The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1870-07-30


and we were informed that SLarshal b.
ZaIno and at least one division Of his corps
would Get out at ,daybreak. Marshal Ba-
Zalne commands not only corps ddrn1eeD
but the LEFT wing OF the French army.
MY own belief q, that q grand move
ment across the frontier Will begin on
"wednesday or Thursday The centre and
nearly The whole Of the right wing, ex-
cept the Army Of Africa, which Is rapidly
coming up, and Of Which the Corps d'Eat
Is already at hand, are now In line between
Bitche and Sarreghemines. The len
wing, which Il immensely strong at Metz
and Thionville,, will mako for Saarlouis
and Birckenfeld, the right and center
heading for KaiserslartGrn; and thus the
movement viii be along the western
slopes Of the Vosges, although corps
will probably DO ordered 70 moVein q par.
allel direction along the east Of that range,
TO watch the deflles, anil 70 give warning
of flank attack by the PrsSians, 1tisnot
unlikely that the French army viii then
descend the Valley Of the Maize, and that
the King Of Prussia, II he Is willing to
fight at all on the left bank, will accept
battle somewhere about Kreutznach, q pO'
sition strong in itself, and adording &C.
cure retreat upon Mayencc, the bulwark
Of Germany, and the standing menace OF
France.
With regard TO the chances Of success
Of tho two combatants in tho first battle,
believe tho odds TO DO Immensely in
favor Of France. For the last twelve
days she has been massing tho whole Of
her army on the frontier, and within one
or two days marches Of Bitche and Sar.
rcguemines. have read Of q certain
number Of battalions being sent forward,
and OF others remaining behind; but Us
far rs I can Judge, the French are evacu-
ating every garrison en- mass. ! put
800, 900 down Us the lowest number tue
Emperor means 10 have under his hlnd,
and in complete communication at the
entrance Of the campaign; and believe
the concentration now TO be within 4S
hours Of completion. The number Of
guns will be large, but they will not be
adequately housed. The cavalry also
will not bear q high proportion-proba-
bly, under one.tenth Of the infantry. The
whole OF these troops are in lilagnif-
cent state of discipline, and the officers
are much more numerous than those OF
the Prussians The French Artillery was
superior to the Austrian ut SOlferino, and
tho Austrian was superior TO the Prussian
ut Konigratz. There is no doubt Of the
Chasscp0t being better weapon than the
PrussInn arm. I can hardly believe In
the Prussians having yet been able TO
effect such n concentration Of strength as
tic French have certainly done, and be-
lievc that, on the opening OF tho cam
paign, either with or without battle, the
PrIsians must retire behind the Rhine.
Tho weather Is most inviting for militia.
~ operations. Even lady could not
consider II hardship TO be forced 10
sleep under tent. The country seems
made for war, from the absence Of fences
to embarraSs movements. Water, iuel,
and standing or stacked corn for forage
nrc 10 be met with everywhere. There
arc many villages in which the troops
might, IL necessary, sleep at night. At
present the authorities avoid billeting the
men upon the inhabitants, and form their
CORPS outside the towns. Metz, with gen.
erals choking the hotels, and baggage AMI
mails covering tho squares, Is IN exception.
Now for u few words rs 10 the attitude
of the population. have by this time
gone through large section OF France
the war section. Il is true that, having
only Travelled by mil, the view have had
is but rs q TASTY cutting.up Of this por.
ton Of the country. Still I find opinions
too clearly and evidently marked tO'makC
inc personally doubtful orthestHte Of pub.
lie opinion.
First: by the officers the war is rcCeiv-
ell rs ut once their due, and rs the greatest
boon the Emperor could bcstow upon
them.
Second. The soldiers with the colors nc.
cept II with enthusiasm, in many cases
with pleasure.
Third: The reserves, who have been
out on unlimited leave, take il Us q terri.
bio duty, which il is their hard luck to
have to discharge, but their opinions rap.
idly merge with those Of their comrades.
Fourth: The upper classes, CONNER.
Cial, educated, &C., all talk of"LG France"
how the Prussians must be beaten; how
"LI France" should be and Is united; how
it is not patriotic to abuse the Govern.
mcnt. This being settled, they immedi.
atcly pull the Government 10 pieces. They
say: Mexico was the cause Of Sadowa,
we should have fought in 1866. In both
Bismarck Outwittcd our Government. The
prctext for war Is bad one; we should
not have fought until 1871. Still, the war
was inevitable. and la France must be
and il united"
Frrh: The pcasantry and the lower
classes Of AlsaCc support the war; their
attitude Is plAin anil unequivOCHl; their
homes may be burned; their crops and
cattle taken by acquisitions although it
must he said that they firmly believe this
will happen to their German nCighbOrs
over the border still they acclaim the
war. They lctr tho soldiers. Most Of
them talk German us well US French. To
be sure that is not sNying much. Many
of them do not talk French At ALL Still,
MS NJ. Theirs says: Tho wise policy Of
Colbert has made Ofthcm the best French
men in France, and the larger the mum.
Der Of the men who speak their own
tongue that fall in the first battle, the bet
Ter they will he pleased" q. VS..
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