The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1870-08-10

editorial Opinions OF the Leading Journals
upon Current Topics-CompiIed Every
Day for the Evening Telegraph.
FRANCE AT RAY

From the ". 4. Times.
These are the darkest days France has been
called upon to pass through since 1915. Fear
and anxiety hang over every household in
Paris. A few days ago the majority of the
French people believed that their armies
would never be uprooted from German soil
until Prussia sued for peace. With startling
sUddenness, the whole prospect has been
changed. II is a question not of marching
to Berlin but of saving Paris. The Emperor
has fed to Chalons, apparently in the despe-
rate hope of stemming the tide of invasion
should it penetrate beyond Metz. The dis
aster is too vast to be disguised. The French
Ministry, instead of announcing triumphs.
can only beseech the people to 60 forth to
the defense of their native land. Those
who have seen in this war only a
question between Napoleon and Bismarck,
between desputlsm and freedom. between one
man and the ascendancy of liberal ideas.
would naturally suppose that this appeal for
fresh armies would be UNDECIDED. They leave
out of consideration the fact that, when a
proud nation sees its existence threatened. it
will generally push all political differences
aside, and strike for the preservation of its
honor. If Napoleon persisted tomorrow this
war would go on. Already the National Guard
are clamoring to be led to the front. The
love of 'Fatherland, which we praise in the
Germans, is not extinct in the French. and
dllnOURn ia DIbuDdtllOo II NAl4h1dNu AEOUl
the latter people in their struggle. we may
assume for the present that the invasion of
their soil by a foreign army will not be a sub
ject of rejoicing with them. .
But the crisis is tremendous. Even France
with all her resources may not be able to
cope successfully with it. The Prussian
commanders are succeeding by the same
tactics as those which they found so efficient
in the Austrian campaign. While the enemy
10 Win rNlonc for ON oHuoTnn tl,nr hrr1 x-o1A
masses of men Upon him. and swallow him
up. Thus they gain an inestimable advan-
taee at the outset of the struggle. 1t was
said of the Austrians that they did not fight
so we'll as the Prussians, and they were not
so well armed. Mr.. Dicey wrote, in 1866,
1.-The Prussians have not as yet had
the opportunity of showing how
their troops would conduct themselves
If confronted by an army which attacked
them with the vigor of the French The
test has now been made, and the result is a
repetition of K~oniggratz. The Prussian
army, and the Prussian system of tactics, are
still invincible. Every part of Napoleon's
plans has been brought to utter confusion.
If he had any chance at all to begin with, he
very soon lost it. He has now to lead a
beaten army. The magic which still chung
to the name of Napoleon in the minds of the
soldiers is gone. 1t is an alarming emer-
gency which the French Chambers will be
called upon to consider.
The Journal OticieI of Monday tells us
that the relations of the French Government
with the neutral powers continue to be salts
factory. These relations would probably be
much more satisfactory if some of the great
powers would throw off their neutrality, and
send a few battalions to the aid of France.
If the position of England is satisfactory
to herself, she enjoys that satisfaction alone.
Prussia is covertly threatening her, and
France is deeply incensed. 1T is the story
of our own war over again. England's
policy, if q series of plumbers can be digni-
fed with the name of policy, is so contrived
as to offend both sides at once. England
may some day be called upon to account
both to France and Prussia for pursuing
a course which pretended to be strictly
neutral and was in reality inimical to both.
When that time arrives she will find it more
hopeless to look for allies than France does
now. She has sown the seeds of hatred all
over the world, and the crop of vengeance
will assuredly spring up. The bulk of the
people Of England know nothing about for
eign politics-the organs of public opinion
generally run wild in times of excitement.
Thus it happens that, at this moment, Prus.
STA is shaking the rod over England's back,
and France remembers that she has something
besides Waterloo to avenge.
Meanwhile France is called upon to make
fresh sacrifices in behalf OF this new war for
an ''idea." The Ministers think the National
Guard can defend Paris, but ''there is a
point not less essential-it is the necessity of
filing up the void in our army" They deal
plainly with the people-there is no help for
1t. 1t will be necessary to call out all availa-
BILE forces, even a portion of the geHsdGr-
m6lie. So soon has this great power been
reduced to its last resources. The ''seven
week war with Austria was not half so start
ling, for Austria was in-prepared, and knew
nothing of her antagonists strength. France
has been making preparations for years, and
yet two days fighting disperses a magnificent
army, and obliges her to bring another into
the field, gathered from all quarters.
The Ministers boast that they can still
bring forward two millions of men to meet
the invader, all armed, and many of them
trained soldiers. They are not afraid to call
out those forces which are ordinarily sup.
posed to be less favorable to the Empire than
the regular army. So far we hear of no dis
s~ensions. A common danger unites the
c~ountry-just as a common danger lately
united Germany. A foolish telegram from
Antwerp says that ''the opinion there is that
the war will be over in a week. Ant
werp was, we believe, a place of some i'm
p~ortanoe in the fifteenth century, but we
were not aware till to-day that the opinion OF
its inhabitants at present decides the fates OF
empires, or is a potent factor in European
politics. 1t is probable, however, the opinion
of these omniscientburgher Notwithstanding
that it will take more than a week to break
either of the great powers now arraye(
against each other.
THE VOICE OF THE CONTINENTAL
PRESS OF EUROPE ON THE WAR.
From the A. Y. Herald.