, 1866-07-24
The BftIltapcy and q, napleteneAs of
PrusAian Victory

u instantaneous conversion teach.
PAsun6g.
cpe B,ayltapcy and O, 1npleteness Of the
PrusAIan Victory
from The London Times, July 81
The old proud spirit Of Prussia has right
% rejoice. II these Northern Germans desire
Ia eIu(t over their fallen brethren OF the
South, they have sufficient cause. No cam
pafpn in modern history has been more bril-
liant and astonishing no victory more com
plete and more speedily won. 1t makes
us doubt the surprising genius Of the worlds
Generals when We see snch mighty
and that superiority In men
md in Weapons will carry an army to
almost certain victory. On the 18th Of June
the unsuspecting Princes of the Confedera-
tlen decreed the mobilization Of their contin-
gents sud the coercion OF the Prusslan mon
archy. Within tweuty-four hours the chal-
leuge was accepted and the Pfqsslan troors
Hanover. A week was sufficient for the sub.
fugation of ali northern Germany. From the
ocean and the Baltic to the Main and the Bo-
hemIan mountains every power went down
before the rapid march Of the Prussian armies
and the imperlous commands Of the Prussian
midable contest. The Austrian army, which
had failed to protect Its allies, Vas assailed
In It's own territory, and while resting On It's
OWN et1ongholds. We know not why 1t did
not rreh forward to save Dresden, ont 1t is
even more inconceivab1e that 1t should have
allowed the Prussians to make their way
through the passes snd descend into the open
plain. Thi: c--..c':on was performed With
consummale skill and daring by tue Psussian
commanders. Whoever conceived the plan
and directed the execution must be numbered
among the most able strateg1Rts that the
present century has produced. The true his
tory Of the campaign has Jet to be learned,
and ne arc not disposed to criticise where In
formation is still defective. But, certainly,
Austria and Europe In general expected
bolder system of warfare from the Austrian
commander. He had IN army which carried
discipline to Its highest point, which had
been drilled and exercised, and reviewed until
it had arrived at the precision OF
2 machine. its g. whole S nsn orsanlza,ion alton
effective after the experience Of the Italian
war; its officers were active, skillfu1 and
Jealous its cara1ry was praised as, perhaps.
the best In Europe Its artillery was praised
by every foreigner. Yet this splendid army,
said to number with the Saxons u quarter Of
million strong, allowed tue converging
forces OF the enemy to make theiz way
through passes where every hundred yards
might have becn contested, aud then to form
junction on Bohemian soil. Even then the
AustriAns, whose whole purpose In the war
was to carry on oGenslve operations, and who
did nothing II they did not advance to the
liberation # the North German Governments,
sitions, They took their stnnd, according to
their commanders ol1icial despatch, in "a
partly fntrenched position before konlG-
gutZ,n They no doubt fought well; but
il even they had been able to hold their
ground, they could only have delayed the in
evitablc result. As it was, the Prnsslans, &c;
cording to Beucdeh's account, established
themselves on the Austrian flank and real,
aud by spirited attack forced their oppo-
nepts 10 retreat, ut frst slowly, and then
more rapidly-in fact, drove them from the
ticld. As the whole Austrian army was en-.
gagged, the ruin was iEreparahle- Vienna
vas open to the conqucrors, and continn-
ance OF rapid marches would have brought
the Prussian army to the Imperial city. Now,
however, the mediation Of France has been
invited BY the vanqufshcd i; and France, as
might be expected, bus readily accepted a
position which gives her the right to Inter
jere. We cannot but think that IL tue Aus
triaD Emperor had addressed himself directly
to his adversary, Us German to Gcrman, it
would have been more tigniffed md more
consistent with the national interests. It Is
Ut least IN additional humiliation to Austria
that she should be saved BY the Intervention
Of a foreign Potentate.
but Prussia. however formidable, Is not jet
Germany. She has oyerstln HanoTcr and
Saxony, but she has yet to WIN the confidence
and sympathy Of the Saxops and Hanovert
ans, nor can she afford to disregard the
aspirations of the German pco pie. Those as
pifations point toward union under PrussiaI
supremacy, but not toward absolute subicc
tion to frussiB, and tho sentiments as we'll as
supposed to point in the eame direction
Perhaps be would hfmeelf prefer division o
Germany to Northern and Southern Con
federation, analogous to the dunliam which
be openly favored In Italy, but be will as
surcdly respect the right Of tho Ger
M %ens to regulate t. their ~, oTn IT, atlairs fairs
sIa Should absorb some Of the smaller Princi
palities, and possible that she may retain
either nominally or virtually, under her swa,
| the States she already occupies, We do no
anticipate TINT she Will carry her conquest
further. 1t is no part Of the Emperor Napol
eon's policy, whether or not 1t be ONT Of coun
uapsburg from Germany, or to force 1t II
| elect between Its German md Its uon-G -Ger7nal
territories, 60 na TO leave no counterpolse t
the power OF Prussia IN Central Europe. uaI
II been 50, the Emperor Francis Joseph woul,
I not, even at the last extremity, have invoke
Ills Intervention.
] Looking only TO motives, and judging o
these by the common rules OF morality, "
might well pause before contemplating witt
] anything like satisfaction the present as
poet OF Europe. The province Of the histo
rlan, however, is distinct from TINT Of th
mo1nlist, and it is as historians that We, be
/ Ing no parties to the interruptions aggression
| Of Prussia, nor responsible for the suicIda
| obstinRcy OF Austrin, must stEiyc to lnterpEe
the signs Of our own tiues. Thus, relieve,
I from nlI scruples Us to the nature OF the aSen
| cIes employed, VIC are free to recognize, iron
this point Of view, the dawnlng Of an % am
| pier day" for the European family Of nations
| It would be shallow conception Of the cause
which have brought about this great crisis t
| imagine that Count Bfsmark and his master
out Of sheer desire to aggrandIze the House Q
| uohenzoalern, had conspircd against the Aus
triau Empire and the Independence Of th
! minor States, and successfully ayafltd them
effect their selfish purpose. How much ,rltl
there may be in such an hypothesis nc do no
undertake to say, but II IL were the Who'll
truth, the supposed plot must hare faile
before this. However much they may be iu
clincd by rational instinct and Tradition t
educated men will not light and die heroira1
IL In cause no better than robbery on
grand scale. ~
The PrussIan soldiers believe themselves
rightly or wrongly, to be achieving liberty, q
| welt as greatness, for their country, and ii
the tendencies Of which Count Bisnask Is tn
conscious or unconscious exponent. Cavou
deliberately guided the stream on which b
wcs borne nl0nc, aud Prussia now represent
in Germany almost what Sardinia then repre
scented In Italy. Whether the PrussIan MtI
ister will have the sagacity and moderatio
In the hour Of triumph to show 1nrbearauc
man Parliament, and to identify himsel
hcnccforward with the progress and dc
relopmcut Of the nation, is problem o
which it would be vain to speculate. Whcthe
Italy will know how to use the splendid fortun
opened to her, aa 1t were, late in life,
time we Gun hardly err In welcoming the sui
| stitution OF natural for artificial bonds {
union, Of settlements founded on popula
will for the arbltrary conventions bcqucathc
to US By the Great War. We arc far iso1
holding The revolutionary doctrine that co1
nunity Of race, or langungc, or religion, {
even Of nil combined, amounts to an ind
feasible title to separate political c1istenes
Such circumstances are no more than pr!
snmptions which may be rebutted by highe
considerations Of e1pcdfcncy. But the ~!
lem which treats them as nothing, and keel
up great nrnaments to overawe the cravin
for lat1onal litc, Is system alike unjust ap
fatal to the peace Of Europe; and Of this 81
ten the fall OF Austrian dominion in Italy, az
of Austrian supremacy In Germany VII
humanity speaking, prove the death Va
rant.
Ko.xuth and tho HuncnrInnss
| The following proclamation has been ci
culated among the Magyar SOLDIERS Of Il
Austrian army in Italy:
uupeaEiane with The help OF Italy's hero
King, in the sacred name OF our country and Go
lhe Tag Of Magyar Independence ls ho.sted ane
Ed l. counts upon soar service. Hero Is 20