New-York tribune., 1870-08-19
THE STRUGGLE THUS FAR.

THE STRUGGLE THUS ran.
1t is less than six weeks since the quarrel
between the French Minister and the King of
Prussia ut Ems over the Spanish crown ques-
ton. 1t is but five weeks since the French
Emperor declared war against the Prussian
King. II is but three weeks since small de-
tachment from the French army on the
frontier-Gor by this time the gigantic armies
of France and Prussia had confronted each
other along the bOrder)-crOssed over to Ger
man territory and seized the nights OF Saar-
bruck. How quickly and unexpectedly oc-
Cured the historical events that preceded the
opening of the war! What extraordinary de-
yeloppents have been witnessed since the
commencement of hOstilities
Napoleon declared war against Prussia; but
he presently found that he had to fight Con-
federated and United Germany. Napoleon
began operations on German soil, where he
proposed to carry on the war; but all the bat
ties have been fought on the territory OF
France, and with each battle the Germans
have advanced further into the French En-
pire. Napoleon and his Generals had planned
an aggressive campaign, in which they were
confident of quickly winning great victories;
but his army has been kept steadily on the
defensive, and has been defeated In every ac-
ton. Napoleon began the war for conquest;
but he is already engaged in desperate
struggle to save his throne and dynasty, by
keeping the enemy out of his capital.
The first and most impressive triumph for
Prussia was the consolidation of the military
power of all the German States under Prussian
leadership. This was an event which Napo-
leon had not anticipated. 1t practically doubled
the power which Prussia herself possessed,
and it gave to the contest an entirely different
aspect. Its Importance consisted not merely
in the direct military support Prussia received
from the armies Of Bavaria, Wurtemberg, and
Baden, nor in the strategical and territorially
defensive advantages which Prussia obtained
through the cooperation of these Governments,
but in the fact that it implied and indicated
United Germany; that, by inspiring the whole
German people with one idea, enthusiasm, and
purpose, it called out to the full the moral
and patriotic strength which is the only sure
support of nation in times of trial. AT the
same time it furnished serious admoni-
ton to France, and offered warning to Eu-
rope, that though Germany had heretofore
been divided and discordant, it was yet possi-
bic for the armies of all her States to march
under one flag. Napoleon was not alone in
failing to anticipate this event, which indeed
appeared improbable on several accounts.
Only four years had passed since the South
German States were at war with Prussia; and
was it possible that the animOsities of 1866 had
already disappeared 7 Only four years had
passed since Schleswig- -HOlstein was annexed,
since the independence of Hanover was de-
strOyed, since Frankfort was incorporated with
Prussia; and did not these things suggest in
cOherency and disaffectiOnf But, gnOtwith-
standing all these and many other things, it
was suddenly found that Germany stood as
one great State, ready to repel invasion and
assert her rights. This was the first great
triumph for Prussia,-a moral triumph which
if it did not certainly fOreshadow military
victory, yet gave good ground for national as
surance and strength
The next great triumph of Germany, thus
far, has been in the securing of German soil
from invasion by promptly carrying the war
into the enemys territory. Whatever be the
result of war, the country on whose terri
tory it is prosecuted always suffers fearfully.
We know the ruin which overlook Virginia
during the Rebellion, and we know how
grievous were the sufferings of Georgia, South
Carolina, Tennessee, and other Southern States.
The history of Europe during the last three
centuries is filed with even more fearful
illustrations of the same kind-such, for
example, as the Spanish wars in the Low
Countries, the wars of Frederick the
Great last century, and the wars of the
First Napoleon in the present century.
The carrying on of war in country
results in the ravaging Of its fields, the
damaging of its towns, the breaking up of
all its profitable industries, the breaking down
of its society and its social morality. And
the evils do not disappear with the disappear
ance of the armies, but are felt for years or
generations afterward. Had the French army
been permitted to advance into the beautiful
Rhine Provinces, and fight its battles there,
we should quickly have seen them despoiled
and destroyed. The German States north
OF the Main, as well as the Prussan terri
tory north of it, would have been terribly
damaged il Napoleon had been allowed to
march his army through them to Berlin.