The New York herald., 1870-08-27
bismarek swamps Nnpo'eOu-The French
Empire Gone, but What Thent

| Inv o'Vi "hohniuS ucsVcut Va tuo oiWAoo VI
united Germany upon the soil of France,
after the little frontier affair of Saarbruck
(Fort Sumter) in which Napoleon commenced
this war, has proved two things Of the highest
importance-Fi that Napoleon plunged into
this war, as M. Theirs has asserted over and
over again in The Corps Legslatif unprepared
for 1t. His words are, 'France was not
ready" Secondly, events have proved that
Prussia, with all Germany at her back armed
and waiting the signal to march, was ready.
But how was 1t that France was not ready for
the war, when the declaration was received
with suoh enthusiasm in Paris and with such a
resonnding chorus from the populace of "On
to Berlinr" And how was 1t that Prussia was
ready at all points, armed and equipped, when
the challenge of war from Napoleon appeared
no less surprise to Berlin than to London or
Copenhagen
There is no difficulty In the explanation
required. Bismarck understood Napoleon
much better than Napoleon understood Bis
marck, and this is why Prussia was ready for
this war. and why France was not r>-'y when
called upon to face about and march for Ber-
lin. After the great triumph Of Sadowa,
which expanded Prussia into the North Ger
man Confederation, the next thing was a
demand upon Prussia from Napoleon for some
compensations to France in the extension of
her Rhine frontier Napoleon, with Bismarck,
had contrived this beautiful game for Prussia
OF Sadowa, and France was entitled to some
compensation. Bismarck, however, emphati-
cally said, No; we can consent to no surrender
of any of the soil of the German States on tho
Rhine. Napoleon, like shrewd gamester
who had discovered that he was overreached,
was astounded and indignant, and from that
hour he resolved upon righting his wrongs;
but Bismarck from that hour knew that war
between France and Prussia was coming, aud
from that hour he began to prepare for it,
Next came the quarrel raised by Napoleon
over the fortress of Luxembourg. He would
have made that affair cause OF war had not
England interposed and opened the way to
the compromise Of the demolition of that
fortress for Napoleon was apparently fully
satisfied that without any extra preparations
the French veterans of the Crimea, of Alge-
ria, of Italy and of Mexico were competent to
carve their way to Berlin as on a holiday ex-
cursion At last, upon the miserable pretext
resulting from the nomination by General
Prim of Prince Leopold, of the Hohenzollern
family, for the throne of Spain, Napoleon
gains his point Of casus 6oli, and to the
cheers Of the senseless mob of Paris sets out
to join his army and to humble Bismarck and
Prussia at Berlin. But ''France was not
ready" though in his ignorance Of the real
condition of things the poor Emperor believed
she was ready, as he was ready, to revive
again for the empire the "GIoire" and
"Vlctoire" which finally carried his uncle to
st. Helena.
Prussia, on the other hand, was ready; and
the South German States, understanding that a
French appropriation Of German soil was the
real Napolconic idea of this war, were
quite as ready as Prussia to meet in
the common cause the common enemy.
Napoleon, we now see, made o fatal
mistake in plungng into this war. We see
that his prestige, his popularity, his empire
and his dynasty are doomed; that he has been
finally vanquished by Bismarck; that In this
war he has done for Prussia what Bismarck
with all his skill had failed to do-in accom-
plishing the union Of the South German States
with the North German Confederation.
So far, then, in his diplomacy with Napo-
leon Bismarck remains master of the situa-
ton and bids fair to take the place of Napo-
leon as arbiter of the Continent. But what
will take the place of the French empire?
Another French republic? A temporary peace
may, perhaps, be patched ply Prussia in the
restoration of the Orleanist family but this
will not hold. A French republic, in short
time, will be proclaimed in Paris and
with the re-establishment OF the republic
in France will not Spain, Italy, Austria and
Germany be next brought under the convul-
sion of general rising of the republican
elements of the Continent ? From this con-
vulson shall we have German empire as its
legitimate fruit, with King William as Empe-
ror, or German republican confederation
with President elected by the people2 We
cannot tell. We have reason, however, TO
believe that at the very point where Bismarck
will be apt to think his work accomplished the
work Of revolution even in Germany will
begin, and that it will not end short
of republican confederation. The armed
German people now advancing on Paris may
return to demand this, and il they demand it
who is there to resist them?
The REPUBLICAN STATE CONvENrION-FEN-
| roN AMMAN The Indications from the Western
| part of the State are that the Fent0n wing will