The New York herald., 1870-08-01

The War-Fighting in Southern Germany.
The announcement that the French and Prus-
slams are fighting in Baden indicates some
decided progress in the development of the
campaign. Baden is across the Rhine, on the
other side Of that angle of French territory to
one side of which hitherto the reports of active
operations have been confined. That part Of
France is bounded on the north by Rhenish
Bavaria and Prussia, and on the east by
Baden, and thus penetrates the hostile terri
Rhenish Prussia are Saarlouls, Saarbruck
and the other points Of which we have lately
heard, and it is here that large Prussian
force of four hundred thousand men is
reported as in position. Some collisions have
occurred here also, on the left of the Prus-
sian force, seeming to indicate a disposition
OF the French to accept battle there. But
suddenly we hear of French operations at
another point, and this renders it probable
that the French having, by threatening on that
line of invasion, induced the Prussians
to concentrate there their Immediately
available forces, have slipped away from
them, and, reinforcing Marshal Mcmahon
at Strasburg, have crossed the Rhine
near that city, or lower down, at Selz BY this
means the French frontier would be safe
approximation a corps would be left at
Thonvile and Metz, and these points the
Prussians could not pass-whie the French
would still have, probably, three hundred
thousand men with which to operate in South
ern Germany Already the army Of Baden
was at Rastadt, and the Crown Prince Of
Prussia had assumed command Of this force
and was endeavoring to concentrate there the
whole South German contingent. An acvan-
tage Of the French advance into Baden would
be that it might strike this force 1t would
thus first hit Prussia in her weakest point
The Prussian Crown Prince seems TO inherit
the blunderheaded and arrogant temper OF his
father, and though, no doubt, he is fortified
with staff Of competent soldiers, yet, in 1866,
he managed to so far msconceive the strategy
Of the Sadowa campaign that if the Austrians
had been well commanded on the eventful
day of the main battle the Prussians would
have been beaten in detail. He, therefore, is
German force Moreover, the South German
force is itself weak point. II is not yet full
of the Prussian spirit; and while
it adds numbers to the Prussian
roll and would, if supporting the good troops,
add a real weight to the scale, it will be found
quite otherwise when il fights alone and the
first brunt of battle falls upon it. Mcmahon
crossing the Rhine at Strasburg with two hun
dred thousand good troops, and striking the
Prince at Rastadt or at Bruchsal or on any
battlefield between that and Mannheim, would
crush him before the troops in Rhenish Prussia
could reach the Rhine and come to his assist
ance, or probably even before succor could
reach him from any force that may be at May
ence or Coblentz, which, perhaps, is mostly
force Of raw troops Supposing such a sue
cess, France would have done already some
thing to cripple her foe, would have the pres
tige of victory and could feed her army on
Southern Germany. We therefore incline to
credit the despatch that tells of this fighting.
From England, by special telegram, we are
told OF sharp afray between some men
belonging to Marshal Blzaine's army and the
Prussians. The French, it is said, were
repulsed, having lost some few soldiers and one
cannon. The detachment appears to have been
engaged in ''feeling" the Prussian line, and
found the enemy nearer and more active than its
commander expected. Paris kilograms state
that there are five Prussian army corps on
the line of the Rhine, and that the Prussians
have mined the banks of the river. This news
may be on the whole merely repetition of the
first dispatches relative to the affray at Saar
bruck. The popular agitation continues in
England, Italy, Austria and Rome. Premier
Gladstone defined England's neutrality at a
civic banquet in Guldhall. London. Queen
Victoria and her Cabinet are, he says,
anxious for peace, anxious for Belgium,
deplore the war, but must stand prepared to
meet any of its eventualities. The British
Premier's statement is not reassuring either
as to an early termination OF the great s.rug-
gle or its exact range and limit before the
close