The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1866-08-25
The Aspect An Europe-Peaee Virtually
Concluded,


From the Times
The cable news which comes down to Thurs
days date is, in measure conclusive as to the
fact that the war in Europe is, for the present,
virtually ended.
Short, sharp, and decisive as it was, it has
cost many lives, much treasure, brought about
gigantic results and finally failed 10 accomplish
what 1t apparently promised. The same thing
happened in 1852 when Italy was to be freed
IRON the Alps to the Adrauc,n but the victors
stopped their onward march on the west bank
of the Mincio. Now Prussia stous on the north
bank of the river MAN, and the unity of Ger
many remains as much an object of deyout
prayer as ever before.
bu5 this is the way that kings and princes
wage war. They have, besides the general in
terests OF their country, dynastic interests TO
look after and care tor, and these latter are
often opposed to the former, Hence, by sudden
and violent turns in their course. they many
times dlsappOlnt the expectations of their
people. The peace between Prussia and Aus.
tia, now negotiating and all bat concluded at
Prague, saves the dynasty of the Hapsburgs and
enables Francis Joseph to turn against his own
people, who, during the last great misfortune of
the Emperor, were clamorous for political
liberty in EXCHANGE for the sacrifices asked OF
them. King William and his minister Bsmark
are too much lm6ued with the Divine right
principle, their ideas of government date TOO
far back IN the ieudal ages, that they should
not have feared the CONTAGIOUS EXAMPLE OF
liberal institutions in Austria which certainly
would have oeen granted had the Emperor been
driven anv further TO the wall. And so, the
opportunity offering, they make peace, with
their prescribed work, for the realization OF
which this war was wantonly provoked, by all
available means whether fair or foul but halt
accomplished. The dynastic influences of other
monarchs also intervened, of course but our
assertion remains true, that the peace is prema-
ture, that IL is the work of dynastic interests
and is not commensurate with the overwhelm
ing military successes of the victors.
This is not the way in which the people carry
on war, when they have their Government IN
their own hands. We Americans we're deter
mined to prevent the seeding States from estab-
llshng q separate Government, foreign to us,
between the Potomac and the Cult; we proposed
to preserve and maintain the Union of the States
lnvlolate, and the unity OF the peoDle unbroken.
We did it. We did not stop in the work half
way and before we had achieved that for which
we went to war; We had no dynastic conside-
ratons TO mar our military successes and
diminish their results, but only the interests of
the American people to protect, and as these
could be protected only by the firm cohesion of
all the States under one Government no croak-
ing, no coward prayers for ''peace on the best
attaInable terms" could move the people from
their purpose. The work was accomplished by
the people forthe people, and then we laid down
our arms, and are now shaking hands with those
as friends, who for four long years had madly
opposed us. That is the peoples way of making
war and peace.
However, looking over the events and the
progress OF this short war from military stand
point, we find many points OF resemblance to
The last successful strategy in our own war. The
RUSSIAN operations extended from Coblentz on
the Rhine to OdeTberg on tine Gallician from
tier, distance not quite as long as from Wheel
ing to Cairo. But Just as our armies were ad.
Vanc1ng from North to South in two grand
columns, one IN Virginia, and the other from
Kentucky and Tennessee so the Prussians ad-
vanced on two principal objective points, Vienna
lWhlch may stand for our Richmond), and
frankfort Represented in our war by Nashville)
on the river Main, equivalent, as q strategical
llne to the Cumberland. We do not wish to be
understood 10 mean that this comparison is in
all things correct. Such parallels are seldom or
never perfect, but are chiefly resorted to 10 give
aibetter understanding by comparing that which
Is less known with what is thoroughly known.
FolloWlng out the parallel and for this pur-
pose, we have taken in the west Of Germany the
kline as answering to our Mississippi. just as
our army advanced on Richmond, concentri-
cally from the James river, through the Shenan-
doah valley, and from Washington, so did the
Prusslans march on Vienna from Sllesia and the
northeast and north boundary of Bohemia.
Had Pope at Bull Run won as great a victory as
King William did at Sadowa, it would have
ended the war probably then, for the line of the
Cumberland with the central position of Nash
vile in our hands, cut OFF the west from the east
OF the Southern States as completely as the
whole line OF the river Main, with Frankfort as
its chief point, under the control of the Prus-
slams, paralyzed the Southern German States.
We pressed steadily onward, pushing the enemy
back further and further to the South; and SO
the Prusslans, coming from the North as we did,
have marched 10 the South, fighting tor every
inch of ground, and never losing what they
once won.
In one thing, however, there can be no COM
par1son The Prussians have not lost single
battle; we have lost many. The Prussians
ended the war in four weeks; we fought tor
four years. But we finished our work; they
did not. There is never to be q similar war in
this country; the present peace in Germany is
but truce-the questions out of which the war
arose are still unsolved, and other wars can only
decide them.