Cleveland daily leader. [volume] ([Cleveland, Ohio]) 1865-1873, 1866-07-17
The European sstaatIOn.

The EuroPeaz s1tzaafOn- ~
The news brought BY the Nova Scots,
which left Londonderry on the 9Th inst
is by far the most important which we
have received since the commencement Of
hostilities. Its purpOrt SO far as can be
af Judged at the present writing, would indi-
cate that the war is already virtually at
an end, and will result in the utter defeat
OF Austria, and the complete success, in
attaining the objects for which the war
-bl- was commenced, Of Prussia in the north
and Italy in the south. At least such
would seem to be the case from the fact
that, after suffering a decisive defeat from
Prussia at LudowA, the empire of
Austria offers to cede Venetia
and to place herself under the mediation
of the French Emperor. Nothing is said
as to the disposition to be made Of the
RUSSIAN claims. But if Austria is willing
to cede Venetis, which she still holds, and
in the campaign for which she has been
eminently successful, she will hardly re-
ta fuse 70 make good terms with Prussia,
who has given her a sound thrashing, and
ssi who, in the very outset of the war, has
seized, without a single reverse, much
more than the entire territory about which
the dispute arose.
In order to get q full understanding of
the situation, it will be necessary 70 re-
81 = capitulats a little. The war against Aus
tria has been conducted in two separate
taai quarters. In the south the italian forces
have invaded VenetiA from the line of
the Mincio, received q disastrous defeat
~ within the Qusdrilsteral, and fallen back
10 their own position, where they have
been since engaged in repairing damages
and getting ready to try it Ggain. Such
is the situation on the Mincfo.
The Prussian campaign against Aus
vear5 tria, on the contrary, has been pushed
with most wonderful energy and celebrity,
H. and is thus far completely successful.
Before war was declared Prussia had oc-
cupied the duchy of Holstein, concerning
-a which the dispute at first arose. As soon
as hostilities actually arose, she seized
upon Hanover and captured the entire
Hanoverian army occupied Saxonyi
driving the Saxon King and his fsrces
across the boundary line; and in
vsded Austrian Bohemia, thus re-
lieving his owa territory from the
hardships Of war, and compelling the
Austrians to fight on their own soil. The
first collision occurred about the 22d of
vvI june, and since then there has been con-
slant fighting in Austrian Bohemia, re-
sulting, if not in uniform Prussian sue
cess, at least in 3 pretty uniform advance
ceA Of The Prussian forces, snd the occupation,
one after another, of the Austrian strong
holds of Trantensu, Jaromirz, Joseph
stadt, Gitschin, K~onigstsdt and others.
- OF this fighting we have had more less
news BY every European arrival for ten
days, but the geography Of this remote
and mountainous region is SO strange TO
English as well as TO American readers,
aud the maps concerning it are so vague
and general, thstit is impossible to grasp
is details or to make them ineligible to
the general reader. The result at least is
clear. The whole campaign has cnlmi-
mated in the battle of Ludowa, fought on
the third of July, in which at least a
quarter of q million men we're engaged,
and which resulted in 4 complete and ut
ter defeat of the Austrian army under
Field Marshal Benedek, with an Immense
number of killed and wounded, and 8 loss
of $4,000 taken prisoners Ludowa is
about fifty miles west of Prague and only
enc hundred andtwenty north Of Vienna.
Only forty leagues of fat and undefeuded
champaign country he between the victo-
rious Prussians and the Austrian capital.
BIZ gaining the passes Of Bohemia, and
winning he decisive victory of Ludows,
they have placed themselves in practical
possession of Austria.
is under these circumstances that
q a that power seeks the mediation of Napo-
leon and offers to cede Venetia TO him.
The step is a wise one, for the war could
not have proceeded another month without
an instruction ii Hungary, which would
have resulted in the re establishment Of
that vast country as an independent
nationality. By making peace now, Aus
ira may lose Holstein and Venetis, but
she preserves Hungary and with it her
position as a frst-class power.
The result of the campaign will prob
ably be to Italy the establishment Of
national unity by the possession of
Venetia; TO Prussia the acquisition of
Schleswig and Holstein, the absorption of
Hanover and Saxony, and the assumption
Ak Of 9 position second only to Francesmong
the continental powers What Napoleon
viii claim is as yet uncertain-Perhaps
the island Of Sardinia from Italy and the
Prussisn Cis-Rhenish provinces from
Prussia But we may trust the willy
d~iplomstist of the Tuileries to secure his
fun share in the partition of the spoils.