The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1868-09-12
II, 1868.

PRUSSIA AND FRANcE.-The London Spec.
tator (not very kind to France) compares
the resources of France and Prussia in view
Of their possible hostile relations. tsays
"Prussia has no reservoir Of energy like
Paris, 30 dangerous in peace, SO valuable in
war; that France contains forty-fve cities.
with more, than 10000 people, and North
Germany only thirty; that old Prussia has
but Al, $4,000 acres under crop, and France
82,66l 1000; but we have stated enough to show
that in available resources, in the power to
tight on great scale for long time, the
hohenzollerns are not yet the equals Of the
Bonapartes. Many things may remedy
this disparity-individual genius, organi-
zation, or the national character-but on
these points observation can tell US little
beyond few general facts. We English,
moved, it may be, by an instructive sympa-
thy with oil of Teutonic blood, are apt,
especially since Sadowa, to think the Ger
mans the higher race, and no doubt they are
physically stronger than the French. But
they labor under great liability to disease,
citizen life not qualifying them for the open
field. Arms of precision are as fatal to
physical power as gunpowder was to armor,
and Frenchmen can march when driven
rather the quicker. In mental power the
Prussians may be superior on the whole,
but it must not be forgotten that the very
best qualities Of the French character-its
courage, inventiyeness, and elasticity
come out most strongly in war that in
campaign its main defect, vanity, ceases to
be injurious, while its greatest foible, febrile
impatience, has all the effect Of energy. A
Frenchman II spirits is a very difficult SOL
dier to beat, and in this war he would begin
with the conviction, inspired if not justi-
fed by history, that he was the better SOL
dier of the two. He may not, of course,
be equally well led, but the impression Of
Englishmen that he would not be is little
more than q guess. Prussia possesses in
Count Won Moltke very great strategist,
strong alike in his genius and in the full
conviction that it is the first in the world,
but the seven weeks war did not develope
generals of exceptional ability, and the
Prussian Court has tendency to put its
trust in princes. Napoleon is embarrassed
in that way also, being unwilling to entrust
armies to men who hate his dynasty but be-
tween princes and political marshals there
is not much to choose, and the French chief
tain can stoop for q General among the
masses of the people, while the Prussian is
limited in his choice to the caste of the we'll
born. Either may "turn up" q man worth
armies, but the process Of turning him up
will be quicker in democratic France than
aristocratic Prussia. The single point which
in this respect is unfavorable to France is
her autocratic regime, which in eighteen
years may have exhausted her stock of
genius but it must not be forgotten that
this regime has been less autocratic in the
army than in any great department Of
French life. The empire has few ministers
of genius-cynies cay but one-but the
army must have many an original General
in its ranks. We are far from the folly of
attempting to predict, should the great fight
come off, to which side victory will incline,
but we can venture to say with confidence
that North Germany has reason, serious
reason, to think deeply before she aban-
dons the hope of peace with France.