Vicksburg weekly herald. (Vicksburg, Miss.) 1868-1883, 1870-09-24
4 WEEKLY HERALD
TUESDAY. SEPT. 90 1870.

4~ FA@Ats 1@
peace be brought about between
France and Prussia2 France GER
tainly cannot desire q continuance
Of the war. She has neither q
stable government, army, nor sup
plies sufficient to prosecute q sue
cessful war. She is powerless in
almost every department. She has
shown, time and again, since the
fatal calamity which befel her at
Sedan, that she is anxious for
peace. She has made many over
lures to King William, while her
press has evidenced the spirit of
the people in the articles published
daily, giving hopeful assurances
that a plan Of peace was about
being decided upon. 1t does not
matter now who was originally
the cause Of the prosecution of
this horrible war. France clearly
is not criminal in its continuance.
Napoleon may have forced the
war on Prussia, or Bismarck see.
ing the condition may have in.
duced King William to assume
such an attitude that there was
nothing but war left to Napoleon.
These are questions left for after
consideration that which arouses
now most interest is how can the
war be ended. Its prosecution
has already produced most disas-
trous results in every department
Of life. Commerce has been seri-
ously injured, credits have been
impaired, and to US Of the South
it has been particularly bur.
densome, in that 1t has ma
terially affected the price of
cotton. We Of America probably
stand more in need of peace than
almost any nation Of the EARTH
The life of the South-cotton-is
imperiled, and the credit Of the
government, through the vast
amount Of national bonds held in|
Germany, is also seriously injur.
ed. These are the pure, business
phases Of the affair, so far as they
relate to us, without taking into
consideration at all any feeling of
horror which we may entertain 10
witnessing the slaughter Of so
many Of our fellow human crea.
lures. Then, as a continuance of
the war does not rest with France,
it must with Prussia. 1t would
seem to a casual observer that
if the declarations of King Will
liam can be taken for anything at
all-since Napoleon has been de-
throned, he can have no excuse
for continuing the war, and,
as il this was certainly the
truth, the telegraph to-day
informs us that an armistice
has been agreed upon between
the French and the Prussians. But
does this presage the close Of the
war? With whom is King Will
liam to treat? With the Repub1
lic2 With the Empress Regent
With Napoleon, a prisoner? 1t isl
certainly a difficult problem to|
solve. The government with which
he went to war has, within a few
weeks, gone to wreck; and another
of an entirely different character
and plan, it is said, has succeeded.
Does this pretended government
really EXIST Is France to-day an
Empire or a Republic? Does Ba1
zaine as commander in. chief of
the armies, derive his authority
from the Empire or the Republic1
Since a Republic in France would
be distastefnl to King William, of
course, he will not recognize its'
existence so long as there is left
to him an opportunity not to dol
so. On the other hand, when
France approaches him to treat
for peace, she comes as q Repub-
lie. This authority, for ostensible
reasons, King William is not even.
willing to recognize, and hence
the war is prolonged. Hence the
suggestion is forced, that it was
not SO much the fortune of war
which made Napoleon the prison
er of King William, as the sagaci-
ty of the statesman, who saw in|
the complications which would en-
sue the only hope which he had Of