The Charleston daily news. [volume] (Charleston, S.C.) 1865-1873, 1870-09-05
THE DOOMED EMPER0R.
He Is no Match for Bismarck and Won
Nfoltke Gross Mismanagement and
Want of Nerve.

The subjoiRed extracts are from letter da
led Paris, August ii, from gentleman for
mery very intimately acquainted with the EN-
peror of the French:
The result OF the Prussian war has astonish.
ed every one here, friends and foes, the igno
rant and the best informed. use the word
''astouIshed" advisedly, and mean to convey
by it establishment Of stunning character
Even those who knew or suspected, as Trochr
did, that much of the pretended efficiency o.
the French army was superficial, were no less
taken aback than the most deyout believers 10
the invincibillty OF French arms and In The
star of the Napoeons, ut this utter collapse at
the beginning OF campaign.
To the few men who were as well acquainted
with him as you and before he rose TO power,
and who knew that, with spirit adventurous
enough to get him into any difficulty, he was
singularly deficient in resolution and personal
pluck when actually face to face with danger,
this state Of things Is ineXplicable, without the
strange concatenation of circumstances which
brought it about, and which from q distance
It Is hardly possible that you should realize.
Space and time only permit me to give them
with suggestive breVity.
Firstly. Bismarck and Won Moltke, who
were really prepared, moved at the right time
with the utmost strategic, losistic and tactical
Sklll. UuE lllCuu, ~. NsJ WOO ACthlAy
unprepared, stood still, and when be moved,
moved like an ass. He was directing every
thing, and our generals under him, depending
on him, were like men fighting in the dark.
wish TO detract nothing from the merits OF the
Prussians, bnt give TN accomplished tencer, OF
chess player or billiard player, and oppose him
to an adversary who does not parry, who does
not make combination in defence, who does
not make a point, then your accomplished
fencer OF player may go astonlshingly fast and
far.
was about to handle a beautifully organized
military machine, it turned out to be all dis.
IoInted and ont OF gear. The subsistence, the
uuartermaster's and ordinance departments,
were, in fact, in disgracelul state OF inefh'
cheney. They were all rotten Things were
only on paper. The extravaganza and cor
rnption OF which he gave the example, or was
obliged to'wlnk at, had spread far and wide
Underlings had naturally followed the exam.
ple of their chiefs, and all had been interested
and successful In covering up their tracks. II
was the old story OF the Emperor Nicholas In
the Crimean war, and Of JEFF. Davis in your
war. Certainly he had gained FIVE days on
the Prussians, probably ten; that Is to say ne
had more men at the front. Was he paralyzed
at the discovery of the real state Of things, OF
by that constitutional want Of courage when
lace to face with a real danger Qr had ms
body or his mind given way? Probably it was
a combination of all these causes; otherwise
where promptitude Of action was advisable
before, precipitation became then his only
chance Of safety.
The extent and effect of these reverses was
staggering; 30 much so, as to have disarrang-
ed ali the plans Of the more violent and hope
fml of the Red Republicans. Men Of all parties
for a while did not feel sure but what the
m ground they stood on would open under their
feet. But this panic is past. All France Is In
for long and bloody war, and it must be re-
membered that this Is not the France of 1914
Is. exhausted by struggle of twenty-five
wears She has had no war to hurt her for half
century. Men already are accustoming them:
selves to the idea OF contest beyond ano
without Paris, as against the English in the
middle ages.