, 1866-09-04
From the London Weekly DispatcA.J
A LESSON IN NEEDLEWORK.

With regard 10 the German War, in the
spirit of Sancho Panza, we may remark
that it is an i'll wind that blows nobody
good, and that when rogues fall out hon
est men come by their own. But whilst
the Austrian and Prussian despoilers of
Denmark have been employed in shooting
each other, something has been gained
by nations who respect their neighbours
property. Abhorring war, they may vet
be necessllated 10 repel aggression. They
have derived, from the mutual slaughter
of Austrians and Prussians, a most valua-
bic lesson in the truly noble art of nation
al self-defence.
1t has been said, with much apparent
truth, that Heaven is generally on the
side OF the big battalions. This may be
a fact, without necessarily r~efuting the
idea that Heaven defends the right.
What if, in the cases Of most battles;
there is no right on either side for Heav-
On to defend? In the case Of Austria and
Prussia, on neither side is there any right
whatever, but, on the contrary, gross and
Infamous wrong, and about as much on
one as on the other. Under these circum-
stances, quite ia consistency with Heav-
EMS defence of the right, the big batta-
lions may turn the scale. In mere big
ness of battaIions Prussia and Austria
have been pretty nearly equal, but Prus-
STA has enjoyed an advantage equal to
numerical superiority in the proportion
of nearly five TO one, namely, a rifle
which delivered about five shots for each
Of Austria's. The needle-gun of the
Prussian army has constituted the equi-
valent of those big battalions on the side
o fwhich an impartial Heaven may be errq-
neously supposed to declare, when it only
does not declare on the weaker, but
equally villanous, part.
Heaven helps those who help them
selves-nay, in the present instance,
seemed 10 have helped those who helped
themselves TO the territory Of others. In
that respect, however, their adversaries
had been their accomplices; but the arm
with which they beat those adversaries
bad before enabled them 10 rob Denmark.
Their partners in crime had failed TO take
heed TO the instrument wherewith the
deed was done. Such an Instrument
they were to use themselves, had they
the sharpness to provide it, against their
former associates; but they had not, and
therefore they have been beaten. What
would have befallen us if we, with as lit
tie provision of seIf,heIp as the Austrians
had made, had been in their place ? AS
suredIy W. should have shared them fate.
Our soldiers would have been shot down,
our regiments annihilated, like their own.
And yet only the other day war would
have found our troops armed with nuz-
zle-loaders pointing. whilst being capped,
10 the Stars, and shooting the moon.
Now, to be sure, a beginning has been
made of some attempt to convert Enfield
rifles (; but, as preachers are accustomed
to ask their hearers, how many of them
are really converted2 And if we were
now on Il sudden to be involved in war,
then, as the same reverend gentlemen
usually proceed to inquire, where should
we be likely to go to, and what would
become of us?
1t is really vexatious to see how To-
reign nations keep going a head of us in
Warlike inventions, whilst VIC continue
following them always b~ehindhand. Were
not our iron-cIads taken from the French