Orleans independent standard. [volume] (Irasburgh, Vt.) 1856-1871, 1859-07-01
WAR MATTERS.

/ II must De confessed that the y3cor-
Gus way in which the allied troops have
passed SO broad a river as the Teino. in
the face Of the Aastrians, confsrs the ut
most honor upon the united army. II
the Austrian soldiers had possessed any
thing like the military spirit for which
the world has given them credit or ii
their generals had acted with anything
/ ike the energy which the circumstances
demanded, the result must have been
different. They certainly had the most
ample notice Of the intentions of the
French Emperor. Their commanders
had ample time to prepare their plans;
and it is not creditable to them that with
four corps adrRsss, each Of $4,000 men,
at the least, they should have failed in
their attempts to prevent the passage of
the Ticino.
Ii is impossible TO believe that, if the
Austrian troops had been reasonably
well handled by their ofRcers-and none
enjoy greater reputation--ihey should
have been unable tooverwhelm an enemy
before he bad succeeded in getting the
bulk Of his whole army across-unless
indeed the French and Sardinians are
better soldiers in the field. And this
seems to be the simple fact. Strategy
and tactics are very well--to neglect
them is to be guilty If gross inhumanity,
Tor such neglect always implies waste
of human life. But after them athe
bone and the sinew," and above all spir-
Its, are TO be looked at. As in the DAYS
of old, the strong OF arm and stout of
heart are the men TO win when the COM
manders and numbers are equal. Now,
since the opening of the campaign the
Aussrians have not gained single advan-
tage. Both at Montebello and at Pales-
tTo the chances were in their favor; and
II Is singular that, although in both cases
they evidently expected to win, in both
cases they were disappointed-indeed, at
Palestro, twice in the same day.
Not even Garibsldi, with his handful
OF men, seems to have suffered any ac-
tual defeat He retired when he found
the enemy too numerous, but he is never
said TO have been worsted. When the
news arrived that Count Gyulai had in
vsded Lombardy, the general notion was
that ne would at once advance on Turin
but he stopped short in the Lomellina.-
II now turns cut that he was wise. His
critics gave him credit for having better
troops than he Ind. He knew what his
army could DO. He had evidently salts
fed himself that if be attempted to block
up the passes of the Alps, and to assault
the Piedmontese army. small as it was. be
would certainly be defeated. Hence
forth, therefore, il must be taken for
granted ihat the soldiers of the Austrian
army are inferior to those of France or
Sardinia"
The Times, which leans strongly to-
wards the Austrians, SAYS in its issue Of
the 8th =
The battle of Magenta is a great
battle and q great victory. Austerlitz
can scarcely compete with it in the mum.
Der slain and captured, and must pale be-
fore it if ne compare the numbers en-.
gagged. Waterloo was not more lavish of
slaughter. Lodi is not more terrible in
stories of fierce conflict. The great dis
tinciion between Magenta and other VIC
tories Is, that We know who won Lodi.
and We know who won Austerlitz. and
We know who won Waterloo, but We do
not yet know who won Magenta. Per-
haps it may hereafter turn out that As
perm, where three days slaughter pro-
duoed only an undecided event, is more
exact parallel TO Magenta than any Of
those better remembered names which
We have cited
VIEWS OF The FRENCH Press
The Paris Constitutional expresses it.
self in these terms -
France has fought and has vanouish-
ed Gen. Gyulai, completely defeated.
abandoned the road to Milan to the
French. Al the moment we write the
Emperor Is perhaps entering the ancient
cathedral Of the Aflanese district-aDd
perhaps the 7s Dsla Of national inde-
Pendenee is now being chauted For
the last two days the event was foreseen.
and the great intelligence was awaited
with impotence. The respective posi-
tons Of the armies clearly indicated that
an erTly engagement was inevitable
The Austrian generals had abandoned
the Lomeilina, and had msssed their
troops On the left bank Of the Ticino,
with the evident object Of cutting of the
E direct rad from Novera to Milsu. An