Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1870-09-12
/" THE DEFEAT"
Views of an ImperiaIist journal
on the French Disaster-Resist-
auce Uscless-'rhe Fate of lmpe-
rialism Sealed - The Future of
Eranea

ance UseIess-The Fate of lmPe
rialism Sealed - The Future q
France.
From the Courier des Etats Unis, Sept. 81
1t has been done. France has beef
pierced to the heart. A single montl
has been sufficient to paralyze, if not t
annihilate, the active forces of one o
the greatest and noblest powers on
earth, and in the same blow to displac,
the political axis of the world. 1t il
useless to disguise the truth. The army
which has not surrendered, but has beer
surrendered to the enemy, was the
flower of our military population. With
Mcmahon destroyed and Bazaine help
less, France has left countless masse:
fanatical with patriotism, ready to throw
themselves blindly upon the mouths OF
the Prussian cannon; but she has no
longer an army. New masses, however
full of confidence, are helpless against
military science, discipline, and, above
all, against modern arms.
Once it was men who made wer;
bravery supplemented numbers; enthu-
siasm made heroes. Now it is rifed
cannons and perfected musketry that
fight; the man is no longer more than
the attendant OF the weapon; he counts
but for one, and courage without num-
bers only makes victims. All France,
with her 100000 Of young men from
twenty TO thirty years Of age, rising as
one, extemporized into soldiers, and
hurled in full career upon the solid, in
telhgent, Yell-armed, disciplined mass
of victorious Prussians, would THROW
itself on butchery, and would not drive
braok one step the wall Of steel before
her No doubt France will receive with
a cry of fierce wrath, like the lion fallen
into q ditch, ths story of the surrender
signed in her name; and that the first
movement will be levy of the whole
people and leap toward new comhats.
But this first frenzy over, cool reflection
will come TO throw On 10y shFoud on this
heroism, and we doubt if any man can
be found 10 take the lead in bringing on
new conaicts-that is TO say, the respon-
sibility OF new disasters.
The people Of Paris and the com
manders o. the beJieged places, nay,
every manly heart that has its hand on a
flagstaff, may refuse TO submit, and de-
termine rather 70 die than 70 suffer the
Prussian flag TO stand on the ramPaEts
they guard; but there viii be no one to
organize this resistance, which would be
suicide; no political party which will
risk, on this bloody resort, the future be-
fore it; no one who does not khoT that
France has no right to commit suicide;
that she belongs to the world, TO ciyiliza-
ton, 10 humanity, and that at least one
chance Of success would be necessary to
justify the horrors which would result
from continuing a var that could no
longer be aught but an unhroken series
Of rayages, waste, slaughter and ruin.
All would be Of good cheer we're it pos
sible that success should come even az
the cost Of the seYeFest trials; OF even II
the honor Of France, instead of her in
terest, exacted an immense sacrifice in
order 10 make a glorious reparation.
But happily there is no necessity for
this.
France has bled indeed, but she is not
With opened veins she
keeps her head erect, and proudly faces
her enemies and the world. All her
wounds have been received in the breast,
and our soldiers are greeted as giants,
even among those who crushed them By
the weight Of numbers. We cannot tell
what counsels wiz prevail in the fearful
embaTI sssaizHts into which France is
plunged Not to-day nor tomorrow will
calm and reflection come out Of this
chaos. Some days must be allowed 10
Appease the hot fever Of this hour. Then