New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1870-08-16
WAR TOPICS.

An editor in the promising village OF De-
troit asserted last week that famous passage
in Napoleons dispatch about Louis picking up
bullets reads in French, " Son cdlme a pro-
" fondement emu les sotdatS," CHS GOODNESS pro-
&" foundly moved the soldiers" which is much
less absurd than the common but incorrect
translation that represents the soldiers as
weeping.r As no mail bringing the text OF
the dispatch had reached any of the Atlantic
norris mt the time this correction was published,
we were puzzled to imagine how the text
could have got to the port of Detroit. But
Yesterdays mail did bring the dispatch, and
this is the way we find it in the Paris news
papers, under the head of "Le Bopt6me du
Feu." al DIES SOldats qui pteuraient en-
" lie vOydnt 81 calme."
The Journal OGciel recently declared, in
sort of semi official style, d" 1t is not with Ger
many we are at war-it is with Prussia, or
"more properly with the policy of Count Bis
"marck.n The expulsion of every German
from France is intended then, we suppose, as
a personal attack upon Bismarck, and mark
of Napoeon's particular friendship for the
German people.
The ErDreSs innocent journal, distrusts
TRIBUNE correspondent because he speaks of
French regiments numbering three thousand.
What word of intense unbelief would serve
to express The ErpreSS's emotions on finding
correspondent who was ignorant that French
regiments reach that strength
-Carlotta's reason, it is said, promises TO be
restored by the interest she betrays in the
war Is that of another wife and Empress to
be otherwise affected by its results Y
Napoleon is very ignorant of war terms or
very considerable of French feelings He says
in his report of the affair at Metz on Sun
day, after stating that the army was attacked
while retiring behind the Moselle and evacu-
ating Metz, that the advance guard had no
knowledge of the presence of the Prussians
1t is the rear guard which usually covers a
movement of the kind in which the French
were detected. But it would not do to hint in
the most delicate way that the French were
retreating at the time they were assailed.
1t has been urged by the Danish press
that the appearance of French feet off the
coast of Denmark ought to be the signal for
the Government to throw off the mask of neu
trality and openly espOuse the French cause.
1t was expected that the first duty of the
French fleet in the North Sea would be TO
force Denmark into an alliance with France.
But this enthusiasm of the press for war was
before the late battles The Danish Govern
ment is quick to recognize that Napoleon is
powerless since the Prussian victories and we
already have the announcement that the King
has refused to receive Count Cadore, the
French Envoy. The Prussian victories not
only deprive Napoleon of what little
popularity he had at home, but
leave him without honor among his former
allies. Even Victor Emanuel intimates that
he cannot aid him except at the cost of his
crown, and Napoleon, powerless to enforce his
demand for aid, makes a virtue of necessity
and magnanimously releases the Italian from
his promise. If there can be said to be any
one fact already accomplished by the war, it
is that there will be no active alliances be-
tween France and her neighbOrs She must
fight this fight alone, and without sympathy
from abroad