The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1870-08-16
TUESDAY, AUGUST 10, 1870.
THE SITUATION.


ALTHOUGH the dispatches from the seat of
war are somewhat confused and conflicting,
there can be little doubt that the French are
falling back from the line of the Moselle to
the line of the Meuse. The most consoling
assurance that the Emperor can give to the
Parisisns is that all the points on the outer
lines of operations have not yet been sur
rendered to the Prussians Thus we are told
that Strasburg still holds out, and is not
likely to be taken, that Bitche has not been
captured and Napoleon, while abandoning
Metz himself, issued proclamation in which
he expresses q confident hope that
the people and garrison of that town would
never permit the Germans to take possession
of it. There is not much practical advantage
to be gained at present by the retention of
these strong outposts, but if the tide of
war changes, they would prove Of immense
service to an advancing French army and
would greatly assist it in rolling back the
tide of invasion. Meanwhile, every hour
gained by Prussian efforts to reduce these
strongholds, and every Prussian regiment
detached to invest them, helps at once to
facilitate the retreat of the main body of the
French army and to give time to the new
Ministry to organize the new forces
that are now being rapidly collected together
in France The Emperor clearly understands
that he committed fearful blunder when he
directed his rude ambassador to force war
upon King William. And since he over
estimated his own strength, while he under
estimated that of his enemy, the only course
left is the humiliating alternative of falling
back from line to line, and drawing the Prus-
SLAMS further and further from their base of
operations their supplies, and recruits, with
each new step, until the relative strength of
the combatants can be e9ualized.
If no disturbing elements are developed, if
all revolutionary outbreaks can be promptly
suppressed and if the French people are
willing to offer themselves up as free sacri-
flee upon the altar of Napoleonic ambition,
this plan of running away and yet living to
fight another day may possibly enable the
Emperor to reach firm ground at last, upon
which, even in spite of his incapacity and
mismanagement, the Prussian armies can be
successfully resisted. Near the close of the
last century, an invading Prussian army was
driven back by the revolutionary forces after
and crossed the plateau of the Argonnes;
and this history may be repeated.
The greatest obstacle to the success of this
programme is the indignant feeling that it
would provoke among a martial people. M.
Theirs truly said that there can be no empire
without an Emperor. If the leader who has
assumed despotic control of the resources of
the nation, and robbed it of it's life and
liberty, stupidity and recklessly invites inva-
sions which he is unable to repel, and throws
his stricken subjects back upon their own
resources, the instinct of self-preserva-
tion as we'll as of self-respect should
prompt them to rid themselves at any
cost of their incapable incubus
and to work out their deliverance with free
hands. 1t will be one of the greatest of all
marvels of French history if continued de-
feats do not lead to Napoleon's dethronement.
Already the Chambers have considered pro-
iects for ignoring him, and although they
have hitherto been rejected, each new Ger
man triumph will give to these propositions
increased strength, and in the end he may be
bowed or driven out of France with as little
ceremony as was displayed in our own war
towards unsuccessful generals.
The news of yesterday proves that Napo-
ieon diplomacy has been as unsuccessful as
his war-making. Denmark refuses to form
an alliance with him against Prussia, and
Victor Emanuel has too many dangers to
contend with at home to send an italian
army to fight French battles These diplo-
matte defeats cannot fail to give downward
impetus to the Emperor's dropping fortunes.
They win not only cripple his operations
against his foreign enemies, but furnish to
his domestic foes strong arguments for his
dethronement. They will give irresistible
force to the denunciations of the real states
men of France when they accuse him of
frittering away French influence abroad as
we'll as of establishing tyranny and inviting
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