The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1870-08-24
Tho War ~ Affecting Franco and Nape-
leOn.


Notwithstanding the serious reverses suffered
by the armies Of Napoleon, and the rapid adj
vance and many successes of the Prussians, II
would be quite premature to predict the defeat
Of the French as the final result of the san
culinary struggle now progressing. Indeed,
this appears less probable at present than
Immediately after the battles Of Wissembourg
and Forbach, Froschweiler and Woerth.
The French are brave people and good
soldiers. Whatever differences may have ex-
listed among them respecting the operations
and merits of the imperial government, there
can be no doubt that they are now unanimous
and determined In defence of the national
honor. The army actively engaged is still
powerful and stubbornly contesting every
position in manner which is being felt in q
terrible defamation In the ranks of the invader.
The reserve, preparing to defend Paris, is
mastering in numbers and with an enthu-
siasm which demand the consideration of the
enemy, getting, as he is, far into hostile
country and away from his depots of NUM-
tions and other necessary supplies likely TO
fall short at any time.
Fighting France is becoming fully aroused.
Time is bringing recovery from the conster-
nation which followed the disasters consequent
upon bad generalship at the. outset time is
restoring confidence and enabling reorganiza-
ton commensurate with the necessity of the
situation, and time will add efficiency to the
armies of France, while it endangers the
chances of the hosts of King William, whose
calculations of success were based chiefly
upon short and decisive campaign.
We repeat, the defeat of the French is by no
means assured as yet, nor can we discover
in the issues at stake anything which shall
crush or even seriously retard the spirit Of
France progressive. On the contrary, there
is much to hope for in behalf of the people
of France emerging from the sad ordeal Of
useless and an uncalled for war. Their gains,
however, must prove the Emperor's loss-their
advantage the empires sacrifice.
Let us glance moment at present indica-
TONS While the Prussians are driving for
ward, endeavoring to destroy the retiring
forces of the French, and receiving fierce and
bloody battle whenever they choose to offer
it, Paris is getting ready for the worst. A few
days will see that city 80 we'll armed and pro-
visioned that the utter humiliation of the
impair its ability to fight indefinitely and even
successfully against the Prussans. The peo-
pie, awakened to proper appreciation of the
crisis, look not to Napoleonic genius for tri-
! umph; the preservation of the empire and the
Bonaparte dynasty is a secondary and trifing
consideration in comparison with the all
important one of driving the invader from
their soil. This is the first thing to be accom-
plished, and for this they depend not upon
imperial prestige and imperial generalship
and strategy, but upon the stout arms and
| willing hearts of the whole population. Now
more than ever is the one man rule forgotten
or ignored and the majesty of popular will
being felt throughout France.
This spirit of responsibility for the safety OF
the national honor shared by Frenchmen
at large and echoed in demonstrations damag
| ing to imperial popularity around the Corps
Legislatif and in the principal cities of France,
is one of the encouraging signs of the times.
1t evinces determination on the part of the
people to have something to do with the
management of the affairs of the nation, and
when they begin to reason and act under such
a spirit tendency toward more liberal insti-
tutions is the natural consequence.
1t is true, as we have lately seen, that mil
lions Of peace-loving people may be plunged
into cruel and bloody war on account Of the
ambitious designs, selfish aims or unreasonable
caprces of ruler. But nothing short of abso-
Lutte success will be accepted as justification
of such an undertaking, and it is apparent
to all that terrible accountability remains for
the man whose blunders have opened the way
to invasion and SO far compromised national
safety. After all, it is, perhaps, well for
France that she is undergoing such severe
experience as is now falling to her lot If she
succeed after long and hard fighting in driv-
| ing the Prussians off her soil, she will owe
nothing to Napoleon for the energy which
insured triumph, and everything to him for
the haste and incapacity which threatened
defeat.
Had Napoleon been as successful as he
hoped; had he returned to Paris crowned
with the glories of conqueror, would not his
popularity have enabled him to reassume the
reins of strong personal government and inau-
gurate such constitutional safeguards, how
ever repressive and illiberal, as would insure
the succession of his SOM After the late
pleJiscatune had ratified what he had done in
the way of constitution-ma and confirmed
the title of his dynasty to the throne, sue.
cessful war waged against Prussia and ending
in stretch Of territorial boundary might well
have emboldened him to anything for the
further accomplishment of his ends.