Lynchburg daily Virginian. [volume] (Lynchburg [Va.]) 1852-1861, 1859-05-13
nailp atir9inian.
The War in Europe.

From the Intelligence already received tits gun
orally expected that Austria will hasten to strike
decisive blow upon the uniorfcd capital of Sar-
dna before the approach Of the French forces to
its relief but from the following spcculat,ons
which find in the New York l,mes in regard
to the relative forces Of Austria, Sardinia nnd
France, and their necessary occupation. there is
reason to doubt whether the army of Francis DO
seph will bc precipitately thrown upon Turin
In the absence of accurate and definite intelli.
gence, copy these speculations for the iniorna-
ton of our readers to 1hc probabilities and for
reference in the case of actual hos,i,ies.
The line Of the River Ticino. beginning Mt Scsto
Caende on the southern end ftho Lago MaGlore
and joining tho Po just below PAW, dividos
Sardinia from Austrian lomlurdy Tho Austrl-
nm POSITIONS of Milan and PAWN threaten Sardinia
along the whole Of this line north Of its Junction
with the Po, The country Of the Tcino, on ei-
thcr side. is flat traversed 10y many wat"rcourses,
natural aud artifcia and within the Sarlininh
frontier. unlcienicd by any pnstions strong e.
nough to resist the advance Of an invading army
upon Turin by the way of N'yaea aud Nerccll--
though either ot these points, or, thlvns,o and
Verrua nearer the capital. ieht easily be hell
with success for several days hy an army iurm'-
dublc in the field. II the Sandman troops were
assembled ON this line of the rcino in numbers at
enemy. it would be quite possible TINT Il batde
might have taken place soon after tho passage of
the Austraus. IL, however, the Snrdnlan Gene
rails felt their force equal to such an encounter,
nothing w,ull be easier or more advisable for
! them than to rc,rc behind the line of the River
Po--alanloning the country n"rthward of that
line and Turin itself, now happily uniorllcd, to
the enemy and scnlin. the Government to Genoa
ON the scacoast This course, it Will he seen hy
letter which publish to-day, the Sarlinion nu-
thoritics are understood to have resolved upon ad
olting. Let US. without affecting any pret'ruat-
ural degree OF military rrcsccncc. cndcaror to AS
certain the probable results of such plan OF cam
paign. The whole available force Of Austria as
placed upon war-iootnS in January. 1888, when
all Europe under arms, amounted to 553, 900
men. 1t is possible that by extraordinary efforts
this total may have been raised to nearly or quite
100000 men III the present crisis although the
war-noting contemplated in the budget OF 1889,
does not exceed 100000. OF this force, not less
than loo 900 men required 10 watch the move
mcnts ot Russia in the Northeastern provinces
One hundred and fifty thousand more are disposed
Throughout Croatia and upon the Turkish Iron
tiers. Bohemia: Moravia aud Hungary. with the
German provinces nnd lllyra demand under tho
pressure i possible contingencies the services of
nearly or quite 800 600 mnIc. The calculations,
based upon the usual arrangements of the Austri-
an Military Department, leave US an effective force
of ,Ooo men for the service Of Italy.
Cpnccding. however, the presence in Italy of
200, coo men, we must next procccd to set apart
the garrs,ns necessary tn hold the four great for
tres>es OF Prsrl,icra and Man:ua, which guard the
line of the Mncio, and protect the rear of m army
marching to the west: and Of Verona and Lrgnag
no, which hold the Adigc strengthen Venice, and
keep open the communication between lrnhardy
and the Tyrol. 1t is not too much iu assume that
this service must absorb $4,000 mcn. The cities
of Venice, Nicenza, Padun. Bre cH, and Milan
with the furtresses of Ferrara, paccuza. Parma,
fumachio. Modena and Crcmona, and other lesser
posts. have next to be provided for, and we are
inclined to think that the progress of events will
show Austria able to move upon Sardinia IA force
not exceeding 80 900 men. This force alb Of
frcrcd and greatly improved in organization since
1889 constitutes indeed avery formidable army
What has it t., encounter! a Sandman regular
force not inferior to any soldiers in Europe, Of
about 10000 men. with n volunteer army of2o.000
more, and Il rapidly advancing reserve OF the pow
cr Of France The effective total of the French
army on the first Of June If the present year. as
estimated in t,ir budget, will be ca, 400 men,
OF this number 60 600 may be safely assumed to
he now under arms. If We allow 10000 men to
the service oi Algicrs. the Boonirs aud the En-
pre IA force alnndanDly equal to watching" the
movements Of Germany we find 100000 Mt lbcr-
ty to he thrown into Italy. While Sardinia de-
Ginning tho combat in the field, holds the Po and
the Apcnninrs. three ways Of Invasion are open
to this tremendous force. An Austrian army nd
vancing from Aroma ly the north upon Turin
may lie taken in flank by French army coming
from chambcry by way of Ao-ta and lvrea. Turin
itself can be reached by Frcnch force from Grcn
oblc by way Of 81. Jean de Maurienne and Susa
(thc whole journey, with the exception of about
forty miles, being pcriprmed by railway direct
from Lyons and Paris before the Au.trans can
accomplish their advance through hostile cuun-
try bv Npyara And n third French movement
from Tonlon and Marsclles by steam to Genoa,
,,lr,, Il I,.,1,
dsposahlc force If southern France upon the bat
tie field of Marcngo. within three days time.
If, thercf re-, eighty or ninety thousand Aus
trians shouli march upon Turin, they would be
exposed to the concentration upon their line of
retreat Of nt least twice their own force within II
week of the invasion. Nor should it be forgotten
that her immense maritime force leaves France
at liberty to throw cxpeditonary forces, by way
of Spezzia and the Monte Gisa, on Parenzc--to
blockade Venice and Triestc-to rouse the people
of acknowledgements, the Romngna and the
Duchcs: that throug hout Italy the proclamation
of a "natonal' war against Austria, with the
alliance of France. will rouse the national feeling
of every State and Province to the revolutionary
pich; and that ever Austrian regiment marched
out of an Italian district will leavcu revolutionary
regiment forming in its rear. If the Austrian
generals arc the able commanders which they are
reputed to be, it would certainly seem to be at
least questionable whether they will expose the
force under their command to all the contingencies
of an advance without action into country
grdled with enemies, over whose movements it
will be impossible for them to acquire any sort of
decisive control by the empty occupation Of IN
undefended capital.
A SINGULAR CRITERION OF CIVILIZATION
Lebg in his Letters Chemistry" saws:
"The quantity Of soap consumed by u, nation,
would not be an inaccurate measure whereby to
estimate its wealth and civilization OF two coun-