New Orleans daily crescent. [volume] ([New Orleans, La.]) 1851-1866, 1866-07-17
THE WAR NEWS.

Just as We supposed would turn out to be
the case, the conflicts between the oontending
armies in Germany were really favorable to
the Prussians from the beginning, From the
brief reports of the telegraph it IS not easy to
follow the strategic movements Of the cam
paign but it is plain enough that from the
first vigorous commencement Of hostiilties
down to the great battle which seems to have
aiven a definite character to the war, all the
advantage was with Prussia The opening
conbats appear to hare taken place on the
frontiers of Saxony, and to have resulted from
a development of the Rrussian purpose to carry
the wa1 at once into the Austrian dsminions
by an invasion OF Bohemia al two opposite
endsssf line formed blythe Giant mountains.
For this purpose thetwo main Prussian armies;
pushed forward upon converging lines, with
the Object of concentrating their forces
to the south of the mountains and there
fighting 9 general engagement. The several
actions referred to by the telegraph were
fought m pursuance of this purpose, and they
appear to have been successful for NE Prus-
slams, inasmueh as the desired junction of the
two armies was effected Yesterday we re-
ceived intelligence that the great battle had
been fought, and that tile Austrians had been
badly defeated. In these days Of improved
weapons; heavy ornaments, rapid commune
cations, and immense expenses, such q defeat
is very apt To be decisive The days Of Gus
tayus and Wallenstein, Of Orange and Parma,
Of Marlborough and Vendome, of Turenne and
MontecucuH, Of Frederic and Daun, are passed
away It Is the era Of quick marches, and
tremendous battles Of arnnistices and confer
ences, Of diplomacy and peace. War is too
violent an antithesis Of the industrial ana
commercial characteristics Of the age to
become chronic. II may be violent, but it
must be short. The four years war through
which We have just passed will probably never
egain be paralleled among civilized nations.
Yet there was material enough in that war for
half dozen of such previous national con
tiicts. as have made great figure in history.
These features of our modern system are so
strongly marked, that nobody who predicted
a speedy peace in Europe, viii have a right to
claim credit for peculiar preseienee even
should the husbandman gather his autu1nn
crops on the battlefelds of the war Even
nov we are told that an armistice is proposed,
and nobody is surprised that preparations for
peace have been already set on foot. The dis
patches inform us that Austria has siguified
her willingness to eede Yenetia to Italy, and
that Louis Napoleon has been accepted as me-
diator. The latest London dispatches, how
ever iTrtimates that the proposal to stop the
war has not been favorably received by Prus-
sia. This is not all improbable. Standing
in the position of victor almost of
conqueror, Prussia viii not readily
resign the advantages which she has
won to the uncertain decision off
a mediator ora congress- Before she consents
to such a proposal. she will probably demand
that the Gernnanic States be left to settle the
question Of internal organization for them
selves. Prussia now ams at the hegemony
of Germany, and wishes to exclude Austria
from the confederation. There are symptoms
that even the supposed pro-Austrian States
such as Hanover and saxony, favor the preten-
sions of Prussia, and wish to adopt the Prus-
sian scheme Of reform. Unless she carry this
point, Prussia viii have gained nothing by her
victories, and hence it is not surprising that
she should hesitate to open negotiations on
the basis which has been proposed All that
is certain so far is that italy will gain Yenetia,
and that the Prussian seceders are not neces-
salily frebels and traitors That point they
have settled Vi q arnis