The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1870-08-22


quest, the resolution was quickly taken TO inter-
fere. Austria, taking to herself the insults and
outrages heaped upon Marie Antoinette, the
sister of the Emperor, and, as the head of the
Germanic Empire, feeling bound TO protect the
rights of the petty Rhenish princes in French
territory which were apparently endangered by
the new constitution, assumed the lead, and
Prussia came forward as her champion in the
hope OF gaining new laurels for her unemployed
army.
In 179l conference was held at Pilnitz, in
SaXoDy, between the Emperor Leopold ii and
Frederick William ii, the King of Prussia, at
which, in the presence of the Count dArtois,
the youngest brother of Louis XVI of France,
an offensive league was formed against the
Revolution. There was strong opposition
against the scheme throughout Germany, even
Ferdinand, the Duke of Brunswick, who, as
field-marshal of Prussia, commanded the in
vading army the next year, declaring in favor of
peace.
The French Directory met the menace of this
alliance by declaration Of war early in 1872;
and, while the forces of Austria were kept at
home TO watch Russia, Poland, and Turkey, the
Duke of Brunswick, at the head of the Prussian
army, was ordered across the Rhine. On enter
ing France he issued q famous manifesto, in
which he declared his intention of levelling
Paris with the ground should the French make
a show of resistance. Hitherto he had enjoyed
the reputation of being the greatest soldier of
his day, and the Emperor and King of Prussia
were persuaded that his mere presence on French
soil ut the head of an army would suffice to con.
quer France.
On his entrance into Fren ch territory he was
confronted by the fortress of Metz, but he
passed to the right of this, entered Longwy,
near the Belgian frontier, on the 22d of August,
and then, leaving Metz in his rear, advanced
upon Verdun, which fell into his hands on the
I'd of September But the Duke, full of conf
dence in the terror of his name, and anticipating
counter revolution in Paris, had delayed his
movements so long that unlike the leaders in
the present campaign, he lost his opportunity
and gave the French time to rally for defense.
Dumouriez was in command of the French, and
the Duke, after the fall of Verdun, still delayed
his advance in hope of gaining over the willy
| French commander, and thus securing beyond
| all doubt a triumph which could not possibly
| imperil his reputation. King Frederick Will
| liam II, like his successor of the present day,
! accompanied the invading army and endeavored
to spur his leisurely General into greater acti-
| vity. But Frederick William III, unlike Will
! liam /, was not a soldier, and was without mill
tary experience, and the Dukes views finally
prevailed.
| Dumourie&, meanwhile was enabled to
gather considerable reinforeements and to effect
a junction between his army and that of Kel-
| lermann. The Duke of brunswick finally
| crossed the Meuse, passed over the wooded
plateau of the Argonnes, and, descending into
the plain watered by the Marne, came
within sight of the French army at Valmy, vii
| lsge about twenty-five miles northeast of
Chalons, on the 21st Of September. The King
| gave orders for battle and the Prussians were
| about advancing upon the heights occupied by
Kellermann, when the Duke of Brunswick sud-
| denly gave the order to halt, and drew off his
forces, this extraordinary movement being re-
ceived by the French with astonishment and
loud cicas. The Kings anger at the failure of
| his General to show 6ght was finally appeased,
and negotiations looking to friendly alliance
were entered into but the only result was an
armistice, followed by the precipitate retreat of
the Prussians from French territory, their rear
being harassed by the French and their home
ward march being rendered extremely dis
astrous by sickness, bad weather, and almost
impossible roads. 4.at
Meanwhile General Custine had invaded the
Palatinate and captured Worms and Mayence,
and Dumouriez, following up the retreat of the
Duke of Brunswick encountered and defeated
the Austrisns at Jemappes just within the pre-
sent borders of Belgium, on the 9th of Novem-
Der, captured Brussels on the 14th of the same
month, and soon overran the whole of the
Netherlands. Thus ended the first attempt of
the Germans in modern days to conquer France
and dictate to her government and ruler.
The Successful March Of the Allies on Paris
In lSl1.
The next attempt was more successful. The
campaign of 1918 was mere succession of dis
asters to the first Napoleon, and by November
all Germany as far as the Rhine was freed of the
French. Driven west of the Rhine, Napoleon
was quickly deserted by the whole of the
Rhensh Confederation which he had founded,
by Holland, by Switzerland and by Italy. Even
Murat, who had been placed on the throne OF
Naples by the great Corscan king maker, joined
! the Allies, in the hope of saving his crown.
Then the Allies, reinforced by Bavaria and all
the confederated German princes who had been
overawed into neutrality or alliance with the
French, invaded France, solemnly declaring, as
the German allies of 1870 have done that theiI
enmity was directed not against the French
nation but against Napoleon. In another re-
spect the analogy between the two campaign:
holds good The French people, Notwithstanding
the terrible misfortunes which befell them under
the sway OF the first, as under that of the thirC
Napoleon, remained true to their despotic leader
as long as there was the faintest hope of his
ultimate success By tens of thousands in 1914
as in 1870, they focked around the imperia
eagle, wild with enthusiasm for the defense o
their native soil.
The allies advanced into France simuIta