The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1859-07-23


gard to her Comparative strength and weak
tess from short camps'gu than she woulc
learn IN whole cycle of peace. Out Of boa
msry illusions AID vain glorious prtjudices IL
REGARD to her own pro~ess-the slow growth o.
scores OF csnfuries- was not Cbios frightened by
The opium war of 1S4l-42, aud later still, BY to-
operations of the allied fleets on tie Peiho 10
1858? Those two ifssoDs must have bad more
fleet in opening the eyes Of the CelestiaIs than
| 'he lapse OF many ceu,uries in und'stnrbed re-
| pose ard fanc,ec superiority TO the rest of the
| worlr. Our OWL Revolution aod the war Of 1872
'aught salufaIy lessons to Great Britain, less
| 'han to ourselves. Iu our short but glorious
| campaign in Mexico Ge Administered whole
some lesson to that republic, though, We ar
-oITy to say, it bas not proved to be of any last
'ug benefit In fact. deplorabie as war is, it is
almost necessary element in the great work OF
| teaching nations to know Themselves. Fortu.
cate are the people whose rulers have the good
| arse 10 perceive that reverses aud defeats ale
| cot without their great uses, aud that present
| adversely may be made the source Of future
| prosperity.
When Russia went into the Eastern war, some
! Eve gears ago, she DID go in the full confidence
hat, es a great military Power, she was pre-
par6 TO meet all the eventualities of the coufict
| Anna, IDkeymap, and the tall Of SebastopOl
| unoeceived her in that respect. She then
oiscerned that in spite of her great mill
cary and naval resources, her vast empire
| and large population she was unable to cope
| with IatioDs who stood in the vanguard Of
civilization, and whose resources were much
more fully developed than her own. Alexander,
| with nope of the obstinacy, had much of the
prudence of the great founder Of bis empire,
who frankly confessed to Swedish officer that
he had sustained defeat after defeat at the
ed to fight him, and finally to overthrow him,
as be did at the battle of Pultowa. Alex
ander did not initiate Peter in this, 80
far as to continue a conflict in which
be saw himself the weaker party; but when the
Malakof yielded before the impetuous and IRE
sistible onslaught Of the fiery Frank, be gladly
accepted terms of peace, and brought the war to
a termination. Brief as the campaign was, it
lasted long enough to convince him that If be
| ever meant to engage SUCH anniversaries with cue.
Gees, be must first develope the wealth and re-
| sources of bis vast empire; and to that work be
has since earnestly devoted himself. The i'm
nerse systems Of railroads, telegraphs, and other
great works OF internal improvement which have
been engaging the attention OF the Russian
government for the last tour years. are evil
dences of the good effect of the lesson of the Cr
mean war.
The Austrian empire, lift be not too cautiously
welded to it's dark, despotic aud anti progressive
policy, may ike Russia, learn salutary lesson
from the results Of that brief, and, to it. inelo-
rious campaign, which has won back Northern
Italy to freedom.
Three months have hardly elapsed since
Francis Joseph, confdiDg in his immense and
well disciplined army, boosted that be wouid
teach Louis Napoleon a lesson. The French
| Emperor, when he heard Of the boast, is said to
baye quietly remarked that it would reqaire au
older head than the young Kaiser's to teach him.
And now where do they stand respectively? The
austrian bas seen bis hosts scattered and dis
conftted, flying from every field where they met
their enemy, while the Frencbman has moved
calmly on from victory to victory until he has
cleared Lombardy of every hostile German: and it
he does not now give the WORD which would cause
the ACKNOWLEDGMENT of the proud Austrian en-
pire, it is only because his magnanimity or his
prudence restraints him.
The lesson 10 be acquired by Austria from this
conflict is that the day for backward policy are
past, that progress is the order of the day
and that the democratic element is neces
| sary Ingredient In all thriving nationalities
II Austria had not been 80 besotted as to close
her eyes to these truths for the past ten years
II che had accommodated herself, even in q eight
degree, to the spirit OF the age, she might have
been spared much Of the humiliation that has be-
fallen her. There is no better, drawer Or more dis
cipiined army in the world than that which has
been beaten back, step by step, from the Ticino
to the Mincio. But Its officers were unfit to com
maDd it. Their movements were marked by in-
decision, their tactics aniiquated and they failed
to inspire their men with that confidence which
is Indispensable to success. The Reason of this
is that in the Austrian army promotion is not
the prize Of merit, but of influence at Court
Bravery and skill are sure to he recognized In
any other army; but IN theirs these qualities are
Of no account, unless exhibited By a member O,
the aristocracy. Since 1915 Austria has mad no
wars except those waged by her revolted pro-
vinces in lS4S; and then, as now, she came out
second best. But if she intends to hold a place
in Europe she must abandon forever her con.
cordats, her exclusiveness and her cruel ano
tyIannical despotsm. She must turn over q
new Leaf, and iiberalize not only her politica,
institutions but her army. LIE. her do this,
learn lesson from the French army, and
from her present humiliation may come her
future greatness. Such are wars lessons.
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The Next MAroRALTY.-The question of the
next Mayoralty is beginning to create great
d. al of stir i'm Our city poiifirc Sn,,o ,f 49,,