The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1870-07-16
France Declares War.


meant to do In the event of falling 10 lnilct
mon Prussia an indignity 80 deep as TO
crafty French pride, and compensate
French diplomacy for It's blunders IN the
russio-Austrian war. France wou'o
doubtless have preferred the humiliation OF
Prussia; but the war will rciight inc
flames Of national resentment at the holy
alliance against NAPOLEON |. and the treaty
Of 1915. It is true that 1t will only aitord
opportunity for revenge against ono OF the
allies. unless it takes wider scope, ana IN
cludes other parties than the two no" III
yolyed. But then 1t is safer for france 10
take them in detail than to encounter tne
large odds of contending against them ALL
and more than probably falling as dla ''e
Mighty NAPOLEON.
The French Emperor will attempt " -,
make the war sharp, short, ana decis.,.'
(as was that between Prussia ana h",'' "''
and wind it up with the reduction OF rus
s;a in the national scale. and reiorl'i'''lo''
of the French boundaries, so Us " "'p.o"'
the wrongs of the peace OF 10 ani S''tlsls
Eroncb pridc. Can France do this! WIZ
III. other nations permit ii to be done! is
there still alive enough Of the sentiment OF
sympathy and of reciprocal interest inspired
l,y the alliance against the first NAPOLEON
TO induce another combination against the
inheritor Of his name and "ldc's:
The engineries of these days bring OIL
events so rapidly that we have hardy
time to speculate before speculation Is
superseded by actual occurrences France
is ready, and steam and telegraph enable her
To move quick. Ii the other great Powers
are to do anything they must act at once.
England, however. has latterly manifested
an indisposition to NEEDLE with matters not
Immediately bearing upon her own inter-
csts. The outgiyings Of ministerial CHAR
acter on several occasions, and especially ut
the time of the war between Prussia and
Austria, satisfied the world, we believe, that
England had changed her mind about holy
alliances, and meant thereafter to address
herself to her own interests, goingno farther
with the crest of mankind than she might
by example, appeal, and remonstrance,
for the preservation of peace ana harmony
amongst nations. She has "gone into
trade and would rather now feed and
clothe and arm the legions of other nations
than to do any of their fighting. Russia
has no present ambition beyond the eXten-
sion of her empire in Asia, in which she is
impinging so closely upon her British pos
sessions in India rs to engender suspicious
that may of themselves be obstacles to some
extent in the way Of any cordial reciprocal
intention between Russia and England.
These two nations are everything i'll this
matter. If they remain silent, no other
will interfere. Austria, the only remaining
great Power of the Old Alliance, is more
in sympathy with France than with Prus-
STA, having so recently suffered defeat, along
with the loss of much of her territory, from
the latter.
The war is prinaa tacie war without
cause. 1t sforced by France for redresSing
wrongs she conceives to have been done her
in the past and to CRAFTY long-treasured re-
sentiments {; but, above all, to restrain the
growing power and influence of Prussia,
that, in the eye of France, is a constant
menace of the Empire, and in the view of
the Emperor Il constant threat towards the
Imperial succession. These motives unite
all France and determine the Emperor on
war;
There could be hardly cooler piece
of haunting irony than that Of the
Constitutional in charging that Prussia has
forced France into war! 1t will be 4 war
i'm earnest. The national feelings of the
two nations are of the best kind to make il
n struggle of bitter and relentless charac-
ter. The parties are well matched in coll-
rage and discipline. France is probably the
best prepared, but Prussia has just won
honor and renown that will stimulate her
armies to great deeds. In numbers there
will probably be little difference. But
France, having only developed foregone
determination, has no doubt been preparing
with the view of IN impetuous movement,
seeing how such strategy served Prussia at
Sadowa. AS NJ. THEIRS said in the French
Legislature June 80: "Why did Sadowa pro-
"duce such an unexpected spectacle? Be-
"callse the Government OF Berlin was
"ready and that of Vienna was not pre-
"parcd. In that aray empires are lost"
The war will be Il bloody one. 1t is to
he hoped, for the interest of civilization
and humanity, that it will be of short du-
ration.