The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1870-09-30
THE DIFFICULTIES OF THE NEW
REPUBLIC.

From the N. p. Sun.
France will soon present the spectacle of
country beleaguered in all directions by
foreign armies, and Lyons will probably be
added very soon to Paris, Metz, and the other
cities besieged bv the Prussians.
The great inequality in the condition of
France and Germany consists in this: that
while reverses could not considerably affect
the integrity of the latter country, even O
series of victories could hardly restore the
prestige of France. The German soil has
not been invaded, and, the adult population
being all trained soldiers, there cannot be
any difficulty in reinforcing the army. But
France has been overrun by the enemy;
some of her most important provinces are in
his possession; the masses of the people,
whatever may be their patriotic enthusiasm,
are novices in military discipline and science;
and, as we have experienced in this
country, it is much easier for an absolute
ruler than for the complicated and many
headed machinery of free institutions to con-
troll events in time Of war. The Southerners,
without a navy, and with a comparatively
small army, but yielding obedience to the
one-man power of Jefferson Davis, were thus
enabled to hold at bay during four long years
the immense armies and fleets of the United
States Government. How much greater,
then, is the advantage of the Prussian mon
archists over the French republicans, since,
in addition to the greater unity of action that
belongs to autocratic governments, they are
numerically and strategically superior to the
shattered French forces
No doubt, as in the days of the first Re-
public and its conflicts with the thrones of
Europe, Trochu or some other great mill
tary leader may come to the rescue of the i'm
perilled nation, and convert the present hu-
initiation into transcendent glory. But if it
be true that history tends to repeat itself,
there must be, to begin with, some analogy
with the events which paved the way for the
triumph of the great Napoleon, and this
analogy does not exist On the contrary,
instead of being overrun by foreign nations,
the first Republic was the invader, and no
monarchical soldier defled the soil of Repub-
lican France while Napoleon was carrying war
into the heart of monarchies. 1t was only
when the uncle, as in our times the nephew
proved faithless to the Republic and donned
the imperial livery, that fortune began to
desert him, and the invaders came to dictate
terms of peace in Paris.
But while the first Napoleonic Empire de-
rived its glory and splendor from the vioto-
ries achieved during the previous republican
era, the republic of 1870 inherits ali the
| calamities and has to contest against the
invading enemies brought upon her by the
infamies of the Second Empire. The republi-
cans of 1870 cannot, like those in the begin
ming of this century, strengthen their cause by
spreading terror in the ranks of kings, and
by sending out their legions to belenguer the
capitals of monarchs. Alas! they begin the
work of freedom while engaged in hope
less conflict with the mightiest King of the
age. Instead of having armies to spare to
besiege Cologne and Berlin, they can hardly
gather sufficient force to save Paris and
Lyons. The republic begins, therefore, with
misfortunes and difficulties which will only
cover it with the greater glory if it should
prove able to sustain itself, and save the
country that has been demoralized and ruined
| by the one man power.