The New York herald., 1867-04-30
THE FRENCH ARMY.

General Changarnier the Reorganization
Plan-His Opiuion Of Sadowa-A Well
Formed Well Limbed Infantry Against MIL
itary Railroads and Rincd Cannon. dEc.
(Pans "A pr 16) correspondence of London Express
The new number OF the Revue dcs Dewr Aondcs con.
tains "a word the reorganization Of the army by
writer whose unaccustomed signature cannot fail to
insure tho article MANY readers General Changarner,
who has stood absolutely aloof from politics since his
arrest December 1851, thinks the present alarm
ing state Of Europe calls upon him. old general
q martinez "and difficult TO satisfy but In whom
the army recognizes devoted servant Of France,
and passiou1ke votary OF their glory" 70 break
silence and give his opinion Although he dis
claims any Intention Of systematic opposition, the
measure proposed by the imperial government
would b ~ once costly oppressive and inecacous His
nv thai old established taxes easily collected should be
maintained long possible In preference TO any
tax however ingeniousiy devised The same rule holds
good in regard TO the blood tax. He admits. however,
that after the battle OF SadowA which he characterses
tone Of te evectea disasers in the history ef France
was ! pressxs for a change in The organization Of
the army. II is tho nature Of the measure adopted
which he criticises. While thinking it quite right
tary science, new breech-loading rifles should be
manufactured he makes light Of ths PyHsdn nseds 0ssn
the defeat or Austria The French soldier shoald how
ever, have confidence In his arms, and mot be allowed
70 suppose even wrongly that they are inferior % the
best that be made II that impression prevailed In
the larmy, even those generals who possess In the
highest degree the art Of nfusng their soul into the
souls Of their men" might be followed with distrust
Hs opinion q the Prussan campaign Of 1888 Is that
ths young army, backed BY reserve, suddenly taken
from ssdentaEy occupations abundanty proved that
at for the fatigue OF long In the course OF
very few days left the road sDehind studded with
loissSss and is hospitals were crowded with sick. II
national ground inch BY inch, would, despite its in
conestabs bravery have been snnhilated long bssore
the accomplishment Of rs task Hs takes leavs. e
that ks large infusion q lie srisoc.c element among
tho officers of the Prussssn army contributed 70 NJ dc
had such captain Archduke Charles .sour lustrous
adversary from 17o4 TO 1907 the Pussiau audAciy now
~ sne M en' \. asvs tsSn sr
a9Reraton the assertion that Prussia had many
700 900 men in line in 1884, and he equally dsbslieves
that she could now after all her aggandizements pro.
duce effective army OF / 400. 600.
After rejecting altogether a. unworthy Of imitation the
system Of the Prussan andwehr the General proceeds
70 crtcise the scheme now proposed in France Hs
for comparatively small but thoroughly disciplined
army = asains. the calling ou. Of ali che vsd youth O.
ton He has no faith In The virtue OF sfsw weeks
drill" Young men may no doubt in that time be taush!
tolerably well 70 handle their armshe least part Of
the education Of sclder"-but such drill, though suf
ncent TO make fair appearance on parade, viii leave
their ocsrs uSsasy IL The prsssncs Of An enemy apt
dscus the chances Of victory or defeat exceedingly prone
extremely liable to panic In bis opinion Il is waste
Of ofhce, who above all much wanted 70 put them
q the head Of forcs Of this description Through
several pages he continues 70 at bourgeois
solder and 70 argue that the glorious traditions Of
france require army powerful rather by It's organ
ization and discipline than by its numbers Without in
terms taking with that astounding assertion
Of the Emperor In his speech at the opening OF this
legislative session. that sthe influence Of country de-
pends upon the number OF II put under arms
he supports throughout q widely different doctrine
He scould not have generals rely upon Me modern heoy
too lightly Tpposed % Aavs bes sstabisAed in Amevicd
and Pvssssia that q al IN all % get posesnow Of
rairay line. RiHed and sAarpshooting 0sns
are ,cifh him bet secondary inga He 10 old fashioned
enough to believe yet IN tho 'legs' Of thoroughly
formed Infaniry-n the old Roman maxim-fn psdIe
robur. He was dumbfoundered when N. Rouher spoke
contemptuousy few years ago, OF 600 men - the
utmost force that France could send against an enemy
under the present organization He thinks 400 900
really good soldiers most respectable figure Numbers
should not be too much relied upon. No doubt II 5000
pitt cd against 000 the odds very great In
favor Of tho larger force. But when you come 70
10000 against 100, 900, the chances change con-
sderably and the higher the numbers Co. the less
portant II Ii that army should be equally matched he
thinks II ruinous and absurd for France 70 attempt 70
put foot army equal In point Of numbers 70 the
The larger an army the moro dicult II Ia 70 handle,
and there q p0iu reached at Ukieh u CANNOT be
handled 10 any good pwvpoN at all
General Changarner thinks the present organization
Of the army with certain technical reforms which he
Indicated quite sucient for the defence OF the country
He would not have the reserve drilled nj all until actu-
ally called out emergency In pursuance OF vote
OF the Corps LAgslatf Ae drill In his opnon costs
much 10 . great waste OF power from the number Of
officers employs in thankless task, dsturbs citizens
useessy from their ordinary occupations, and tendso
make them soldiers than they otherwise would be
II they should be called upon for actual service