The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1870-08-05
SPIRIT OF TEE PRESS.
Editorial Opinions Of the Leading Journals
upon Current Topics-oomPiIed Every
Day for the Evening Telegraph.
THE WAR.

From the London Spectator.
Germany has rushed together with q olang.
That is the first, and for France the worst,
result of the declaration of war. The En-
peror Napoleon, with that strange incapacity
to comprehend popular feeling which he has
betrayed throughout his career, which made
him fancy that England would alter her laws
to protect his throne from plots, that the
North would give up her struggle with the
South, that Mexicans would rise for an Aus
trian archduke, that Tuscany would accept a
Bonaparte for a sovereign, that Italy would
give up Rome, that the ignorant gentlemen
of Austria would beat the "mere professors
of Berlin, had evidently imagined that the
CONQUERED States of Germany would well
come an invasion that might relieve
them of their chains. Exiles en-
FILTERED by undeserved misfortunes told
him SO; ENJOYS accustomed to live among the
limited class which, partly from tradition,
partly from cosmopolitan training, hates the
stern regime of the Hohenzollerns, repeated
the same tale; the Ul~tramontanes, savage at
the rise of q Protestant power, endorsed the
envoy's dispatches; and finally, the secret
agents, mixing only with men who are to
Germans what Fenians are to Englishmen,
struck the impression home. The war must
be directed against Prussia alone, and then
Hanover would rise; Saxony would rebel;
Schleswig-H olstein would demand its Prince;
Wurtemberg would declare war on Prussia;
Bavaria would accept Austrian advice; Ger
many would melt down like q waterspout
under the conclusion of the cannon. War
was declared, war intended to crush down the
German oppressor, and all Germany at the
oppressor's summons rushed together
az if the Hohenzollern already
wore the imperial crown. Particu-
larist and Ultramontane. noble and
burgher, the classes which love the past and
the traders who dread military CONSUMPTION,
al laid aside their grievances to defend the
united Fatherland. Bavaria declared war on
France. Wurtemberg declared war on France.
Saxony demanded energetic action" against
the French, and formally claimed her place
in the vanguard of the battle. Hanover pro-
claimed in great meetings her devotion to
the Federation. Bremen rose in instruction
against a merchant who criticized Prussian
Arrogance" Hamburg sent volunteers, and
doubled the money asked. The Universities
on the Rhine were deserted, all students
fastening to. the ranks. The Opposition, SO
Jealous of the purse, SO hostile to the new
military system, voted G25, 900, 600 to bring
that system to perfection. The widest ia
natics of liberty, with Karl Blind at their
head, called ON the Soldier King to de-
fend Germany with the sword. The very
emigrants flying from CONSUMPTION, and safely
arrived in New York, returned to bear in the
slavery" they hated their share in the COM
mon duty Of defending Germany from subju-
cation. From Posen to Italy, from Silesia to
Cologne, the German people rose in arms. AS
these words reach our readers, the mobiliza-
ton will be complete, and the great Teutonic
people, double the number of those who won
the terrible American war, stubborn as the
Yankees and as educated, organized like
Frenchmep, full of knowledge and burning
with zeal, with a million of trained soldiers
as their advance guard, are pouring down on
France, to settle once for all whether Teuton
or Latin is to be leader of the world. Let
our readers think but for five minutes of the
power which that race can exert, of its num-
bers and it's history, of its weapons and its
education, of It's Carnot, Won Moltke, and its
geographical position, and judge whether
Napoleon will in six weeks be at
Berlin. That the Emperor of the
French Yields a terrible weapon is true, for
he leads France; and France is as great as
Germany, and as homogeneous, as full of sol
diers, as ardent, as well prepared, and far
more likely to develop leaders of the true
warrior type. No race has ever
existed in Europe, not even the Roman,
which could pretend to meet the Gaul in
battle without a doubt of the result; nor is
there one, except the English, which has not
time and again been forced to sue to France
for peace. There may be, as some observers
think, disquiet among the peasantry; but
rreucnueu, ouce NJ War, KNOW only the glory
of France; and the army, which is France, is
as enthusiastic as if it were, as it half
believes itself to be, a Providence to itself.
But even France, with all her genius for war,
her courage, and her patriotism, even the
army which won Magenta, may be over.
taxed; and unless we misread all modern his.
tory, this march to Berlin will overtax her. II
is not an army, but an armed nation, which
is ia the road.
Besides, why do we assume that the marcl
must be towards Berlin, and the Germans
the defendants Why should it not bt
towards Paris, the French being the defen
dants? 1t is a curious proof of the ascen
dancy which French genius and daring ex
ercise over all minds hat the suppositior
should seem monstrous; but Prussia is a.
close to France as France to Prussia, she ha,
easier modes of ingress, not having to cross
the Rhine, and she is led by men whose frs
if not greatest characteristic is military
audacity, who crossed the Carpathians to seel
an army which all Europe expected would de
stroy them, and who have announced pub
licly a fixed belief that war, to be short
should be fought upon the hostile soil
That an invasion would raise to its height th,
ardor of France is true, that it would sum
mon all France into the field canuo
be doubted; but ardor, whatever its height
can but make men disregard death, whicl
Frenchmen do even when not excited, an,
the French army, under its present orgauiza
ton, is France in the field. That such
march should succeed may, nay does, appea
incredible but it may succeed as we'll as a hal
may produce, that is, a drawn battle, an,
at a cost of far less suffering to States whicI
il will be the policy of Prussia to exempt a
far as may be from the horrors of war. Wur
temberg will be most German while German
are marching on France. 1t is argued tina