New-York tribune., 1870-08-06
WAR TOPICS.


tber nropress of the war is likely to affect in
;uriously American securities. The rise in the
nrice of gold has thus far prevented the return
of our bonds, which had been so much and 80
unwisely dreaded, and no serious arrangement
in consequence seems now to be apprehended'
As the war advances, they believe that Euro
pean investors will gradually come to regard
with more and more favor the obligations OF
the only strong Government whose finances
are in a healthy condition, and whose situation
il such that there is no possibility OF Its being
drawn into the contest. In this case, the
market for our bonds would be increased, not
diminished, by the war; and the United states
would substantially become Safe Deposit
Company for Europe.
After ALL the notable fact of the war IL
not that each side is enthusiastic, or that
splendid ornaments are used, or that all Eu-
rope seems verging upon the struggle. Inc
notable fact is that King William, at the
Prussian headquarters commands the army Oh
united Germany. The dream OF German PM
losophers and statesmen for century has
been accomplished by the rude stroke OF Ben
edetti's diplomacy in an hour. The soldiers
of Bavaria, Wurtemberg, and petty German
| States that year ago would almost as soon
| have thought of fighting under the French tri-
color as beneath the Prussian Eagles, now ac-
cent the orders of the Crown Prince as if they
were already a part of the Prussian nation
ality. The battles to be fought may be lost
or won by Prussia, but the grand issue OF the
war is already won. German unity from the
| day that the troops of the smaller German
| Governments were turned over to King Will
| liam, was an accomplished fact.
The World is amazed at the ignorant cOrre-
spondents who imagine Wessenburg to be in
| France. ave are now requested to believe"
says our contemporary, that the German
" town of Weissenburg has been stormcd by
"the German army-an exploit singularly like
" the famous capture of Holland by the Dutch"
! Nevertheless Weissenburg is in France, and
| the German army has stormed it; and If 1t Is
| German town it is German only In the sense
that many other towns in the departments OF
| Bas Rhin and Moselle are German, though for
| generations they have been the property OF
! France. The World ought to buy good
atlas. That it should depend on THE TRIBUNE
| for news is a necessity; but really we do MT
! like to be compelled also to supply 1t with
! elementary geography.
Denmark, they say is ready to ally itself
| with France. OF course the little scandinavian
! kingdom has good reason to hate Prussia; but
| suppose France should get whippedf What
would become of Frances minor alles9 The
best course for small people like Denmark is
to wait till the result becomes clear, and then
take sides with the stronger party. This would
be not only glorious but prudent.
Somebody praises the Emperor for his
skill in dressing up war bulletins for the
Paris market. But French and Prussians both
are bungling this business badly, and if it
were not for the four or five American and
English journalists who haze obtained admis-
sion to the lines in our service, we should
have no news whatever that we could trust.
The people will get angry after while if
their kings tell so many lies to them.
Probably the finest military dispatches
written in modern times were the Duke of
Wellington's They were models of accuracy
and cearness. He never exaggerated a vic
tory and he never concealed defeat. When
the people read a bulletin in his straightfor-
ward, manly unaffected words, they knew that
it told the whole story, without cOlOring or pre-
varcatiOn. But what reasonable man will now
believe the official advices from Paris or Ber-
lint The farce of Louis and l." and the
picked up bullet, and the army in tears, might
answer once with French audience), but it
will not draw house the second time.
Gen. Joseph +. Johnston believes that the
! Prussians have the better trained soldiers, and
the French incOmparably the better officers
Gen. Changarnier, on the contrary, in a paper
from which we have already quoted, attributes
| Of tba
entirely to the superiority of their officers
Well, time will show Gen. Johnston criti-
cises Won Moltke's Sadowa campaign. 1t is
not Won Moltke, however, but Prince Frederick
Charles, from whom the best service seems to
be expected in the present war.
BY the loss of Saarbruck the Prussians
have sacrificed direct railway communication
between their right and left wings but it is
not true, as some people seem to think that
their line of supplies has been cut. 1t is
not customary for an army to be supplied by
line running along its front in plain sight of
the enemy, who could interrupt it at any time
! by the expenditure of very slight force. The
railway from Treves to Saarlouis Saarbruck,
and Forbach was a convenience to the Prus-
slams so long as it was not attacked; but no
exposed road running parallel with their front
| cOuld be In a military sense important. Their
chief communications with their base are by
the Moselle. They would not have drawn any
thing by way of Saarbruck.
SO the composer of "Pif! Paf, Pouf,
Tiara pa poum! Oh je sus le General Boum ~
has published French war-song entitled "God
speed the Emperor This is supposed to be
remarkable because Offenbach is German.
IolpOna hrt hn has in
Paris ever since he was a little boy, and is as
truly a tYrical parisnn