New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1870-07-22
WAR TOPICS.

tn Obtain any trustworthy or lntelllglDle news
obopt sucb matters. The movements OF both
armies are covered as much as possible, ana
every means is taken to keep back information
of anv kind The agents of the press are very
industrious in their efforts to get hold OF every
item or report which has any basis, or Is at all
credible and those who most fully understand
the difficulties in their way VIII be most ienlehC
in their Judgment of the results.
While the French Emperor was doing all
in his power to injure and humiliate the United
States during the great war of the Rebellion,
there were two hundred thousand German
born citizens fighting under the flag of the
Union. and Offering their lives for the liberties
of America. These two facts, in themselves,
90 far to explain the sympathies OF the Amerl-
can people with Germany in the present war;
Some of our strategical contemporaries are
campaigning up and down the Kline, ana
sweeping over France and Prussia III way
that may yet drive Mcmahon and Won Moltke
out of their wits. !" AS we predicted" says
one able and terrible strategist who always
predicts everything, "Napoleon's plan OF cam
"paign will be to divide his army into several
" great columns, the largest of which VIII cross
" the Rhine at Strasburg, and then penetrate
" through Baden and the Black Forest into
Wiirtemberg and Bavaria, so as to prevent
" the South German States" ETC., etc, etc. VI
course the strategist who can thus fOretell
Napoleons plan of campaign, knows with
equal certainty the plan of the Prussian COM
mander. "Prussia,n we are told, will divide
cher army into two great columns" (this
strategist, it will be noticed, must always have
u OI ia wit
"both of which will penetrate into France,
"and meet in front of the great fortress OF
Metz while it will be left to the South
" German forces to confront the French army
" at a place located no matter where. 1t Is
hardly fair to either side TO tell the plans Of
both sides in this way but we do not con-
slider ourselves responsible in the premises;
for it is evident that this American strategist
either gets his strategy from Napoleon and
Bismarck or bases it on profound conviction
Of the ignorance of his readers.
1t was at least in bad taste TO display
picture of the French Emperor suspended from
gibbet at a meeting participated in by an
American Senator an American eX-General,
and an American Ex-Governor. The American
people are not at war with the French En-
pcror. Our more cxcitable citizens of German
birth must not make any mistakes which Will
injure their own cause in America.
The Berlin statistician who estimates that
the decline in the number of German emf
grants to America this year. on account of the
war, will reach fully 200,000 is not very well
acquainted with the statistics Of German emf
grafton to America. The decline in German
emigration cannot very we'll be greater than
its entire body. If the war should continue
for three months, the decline in German emf
grafton, as compared with the great move
ment of the last few years, will be about
$4,000. If the war should continue through
the present year-which is extremely improbable
the decline will be about 5000
Some of the leading German-Americans
estimate that a million dollars a month will
be sent from this country for the relief of the
wounded soldiers of the Germanic COnfedera-
ton. When we remember how the American
people were encouraged, during the war Of
the rebellion, by the magnificent contributions
of California to the Sanitary Commission, we
can understand how the German people will
be encouraged by the signs of friendly SYM
patty from our German American citizens.
1t appears at present as though the Franco
Prussian war would be duel between the two
principals, and would not involve any other
parties, excepting of course the allied States of
the Gemanic Confederation. We have had
many reports about alliances and combinations,
including at one time or another all the gov
ernments of Europe, great and small. We
have heart of Italy taking the side of Ger
many, and then of its taking part with France.
We have had reports similarly divergent about
Spain, England, and Austria. We have had
contradictory reports about Holland, Belgium,
Switzerland, Sweden, Denmark, and Russia
But so far as can be Judged from all our
sources Of information, it would seem that no
external alliances have been formed by either
of the principals, and the probabilities are that
France and the Germanic Confederation will
be permitted to fight their duel without imme-
date interference
The French Emperor should not NEEDLE
with other peoples business. He interfered in
Mexican affairs, and lost by it. He meddled
with American affairs to help jeff Davis, and
suffered by it. He was Inundated in his at
tempts at interfering with German affairs four
years ago. In now meddlng with Spanish and
Prusslan affairs, he may meet with the same
kind of bad luck which he has previously suf-
fered by this oflicious intermeddling.
In view of possible complications in
Europe. the Fenians of this country are again
collecting money for the invasion of Ireland.
Ii is estimated that two millions of dollars
have been raised during the last four years by
the Fenian party; and the only results from
1t all have been the two unfortunate expe-
ditions against the Canadians. 1t would be
very hard thing to take ship-load of Fenian
iighting-men from America to Ireland, even
though England were engaged in a continental
war. Her naval ships built of iron and pro-