the age Of
Marshal Hess, who Is az, an objection TO his
poyrnent in the active duties of the campsign, and
may think his great experience better utilized in plan
ming than in executing the future operations OF this
That there will be much to plan and much TO exc
cute is, We spprebeDd, toerably certain. Time m7y
be required W repair the moTdle Of the Austrian
soldier and to restore that confidence which the affairs
at Moptebello Palestro Magenta and Malegnano,
must have somewhat shaken; but that Austria viii
retire from Lombardy without some more decisive de-
feat than she has yet sustained cannot be expected or
hoped for. Milan may be hung with hags and ht
with lamps the Scala may exhibit its capaoOus
thronged with emapcpated Italians, joyous in their
enthusiasm, the Emperor and the Klng naay receiye
Fluctuations Of the LOmbards in their capital without
a thought of danger from that vast Austrian army
which d few days ago occupied every military post ia
the country, and the recollection OF which must lie
heavy on the memory of all those shouting citizens;
but the permanent possession Of Miisn is far from
being yet secured Continuously the Austrians
tire, and steadily they are followed up
by the Allies, one ventures to prophecy
that this retrograde movement has no limit.
We are all curious 10 know where that position is
which Francis Joseph has designated a. his uext battle
ground and to which he has now recall ed his troops
II is certainly not the Sesa or the Meld, for the
country w8teTed by these tributaries Is already abaI
doned and Brescia which was in former times
tested is already iii the hands Ut Garbald wnO seems
10 act still the pioneer OF the allied army IN Their
advance. The Austrian IL low getting near 20 his Tor
tresses lie has probably crossed the Cnese for if he
hsd Intended TO defend this river he would scarcely
have allowed Ganbald to occupy Brescla Ills next
hating place must be on the banks OF the Mincio
where If he should turn and await his pursuers, hewl
rest with his right wing upon Peschiera aud his left
upon Mantua. Our correspondent seems 10 hOd the
opinion that this is the position chosen by the Adstf
Generals for their decisive trial OF strength Ii wOulc
undoubtedly, appear to be well chosen for battle lost
by the French upon this ground would be disastrous,
whereas the Austrans night reasonably hope TO Draw
of il hardly pressed under the OF their ortresses.
In 1871 the possession of Mautas alone enabled the
Austrans to arrest Napoleon for six months before Us
walls and gave them tine TO raise Tour aIge armies,
and bring them into the field for Its deverdnce In
1913 Charles Albert did bot attempt to advance be-
vond this terrible triangle, after Ratetzky mad
assed through. Dsregardug the rash counseis which
urged him 10 pursue his Tetliing enemy ta'ouSh TINS
military trap, he ret hmneh 10 ~oik lesurey 10 re-
duce tue forresses by one. While he was Desleg
ing Peschei Radetzky was awaiting reeni"rcemeutS
If Count Nugent and the army ot reserve and 6n0nt
the time that Peschera could mold ont no longer Ra
detzky WAS ready 20 sssuhie the offensive. No game
no doubt seems to be entertained that the Ausrians
have not for a moment abandoned tue hope OF ultimate
success in this kecuter pour mienT s6uer
ia still their uancipe Cf tactics. In that land 81 ell
uette and that council of many precedents te author
iy of former campaigns will go for much III the lorna
tion Of new plans and the mschinery which aus
secured previous is very likely 10 be put ino
motion 40 ain with the hope of the same happy result
We expect from Marshal Hess aud Gen. Schlck Il
Iep tition of the plan OF campaign devised ana exc
cu,ed by Hess and RadetZky eleven years age. Mill
farv tradition is everything in Austria. Radetzky
served under Melas aud Suwarrow, and Hess served
under Radetzky. IL Is almost mpOsslDe thht THESE
men can fail 10 those old Fabsn tactics which
80 remarkably succeeded In restoring oreut 10 tne
Austrian arms in 1919. When Rade,zky retfea.ed be-
fore the amy of Charles Albert aud through coun
try in full insuuecti0n, he fell back at once. lie
avoided battle, much as the Austrians now seem 10
have done their best to AVOID IT, ann although ne was
nnwihpgly forced into fight at Cote, just as Gyula
was at Magenta vet he continued his retreat until he
reached HIS foresses did he even stop there but
retired behind the district they CON nanded and there
awaited the arrival Of Count Nugent and the army OF
reserve Then came his advance the celebrate
ountermarch to Nicenza, the armstice, the renewal
of hosthtes and that decisive short campaign which
ended with the victory of Novara.
But, although We think II highly probable that the
general character of the Austrian tactics IN 1873 viii
De followed in 1882 the general opnico appears to be
that in one important respect these precedents VIII De
sregardcd ara that the Miucio WIZ now be the scene
Of decisive battle. Well-uformed persons assure us
that all that has yet happened is bat the prelude TO the
real war and there not wanting Austians 80 con-
fdent as to believe that Mantus viii he the CaPua OF
Napoleon Ill Austria will very much astonish the
world if anything like this should happen. General
Schlick may be very different commander irom
Gyula but public expectation Is not yet tuored to
the idea that the French can be beaten IN pitched
battle upon toeraby equal terms; and although the
French Emperor and the Sardinan King are just now
listening to concerts at Milan, their troops are steady
IN their progress and perhaps Milan Is the oeSt posi-
lion whence TO the consolidation OF the Allied ioIce
,,nop m dfienk country which has 10 be pene-
ffated- .., .,,
Tho Allies, however, hsve sufhciency of work stil
before them. They have thus great battle OF the
Nnco yet to win, If It shall please the Austrian I'm
sror TO crafty the desires of his enemies, and make
stand upon that river They have then to take three
ortresses which have been eaborately strengthened
and supplied with every engine oil defense tha' Wodeh
warfare has discovered. Against the more numerous
forces aud the rfed cannon of the French oil 1879 eS
chiera viii oppose much more perfect iortlhcatons
than those with which she resisted the Sardiniahs IN
1919. Mantua is stronger than when Napoie0h l.
knocked at her gates and Nerons has s the resources
OF the Austrian Empire at her back But Gu the other
hand, military critics swakug TO the estima,e OF
the danger which Austria OF being taken IN the
Of her forresses by army landed on the coast
north Of Venice.
The French are undsputed masters OF the sea, and
neither the old Nspoeonic campaigns nor those OF
lSiS and lSi9 are adapted TO such contingency To
the Austrian the IL always an enemy on her ns9s,
and no position is strong which can be turned ny
Napoleons neei OF men-of-wsr and transports. we
have IN the resources Of these begerents all the eie
ments of sanguinary battle, perhaps for proractei
siegee and even for long drawn IL i probably
hopeless TO think OF accommodation while b0ththe com
bsants strong and feel exhaustion; but We can
no, think that fight she may Austria eau utmstey
win How many millions Of money and leagues of ter.
sitory and how nuch OF military reputation will she
waste in protrscting for short time wns sooner or
later after constant defeats OF asernste rIunphs and
rsvsrses, Is st last inevitable