Clearfield Republican. [volume] (Clearfield, Pa.) 1851-1937, 1870-09-21
The Greatest Folly Of the Age.

semblan ce to the escapades of Louii
Napoleon at Strasbourg and Bou
logne. Ii was undertaken with Tho
same reckless indifference TO facts anc
tie same contempt for all tho proba
bilities of the case as were those two
notorious adventures. The leading
statesmen of France, the French Leg,
islature, and all intelligent French
men were perfectly aware before hand
that France was not able to make
war against Prussia, and that her ar.
mics could not cope with the Prus-
sian armies; bnt they were all car
ried away by the determination oil
the Quixotic old Emperor, and by that
natural instinct which leads every ma.
ton to support its Government, for a
time, at least, after il has once become
involved in a controversy with for
elgn power. To Mr.. Theirs alone be.
longs the credit of having dared to
stand Up in his place 10 the Legsla-
tive Corps, after all the preliminaries
had been gone through, and when the
sanction Of the Legislature was alone
necessary to the commencement OF
hostilities, and theft and there to pro-
claim the truth that war was viola
tion Of common sense, that failure was
certain and success impossible
War was f)rmally declared by
Franco on the 18th of July. But only
a fortnight before, there was a debate
in the Legislative Corps upon the
number Of conscripts which should be
drawn in 1870 to recruit the army
In this debate the facts in regard to
the Prussian military system, the
forces which Prussia could bring into
the field, and the actual inieriority OF
the French army, were fully set forth
by men Of such authority as Marshal
lie Bout Minister War, Mr. Theirs,
the Count Dc la Tour, and Mr.. Gar
nicr Pages. 1t was demonstrated
that while the French standing army
contained but four hundred thousand
men, with a reserve of four hundred
thousand liable TO be called out in
case of war, and a Garde Mobile com.
posed OF unframed young men from
twenty to ;wenty.nine years Of age,
described by the Minister Of War, as
"an inert force existing only on pa
per" the armies of the North German
CONSIDERATION, and the States allied
with PRUSSIA and subject to the same
military system, amounted TO five
hundred thousand all trained soldiers
and in addition to these all the men
up to brty years Of age in the entire
population, in numbers not less than
halfa million more, and none Of them
without some knowledge Of military
discipline.
Thus, it was stated, a war between
France and Prussia would be at the
very outset simply a conflict between
hall a million of soldiers ready to take
the fed on the side os Germany and
four hundred thousand on the side OF
France. But to exhibit this discrepan.
oy IN It's full proportions,it was shown
in the debate that while the French
army has to furnish at all times 40,-
600 soldiers for service in Algeria,
aud 10000 gendarmes for service as
police throughout France, the Prus'
SLAMS suffer no such reduction. Sc
that while the Germans could at once
put into the field half a million OF
skilled fighting men and have their
reserves of half a million also ready
for action 10 an incredibly short time,
the French could only furnish at the
outset three hundred ana twenty
:hoisand, while their reserves requir-
ed 4 much longer period in order tC
become prepared for use.
Bat this difference between three
hundred Thousand and five hundred
thousand docs not sufficiently ex
press the inequality between the two
powers BY the greater pronptncs'
Of tie German system OF bringing for
ward the reserves, a sufficient number
of them at once became disposable foi
garrison duty, for guards along tbs
/ lines Of communication, and for the
thousand other details Of service
which so greatly diminish the eifcc
tive force Of an army; and in this re
spect also France was inferior. A
Mr.. Thicrs, the highest authority OF
such a subject, said in his debatc:-
aWith four hundred thousand cffcc
tive mon we must not believe that W
have four hundred thousand men Z
lake under fire This number must b
diminished by al least ono half Thus
while the Germans could easily culcu
late upon bringing into the field 70
actual fighting the full effective fore
Of half a million, the French, accord
ing to Mr. Theirs, could not at III
beginning Of the campaign bring ~
Der fire more than two hundred thoui
and men. The justice Of his estimat
is fully confirmed by the result Of th
present campaign The whole Frent
force that was drawn up along th
boundary at the beginning Of the wa
and after month Of active prepara
ion was something above two hur
drcd thousand; il certainly did nc
supass two hundred and fifty tholi
and mon. OF course their defeat b
The Prussian half million was fort
doomed; and what we have now wi
messed is but the demonstration
what was stated in this debate.
Tha ouly voice Of hostility again'
Germany manifested in this debai
was that of Granier dc Cassagnac--
b When the Government was urged b
Garnior Pages to reduce the army }
exclaimed, "lIet us take the Rhin
and then we will diminish our arm
by' two hundred thousand This
the only solution" But this oxclami
ton was not approved in any part
the Chamber. The gravest words
, the other side, however, were tho'
, uttered by Mr.. Theirs. "We desil
peace" he exclaimed, because a WI
I today would be q universal wa
: bringing frightful calamities IN 4
train. Guilty in the eyes of oiviliz
ton Of humanity, Of history and