The Opelousas courier. [volume] (Opelousas, La.) 1852-1910, 1870-11-05
a.,sral Beauregard on the war.

4 correspondent vi 'ue AShthpuFr Nr-
.,.bloas. writing from Allegany Springs,
E;rr;nia. relates IL conversation with
,snmasral Beauregard about the war in
rvnnne. Some of the Generals views
.re Of interest
TLc anestion was asked: What is the
..otter with France1 Consider her for
,ns, n,sr r,ilitary fame, that of the first war
inc nation in Europe-consider her pa
.rotism: the devotion and readiness
.;th which she went to the field, her no.
HE unsurpassed postponement of every
vSs;tical question, of every faction in
fer legislative body to win the safety of
Ssr conntry-even the "Impracticables," :"
s;te Favre and Thiers, shouting ''resist-
,,n nnss to the deatl. !" Look ct her ready
snd even excessive loans to the Govern
%s,,t a her public spirit risen to a height
.bst disdains all compromises and hur-
u E IN offer all possible sacrifices. Then
I's. h.r defeat, and her defeat continued
WY WY .nora n :atc,l on every field! Why
'.i.aS1ser2essio,i 'ia1 OF disasters? Is it not
no, uossible that there 2'ay have been treach-
ery IN The French camp, as when the
cameron is reported to have &ade the
exclamation that She, was betrayed -
and indeed, you noticed the last ac-
oounts. "the French soldiers in Belgium
tsrned upon their officers and massacred
them"
General Beauregard replied at length,
and with a clcarness aud detail of con
yersation that do dot pretend to report,
but in the third aa.d distantaperson. The
hypotheses that had been named. the sus-
pscious Of treaclery, or of gross incom-
netency thrown ON particular French off
GERS, were possible !; but they were not
necessary to answer the problem of the
French defeat. After all, it might DO
found in slight causes. War, modern
war, bud got. to he such an elaborate
competition, one SO close and exacting,
that the least shade of superiority in any
one respect might incline the balance.
The French system Of attack was a ira
ditional one; they relied Oh momentum,
DASH; He referred to an article in the
Pail Mall gazette, which compared the
military ,systems and practice on the
Geld Of France and Prussia. The latter
had the advantage in tue close and scr.,
pplops calculation Of every thing calcu-
lated to give advantage to the silgle sol
dieractipg sas . comhatant, aud inspired
with the idea that. On his individual Of
fort depended the fortune of the field.
Here was q Government that had studied
the military efficiency, Of the 1aaa almost
exclusively, to the highest point. A
Government more 'exacting than the
Oriental despotism; but,naose intelligent
than these. The whole society of Prus-
sia was vast, elaborate organization, a
camp the supreme idea everywhere
visible that the man belonged to the
GoFeEemept. Form. severity was tho
feature of their, civilization; popular
education was enforced even it's social
industries were organized !: in Prussia ma
man could pursue a. trade unless he had
served an apprenticeship, or performed
certain public conditions. The idea of the
great Eesaeriek md hSen. censtantiy cul'
tiyatea since. his time togsaake q nation
Msol6ers,; organization aud diseiplins
in.eyesy departmentof life; and to-da5
We zee its results in the most perfectly
tsained armies -IsoaaieFs the tBost Obedi
eat, yet On athusiastic, having that pecu
liar combination of steadiness, with spirit
that makes the best soldiezstn the worlt
and that is shBdnd; til elimination O
oil sailitary edueatioa. s,.a4ss.l s.r.-' - =
'4.Who'' '-- and General Beauregart
ipoke with suffased face could dotb
Tie courage Of the French soldier Thu
bsavest people in the world may fall un
der the complications Of science - th'
force Of angle fact overlooked in tn.
grand and elaborate com petition of war.
He had noticed, 90 fsr as anything conft
boa Ah4 nnnfneoH H1n