The evening Argus. [volume] (Rock Island, Ill.) 1861-1871, 1870-08-04
DyRATIOE OF THE WAR.

" G ore inclined to believe that the war
now beginning il destined TO be long one
n: a long, Of course, as those which took
tlei- origin from the French revelation of
l,-9, bat lasting ct the very least, twelve
months. \ blisf examination oF the situa--
ion will. We think. tend TO confirm our
views. Conceiiuz, for the sake of argument,
that France will be beaten in the frss
pitched battle, aud inst the fortunes Of she
FIRST campaign 60 strongly against her,
these results, however disastrous, will hard
~ bring q. lmmeGlate peace. Napoleon
H., though lacUmpaEaUiy inferior To his
uncle IN point OF ability, has yet quite As
much pride, as much courage, as much
dogged dete-mlna4on He is embarked 10
struggle in which not merely his prestige
IL al stake, but his crown and his dynasty.
Il russia were overcome and tne enemy
nlvouacked in Berlin. there would be no
attempt to disturb th- reign Of the Hohen
zJ!erEs, whateg r Illumination the cOBquerOr
EIght choose TO ILhIct upon hIng " I!iiam
aAG the nation he governs; but The tramp
OF PrussIau soldiers III the streets OF ParI,
would be the funeral kueii OF the empire,
aud the iaa ext. OF the last of the Bona
parties. Victorious ticrmany is sure TO
insist upon this; vanquished France could
make no resistance, ahd the monsrchs OF
Europe, by whom the present emperor Is
REGARDED as at best bur dangerous inter
oper with 40 clear fu!e o! sovereignty,
would interpose no objection to his d.throne.
rneuE or Daushment. Napoleon knows
these things, aud Is prepared, If the worst
comes, to die game. lie will not surrender
ne will not abdlcate go long as he can mus
ter s. corps q armee to follow his flag
Better for his fame 70 die with his face to
the foe than to drag cut the few remaining
years of his life in exile aud disgrace. The
arrange ments now being made to fortify
Paris proves that he has taken into conoid
Grafton the chances OF defeat, and will fight
20 the very walls of the CITY before be yields
Nor ID he likely to lack supper: from his
people IN such an emergency. There are no
longer B0naparte or anti Bonaparte factions
among them they ara more united to day
tIan was the north during our ate war and
tn issue Is rarroweI down to q single
poiot-shBll France or Prussia pre-
s.-: T. such o question. Frenchmen
.tn na&r nIt one ans ser. Thsv will stand
u7 t1e emperor b. tGe emf, and quarrel ~lth
him ai'erwarIs Hh.t - united aud deeper
a'- France can do. history sei!s She fought
"1msIHed Europe Tor twenty wears. aud from
tln nartjC Of E4!my T. that o. Lodi. an
esHated b5 the genius Of tbs great Cursican.
rae power ot the iiist Napoleon s9as hope
!tsH4Y broken il tue Noscow campaign, vet
france. with E4rar t.nrths OF ner army
buried beneath the a-0xs OF Russia. strug.
EIed on Tor hearty we wears before Paris
capitulated, aud IL les. Than twelve months
rallied again for the death graopie at Water
10. With this record conlront;ng him
i poleon II will not -Yrely give up the
bloody game until he has ataked and ioat the
last coin.
On the other hand, il Prussia is besser. ..
tho outset, absudons the Rhine and IA il
back toward the Interior, peace Is even more
distant than before. Then we may LOOK for
outside interference, for neither England
nor Russia can permit Prussia to be cot
down to the dim 'nsioGs Of "a second class
power. Their alliance with King William
VIII BRING other combinations: Austria,
lRaloua of Prussia, and yet bleeding from
th@ wounds OF Sadowa, may think the time
"s7 come to regain her territories and her
reputation
l'a'y' DATED by the acquisition of Rome
'T''' III os'Ihe what she owes to France,
=. ~ N"po'eoh, aud the coaflapra-
. .ion Vn,ch mem nov 10 confined within com para
hVeiy small limits, will then sweep Tho
continent from the Enplish cbann.i - ~. .ue
Hosphorus, from the Mediterranean n tbe
Frozen sea. There are certain erss in ,bo
annals Of the human race, when the swa,s
dominates over the olive branch vban ~
passions of antagonistic people override ,ba
dictates of reason and defy all control snd
when the best diplomacy amounts to no
more than the cry of child amid the rusb
and roar of mighty tempest. 1t is half a
century since such an era cast its baleful
shadow upon the world. but the natural in.
stincts of mankind have undergone no
change; pride, ambition and revenge still
reign supreme in the human breast, and
rom these may spring a carnival of
Slaughter that will sink all previous wars
'nto insigni6oance.