Ashtabula weekly telegraph. [volume] (Ashtabula, Ohio) 1853-1873, 1870-09-17

1@E'N'ENA
France or Prussia would be the stronger
in the field.
The result Of this campaign is no
more a surprise TO the French than it is
to the whole world. Itis said that earth
quakes disturb mems minds, not so much
by their imminent danger as by unset
ling their confidence in the stability Of
nature and the relation Of cause and eff
feet. Stable things become movable.
Solid ground heaves like water. No'h-
ing is strong immovable, ami
for the moment it seems TO the bewil-
dered imagination as if the worlds
nerves had been cut, and all regulatiye
influence was gone.
Something like this we feel in looking
upon France. In an hour all our ideas
are revolutionized, and we need time TO
get agoiDg with new ideas and corrected
estimations.
Not Prussia against France, but all
Prussia against the army Of France. Its
military system makes Prussia itself
camp and its whole population an army.
The whole nation, in successive moves,
was precipitated upon the few hundred
Thousand men of the standing army Of
France! There were present also the
two elements without which this militia
ry organization will be but fine dead
body-the spirit of the whole people,
aud consumate leadership! Germans
are slow to kiudle, but very hot when
fully on fire. When Won Moltke pre-
cipitated Prussia upon Napoleon's army,
the movement was more like that of q
natural tow, such as we see in tropical
storms, or in the movement toward the
shore of gigantic waves bred by earth
quakcs, than the effect OF ordinary hu-
man will. Everything was large, and
everything irrisistable. All obstacles
seem to have lost their opposing power
in the presence of an irresistible Fate.
From the moment that the Crown Prince
broke upon Wicsscnburg like an ava
lsnche, there was no stopping the mon
ster-motion. Every day swept on with
devouring power. The right wing was
shattered at blow. The center, ia
tally hesitating for few DAYS, was
smitten and thrust back into prison at
Metz. Whatever was left, hastily rolled
together, under MacMahon, was next
assailed, devoured, and utterly consum-
ed TheD the sword fell from the hand
of France, and the crown from her ruler,
and Paris was conquered without siege
or blow. And so in six weeks the
first military power on earth is stripped
to the ground without an army, or an
Emperor, and lies suppIiant at the feet
of King William, as sixty-six years ago
D.,,e,,o lo 1aon1o.a o1 ,,nait,n1 ot ho
feet of remorseless Napoleon Prussia
is avenged The long delayed settle
ment is accomplished. Sooner or later
the cruelty and injustice OF ambition
came back upon the nation that indGlged
them, though not often in SO sublimely
dramatic manner as now.
But not as France treated his ancestors
will King William deal with France
He will not despoil her, nor needlessly
hurt her. This bloody baptism mAv be
her salvation. What France needs Prus-
sia Las got, what England means to
have. wat America has, and what, from
this dav forth what every nation tLat
would be strong must have-a free, In
telligent people. =,
France has had too much "glory" al
ready. "National honor" has led her,
like mirage, into wasteful military en-
terprises. She needs schools for the
common people. She needs to give au-
tonomy to her provinces, and to decen-
tralize her capital. There must be more
power in the nation and less in the Gov
ernment. If we thought that republi-
canism would procure this we should give
our sympathies to that side. But repub-
lies are the most complex and difficult
governments that exist. The machinery
of republicanism is not a republic. That
lies in the sober independence of the
great body of citizens, in their sturdy
love of simple truth and honesty, ia
their capacity of selfcontrol, in the abil-
ity of large masses of plain men to look
forward, and to regulate the affairs c!
to-day by the foresight of days to come
With all their good qualities, the
French are lacking in the sense of truth,
and still more in the faith Of truth
They act as a set Of men who believe ap-
pearauce, well set out, is good as reality.
or rather, that they can make reality out
of appearances. The homely, clumsy
Saxon and English loyalty to things as
they are--to the truth of things-lies
near to the foundation of their prosperi
ty.
1t is seldom that the extreme vicissi-
tudes of life have subject so remarka-
| able as Louis Napoleon. We do not al.
| lude to his early life in contrast with his
imperials.life. We do not regard Lin as
the prolongation of The Great Napoleon.
They resemble each other as the river
Seine resembles the Amazon. But, ten
years ago lie was accounted the mos I
able reigaing monarch of Europe. By a
series of mistakes, growing constantly
more dangerous, he is to-day become the
pity of nations.
Louis Napoleon attempted to inaugu
rate in modern days theinperial govern.
ment of the Caesars, and with about as
much success as the French artists of the
last century attempted to revive the arts
and literary tastes of Greece in Paris.
A pulseless literature and hollow art
was the result. An absolute monarchy
demands two conditioHs-able counsel
ors, and strong army But the dispo-
sition of Louis Napoleon demanded
agents rather thGn cOunseiors. He cher
ished in himself kind of political SUI
perstition, and was sure that lpck would
aIvova oo with his own Dlans This is