Daily Ohio statesman. [volume] (Columbus, Ohio) 1855-1870, 1868-01-20
FRANCE.
;, tCorrespondence of the Ohio Statesman !

i FRANCE.
| - Correspondence of the Ohio Ststesman.l
Il The bill for the reorganization OF the
French army has been accepted by the leg
islature, but it will take some time before
lit can become law, on account of the
many amendments which have to be added
The fact is that the public opinion is not
at all in favor of the new law; it is suffi-
ciently well known in France that the new
system will practically put the life of every
able bodied man to the unconditional dis
posal and control Of the Government, for
the better part of his earthly existence
without Offering to the country an adequate
guarantee for peace. 1t is justly argued
requisite for the protection of great ma
tion, and that If the Government is really
desirous of peace, as it processes to be-
these extraordinary preparations for des-
perate war are superf1uous and draw
back to the commercial development of the
country. Napoleon in his defense of the
system inaugurated by him puts forth the
PNoSN
with the other European powers in the inn
provements of the army, and even goes Sc
far as to assert that the military duties
were of shorter duration in France than
anywhere on the continent. He quotes
Russia and Austria for examples where the
military system is indeed a very oppressive
one, but the fact of Russia claiming the
services of every one of her subjects for a
number of years, does not allow compari-
son with the French system, for it is well
known fact that after one years voluntary,
or three years. active service, the Prussian
soldier enters at once into the reserve,
where he may not be called to arms again
in his life except in case of war. The op-
position party has, previous to the passing
of the bill, proposed law, by virtue of
which the whole nation is liable to do mil
itary duty according to the pattern of the
Swiss republic. 1t was not expected that
the reso luton would stand any chance of
becoming a law, but was intended as
demonstration, hostile to the bill which has
since become law. 1t is evident that an
army, composed of citizens, is the real sup
port of the country against a foreign foe,
whereas, an army of almost. million of
men, which can at the option of the Gov
ernment be raised to 100000 men, IL
placed to the unconditional disposal of that
Goyernment-isa dangerous weapon, and
can be used at any time for the entire sup
preston of the political and So
cial liberty of the nation. Napoleonic
absolutism would not, of course, allow the
of an army on Republican
principles and it was therefore an easy
matter for the Secretary of War:to convince
the chamber, which is almost entirely COM
posed Of creatures of the Imperial Govern
ment. That such an army would not suit
for France, but that peace was secured to
the country in proportion to the size of its
army. The whole history of the present
Government gives indeed the lie to all such
statements, and while the French people
will have abandoned all hopes for interior
liberty, the other nationsof Europe will do
well to prepare themselves for further
struggles as long as Napoleon holds the
reigns of the Government in Paris. e..r.fe
The new Standard Theatre, in London, is
not such man trap as most other theatres,
judging from the London telegraph, which
says: "The audience OF the new theatre in
Shoreditch can sit through an entertain
ment which, by its great attraction, may
have filled the house, and will have no cause
to dread any calamity. Not only are all
the staircases of stone, but outlets are afford
ed, in case Of emergency, from, euery tier to
the aoide flights, which are carried the whole
height of the building, the staircase which
leads to the gallery, and two other stair
cases, one on either side of the proscenium.
A PARTY of spirtualists, who have re-
Gently been making demonstrations in
Newark, N. j., are all declared to be par
TALLY insane by the doctors. The chief of
them, man named McEwen, declared him
self to be Jesus Christ, and demands to be
crucifed, while Mrs. Reeves, the oldest wo-
man of the party, believes herself to be
either Eve or the Virgin Mary. They were
in the habit of haranguing multitudes on
the doctrine of spirtualism from their
door steps while in an almost nude state.
They are at present in confinement.
ANEW YORK paper thinks sit is surpris-'
ing that speaker SO polished and so schol-
arly as Mr.. Gladstone shuold use the word
.leniency' when there is in the language the
better and more correct word .lenity.'"
Perhaps Mr.. Gladstone thinks there is more
euphony In s'leniency." The choice of a
word frequently depends on the construc-
tion of q sentence.
THE Flint Mich Globe says ga mortage
for 81, 800, 900 executed by the board of di-
rectors of the Port Huron and Lake Mich
igan r. R. Company, was recorded in the
Genessee County Registers office last week
The revenue stamps on the mortage cost
$500. The mortage was made to Eastern
capitalists, to purchase iron and, rolling
stock for the road. - 81 81 - ~ ~
Mr.. WMBERLY, of -Conecub co., Alaba-
ma. recently discovered that $3.50 in gold
had been stolen from barrel OF sugar
where he had put it for safe keeping.
$l4OO of the gold have been recovered.
Twenty y-eight negroes have been arrested