The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1859-05-23
The Movements Of tho Austrinns

The Great Frederick, as all the world l.
aware, commenced the "Seven Years War,
by the invasion of Saxony, before he had is
sued any formal declaration. The whole
world raised its voice, in one shout of exc
Grafton against him, for his reckless viola
ton of treaties, whereby he involved
all Europe in war, the end Of which nc
man could foresee Frederick knew that
such would be the consequence, and he had
cooly calculated all the chances. He knew
that Saxony was engaged, by a secret
treaty, TO join the league which had already
been formed against him, and he resolved TO
overwhelm her, before she could be of any
service TO them. He calmly weighed the
consequences of the shock which he knew
the invasion would give to the moral sense
OF Europe, against the advantages which
be should reap by occupying Saxony, and
converting her army and her resources to
his own use, and he found the balance in
cline in favor Of expediency. Having once
made up his mind, he hesitated not mo-
ment to take the initiative, and the event
proved the depth of his sagacity.
The Austrians appeared at one time to
be on the point OF initiating the conduct
of Frederick, and to a certain extent
they did initiate it. They incurred all
the odium which can be attached to him
who commences a war of aggression, by
invading Sardinia at the very moment
when the Great Powers were combining
their councils to prevent the outbreak of
war. But there the parallel abruptly ter
inmates. They seem TO have been para
1yZed, at the very moment when vigor was
most necessary. They had already COM
mitted the SIM and incurred the reproba-
lion, and nothing was left to alleviate
their position, but to reap the reward. This
they have not done. They have not crushed
Sardinia, nor possessed themselves of its re-
sources. They have lost entirely the pres
tige which an overwhelming blow, struck
In the beginning, would have conferred
upon them, and have voluntarily put them
selves in the wrong, without deriving any
benefit from the sin.
There seems to be considerable doubt
with respect to the operations of the Aus
TRANS. In one paragraph they are represen
ted as fortifying themselves on the Sessia,
the left of their army having already
crossed the Pc at Gambia, Frssinetto, and
another point near Casale. The object thus
appears TO have been to approach Turin, on
both sides of the river, leaving force 10
face the Sandman army gathered around
Alessandria, and pushing forward with the
rest OF their troops by the routes on Doth
sides OF the Pc. On the Northern route
they were opposed by General Della Mar
mora, who was said to have taken up po-
sition upon the Dora Baltea, which runs
parallel to the Sessia, and, like 1t, falls into
the Pc. Suddenly, again, they are said TO
be on the retreat, the weather continuing
to be horrible, and the Sardinians having
laid the country under water. Bulletins
from Vienna say they are waiting for good
weather. 1t is thus evident, that they have
lost the opportunity of striking sudden
blow, given the French time to arrive in
any numbers their Emperor may choose to
send, and rendered success entirely DEEPEN
dent upon the operations of heavy masses,
aginst other masses, fully their equals in
valor, and greatly their saperiors in prompt
ness.
The New York Herald suggests that the
hesitation Of the Austrians may be account
ed for by the events in Tuscany and Parma,
and the fear that the insurrectionary spirit
may spread to Lombardy. But surely
their leaders took the probability of such
into the account, when they
were laying their plans for the invasion
Al any rate, instead of crushing the Sar.
dinians at blow, as it was anticipate they
would, they have given them time 10 form a
junction with the French, and thus place
Themselves on a footing of equality.