The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1868-09-10

Prussia keep the South "friendly" and Austria
statesmen expect. To gain even that much they are
making concessions to hussia as painful to them as
s ~ se fh 9ea a among their
decided pressure. Those concessions may sc.
cure the end, especially II Italy does nc not
marck expects no more. that he regards the war II
comes, as in all essential respects duel between
Germany North OF the Main ana France
Well, Germany North OF the Main, when reckoned
up as generals reckon States the stronger
figures pcns Gesan miles, asns
=, 500 her population by seven millions, or nearly
sSs 81 hs sn IN
1864 had only 29A II Is true that in very great
area Is not OF much importance and that Berlin is
TWO hundred and sixty miles from the French from
tier while Paris Is only hundred and thirty miles
from that of Prussia 1t is also true that population
In Prussia augments at the rate of "a per cent per
annum, doubling In little more than forty years,
while that OF France is stationary, but we are
speaking not Of the future but the present. And
finally, IL ID true that except IN war like
that between the North and South Of the
Union, the ~ ultimate resources In men ,,.a are
may therefore never count; but on the other hand,
the Hohenzolerns have not above three hundred
the strict military sense OF those words while France
has six hundred thousand. 1t was the Kings know
edge OF this disparity which impaired such terrible
Importance to hours in the Luxembourg discussion.
To call out the Prussan national strength takes days
and Frederick William dared not risk being taken
even for time by surprise. He was compelled, there
fore, at the risk OF seeming to challenge France to
fix an hour at which negotiation must either be sue
cessiul or mobilization must commence. When
mobilzed the two Powers toleraby equal, for
there are difficulties to commissariat, con-
veyance and power Of ''handling" which limit the
size Of armies but it may be doubted If the Hohen-
aoerns n,G without utterly disorganzlng soci-
e5y,d could summon the nine hundred thou
pating conscriptions. has the legal power to
expend That matters very little If the war Is to end
In Sadowa, but 1t matters very much II the first
battle is sanguinary but undecided repetition Of
Magenta. At sea the comparison is even more un:
merchant service comprising, when the Free Towns
added, 1,l50,000 tons, against zoos, 900 tons
her trade her SHIPS are bigger and therefore better
fitted for transport; but she has only $40 guns at
altogether and only three ron-clad frlgates, and it
would take months to obtain any large new supply.
Doubtless II the war lasted she could obtain more,
for North Germany, though her administration is ex
pensive, the outlay on 1t being about two millions
larger than Great Britain and Ireland-she spends
e3S 000 against the $4,000 600 we usually spend
is only half as much taxed as France, 27s. o head
against 81 5s and has only onesixth of her debt or
900 against $780, 000O but this advantage,
though an enormous one in the long run, will not
tell at once. France might be exhausted before
Prussia, but France, as M. Magne has shown,
can for the present obtain any money she wants. and
at which national exhaustion begins to be felt least
of all wars for reputation and territory. Each
nation strikes hard and straight, the masses en-
poyed are too vast for delay, and armies are too
nearly conterminOus with nations to admit OF many,
or indeed OF protracted, campaigns. >.
We do not wish to Oyerburden our columns with
statistics or we might add that Prussia has no reser
volr OF energy like Paris 80 dangerous in peace, so
valuable in war; that France contains forty live
cities with more than sc, 900 people and North Ger
many only thirty; that old Prussia has but A. 900
acres under crop and France 49, 900; but have
stated enough to show that in available resources,
in the power to fight on a great scale for q long
time, the HohenzolIerns are not yet the equals OF
disparity individual genius, organization or the ma
t!onal character; but on these points observa-
ton can tell us little beyond few general facts We
English, moved, it may be, by On instructive SYM
pathy with all Of Teutonic blood, apt especially
and no doubt they are physically stronger than the
French But they labor under great liability TO dis
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
the whole, but 1t must not be forgotten that the
very best qualities Of the French character-its
courage inyentiveness and elasticty-come out
most strongly in war; that in q campaign its main
defect, vanity, ceases to be injurious, while its
Of energy Frenchman in spirits is very difficult
soldier to beat and in this war he would begin with
the conviction, inspired If not Justified by history,
that he was the better soldier OF the two
led but the f En Sd1s Nat that
guess. Prussia possesses in Count Won Motke q
very great strategis strong alike in his genius and
but the seven weeks war did not develop generals
of exceptional ability, and the Prussian Court has o
tendency to put its trust In princes. Napoleon Is
embarrassed in that way also, being unwilling to
entrust armies TO who hate his dynasty; but be-
tween princes and political marshals there Is not
much TO choose and the French chiean stoop for
general among the masses OF the people, while the
Prssan Is limit, In his choice 10 the caste Of the well
born. Either may turn up" 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 unfavorabe to
France Is her autocratic regtne which in eighteen
years may have exhausted her stock Of ge-
MUS, but 1t must not be forgotten that this
regime has been less autocratc in the army
than in any. great department OF French life. The
empire has few ministers OF genius-cynics say but
one-but the army must have many an original gen.
eral 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 zoe
venture to say Bth confidence that North Germany
has reason, serious reason, to think deeply BEFORE
she abaadons the hope Of peace Nth France.