The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1870-07-23
WHY THEY DON'T BEGIN.

from te ". T. sun
great deal of disappointment has been
expressed at the apparent slowness of the
French and Prussians to begin the active
fighting of the war. This shows that people
have entertained very unreasonable expecta-
tions. 1t is not yet three weeks since the dis
turbances in connection with the nomination
of Prince Leopold of Hohenzollern to the
Spanish throne commenced, and already
great battle is looked for, and its absence
made the ground for doubling whether there
will be war at all.
In order to fight great battle, it is first
necessary to get great armies upon the terri
tory where the fighting is to take place. This
requires time. No matter how thorough the
preparations of the combatants may have
been, they cannot place their forces at once
at the scene of action. If, as is reported,
the French purpose to assemble three hun
dred thousand men between Strasburg and
Thionville, it is hardly possible that the task
should be completed before the first of
August; and even that rapidity of movement
will be something without precedent. The
Prussians on their side are no doubt using
all possible diligence; but it will be many
days before Prussian army can be drawn up
in line of battle opposite to French army,
and the dread signal for the contest between
| the two be given. In 1859 preparations for
the war between France and Austria were
making as early as January, but not a blow
was struck till May In 1866 Austria and
Prussia began to put their armies on war
| footing in March; but, though they moved
with unexampled celebrity, the battle of
Sadowa was not fought till July.
! Let nobody, therefore, imagine that because
we do not receive the news of great battles
Immediately, there is to be no war. The war
is certain and inevitable. The battles will be
few, and they will be fought at times which
cannot be determined beforehand. The ex-
clusion of Belgium from the territory in
| which the armies can manGuvre, and the
limitation of it to the narrow expanse between
Switzerland and the Belgian frontier, will
confne operations to a narrower space than
has been opened to any previous war between
France and Germany. But even this com
paratively limited range will suffice for com
bats that will put the families of two grea
nations into mourning aud will stain one Of
the most fertile portions OF Europe witt
human blood.
Let us not be impatient for the awful con
f1ict to begin. AS there is always paus,
before great tempest is let loose, it is onl.
fitting that there should be pause befor,
this pandemonium of death and fire is un
chained upon Europe
THE STORY OF GEORGE HARRIS.
From the NJ Y. Tribune.
We gave yesterday a curious history of tn
actual facts and characters out of which grey
''Uncle Toms Cabin" They are chiefly in
teresting as furnishing one of those od
examples of the development of nationa
events and revolutions, by chance, in them
selves both commonplace and trivial, whicl
occur sometimes as if to call our attention
sharply to the Divine Provision underlyin
the ordinary everyday routine of our lives
! The original George Harris was but one OF
n
! the underground railroad to Canada. Hi
story is inferior to most of the others i
dramatic interest, yet it furnished the gerr
Of Mrs Stoves book, and this book, althoug