, 1866-08-14

CdpIIdl1 anu no 1CWSl THAN OO;OOO "
$4,000 of the choicest soldiers of the
Army of the South had a few days ago
reached Salzburg, and are no doubt by
this time with the Archduke Albert at
Vienna. The spirit of this vast army, If
we may believe the testimony Of all cor
respondents, leaves nothing to desire.
The dread of the n~eedle-gun, we are told,
has greatly subsidized, ever among those
who have witnessed its deadly effects.
Those who nave never had to Withstand
it laugh its terrors to scorn. cit is a
"weapon that wounds, but kills not" the
Austrian officers repeat with complacen'
cy, as if the purpose Of a battle were
rather to kill than to disable an enemy,
and as if the multitude Of the wounded
had not the effect Of creating greater dis
couragement and confusion in an army
than ever so high a heap of slain. Were
it, indeed, proved that the fire of the
Prussian breech-lOader is more fatal to
limb than to life, its value would be in
creased, not merely because humanity
would rejoice at anything which render
ed war less murderous, but also because
the loss in wounded cripples the energies
and embarrasses the movements of a com-
liduuII8 OllCCL Idl lOl IIiul OtIk NCAboA
havoc of death. The dead are but too
easily tended and provided for, while the
necessity of removing the wounded from
the melee has a tendency to demoral-
ize their comrades. The particulars we
daily receive from eye-wit0esSeS OF the
late battlc-felds Of Bohemia, however,
force upon us the conviction that 1t was
not only to their brttch-loader that the
PruSsians were indebted for their signal
victories. In the opinion Of many com
petent Judges, all the advantages of tho
rough training, discipline, and high pow
ers of endurance were thought 10 be OH .
the side of the Austrians, and Prussians
would, it was supposed, have no ch2A6e
against their adversaries, unless the
%"ciality of their infantry weapon m
up for their deficiencies and short CO.
Jugs. These predictions, however, as
we all know, were hardly borne out by
the event. The Prussians proved to be
fully equal TO the Austrians at all wea-
pons, and even in those frequent charges
of cavalry on which the final issue OF
more than one combat depended the Prus-
sian Dragon or UhIan almost invariably
came off the conqueror oveF those Bohe-
i1Idu CulIuSSl6Ao oJU AAN"0"ii"H y"
who were hitherto thought to bear the
palm among the most dashing and fear
less horsemen on the Continent
The hopes of the Imperial army are
now resting upon the Archduke Albert,
a Commander who brings back with him
from Italy the prestige of victory, and
who may be presumed TO inherit that
genius by which his father, the Archduke
Charles, was enabled to cope with the
First Napoleon meeting him on those
very banks of the Danube on which the
destinies of the Austrian Monarchy were
then as now at issue, and turning against
him for two days at Aspern and Essling
that tide of victory which has so lnvarIa-
bly, set in in his favour. Without in the
least intending any disparagement to the
Archduke Albert, We must, however, be
allowed TO remark that his talents will
now have to be displayed on another field
than the plain of Lombardy. and against
another enemy than the brave but unfor-
tunate La Mofmora. The battle fields of
the QuadriIateral are so limited in extent
and so familiar to the Austrian officers,
ouJ ncuociollv IN tho nunilS Of old Ra-