Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1870-07-28
TIE EUROPEAN WAR.
The Situation.

and minor engagements at one place ant
another along the line of the French
frontier are undoubtedly correct. TIVE
armies so large as are those of Franc,
and Prussia, could hardly remain in eacl
others neighborhood for a week anC
their outposts not come into frequen
collision. But of large Importance, tn,
public Is not likely to be well informed
Louis Napoleon has never been known
to be an enthusiastic friend of a fret
press, and it is hardly probable thatjus
at this juncture he is going to relax ant
allow French papers and English pa
pers to tell all active and experienced
correspondents can find out. An ordel
has already been promulgated in Parii
for the regulation" of French journals
of other countries are fariDg no better
A correspondent of the London Times
who had made his way as far as Metz
was on Wednesday arrested, and was
kept in confinement all night. Thurs
day he was liberated, and probably
packed away to the rear. He will be a
bold man if he renews his efforts to en-
! tighten an anxious world. We must
add that bolder correspondents have
been known. A dispatch from Paris
after stating that correspondents are
strictly forbidden from approaching the
army lines, adds that strangers are not
even permitted to ascend the steeple OF
the Strasbourg Cathedral, because the
movements of troops can be seen from
that point. Unless Bismark consents
to allow greater correspondential free
dom-and this is hardly looked for-the
news of the preliminary maneuverings
and strategical marchings will be very
slight.
But aside from the lack of intelligence
from Metz and Mainz and Coblentz, there
is much in the dispatches this morning
of interest. In the first place the abb
surd rumor that Turkey was preparing
to strut up and down the field of war is
efectually knocked to pieces by the
statement that is contained in our Wash
ington dispatches. A message has been
received from Constantinople announc'
ing that Turkey would maintain strict
neutrality" From Spain also comes the
the intelligence that firm neutrality
will be observed. Not word has come
to confirm the rumors that were in cir
culation on Tuesday that Russia has de-
clared in favor of Prussia. The great
Empire of the Gar has not yet shown
its hand, and speculations i'll regard to
her future course must be lively as well
as anxious at st. Cloud. A special dis
patch, indeed, from Paris to the New
York Herald reports that it is stated
that Russia is in favor of supporting the
French Government. But as the same
authority says that South Germany will
abandon Prussia and join France at the
earliest opportunity, it is to be altogether
disbelieved. The one is no more proba-
BILE than the other, and he who puts his
trust in either will find it delusion.
But England is doing something. A dis
patch from Antwerp says an English
fleet was hourly expected at the mouth
of the Scheldt.
There is also given this morning in the
messages sent by the cable the substance
of circular addressed by France to her
diplomatic agents at foreign capitals.
The case of France is put with force, and
the letter deserves careful attention. 1T
is the best statement of the French cause
that has yet been made. But in reading
it one must not forget that the cause OF
war, as announced by Louis Napoleon,
was not bad faith OH the part of Prussia.
1t was not what Prussia had done ia the
past, but what she was doing in the
present, that provoked the declaration
of war. The HohenZollern difficulty
beyond doubt was pretense, an ex-
that is said to be continued by the gods,
Napoleon openly proclaimed it the suf-
ficient tcause.-[Cin. Gazette.
Napoleon and Bismarck
Before the great Prussion statesman
took the responsible position of chief
adviser of the Prussian King, he visited
Paris, plunged deeply into the myster-
| les of the French Government rule, and
studied closely the reticent monarch of
the Tuileries. Since that time Bismarck
has shown that he understands Louis
Napoleon. He is five years younger
than the French Emperor, and, ,notwith-
standing his herculean labors, which
have proved too much for his sound con-
stitution, possesses vigor of body {such
is their cuperative power of naturally
physical system slightly impaired by ex-
cesses.) impossible to a sovereign with
the experiences of Louis. Under pres
ent circumstances Bismarck is hard
man to set off against Louis Napoleon.
Dogged pertinacity and defiant deter
mination are characteristics of the Prus-
sian leader. He thoroughly believes in
the royal prerogative, in The unity of
Germany, and the power of Prussia. He
feels that the German people are invin-
chile when moved by a common inn
pulse, and it has been the the domina-
ting idea of his policy to produce an
overshadowing German nationality.
How well he has succeeded in this world
be shown by the alacrity with which
Germany would spring to arms in case
French soldiers, with hostile intent,
should cross the Rhine. Bismark, cool,
brave, fertile in resources backed,by an
enthusiastic army, disciplined to the
utmost, proud of its achievements, and
commanded by officers whose skill has
proved itself on bloody fields where vic
tory was won against desperate odds
will not retrace any position he has ad-
opted, Mt the menace of the French EN-
peror. In regard to the throne of Spain
by the prince Hohenzollern, there will
be no retrograding on the part of the
Prusssian Government.-[Bo Boston Tran
script.
What the Emperor Risks.
| If the French arms are successful,
France gains an extension of her bound
aries to the bank of the Rhine, and the
Emperor such an augmentation of his
popularity among the people that his
great ambition, the perpetuation of the
| Bonaparte dynasty, will be almost Sc
cured. If Prussia conquers. then all the
discomfort in France will break out
anew, increased by the suffering insep-
arabic from a war. Then the million
and half of voters who indicated their
hostility to Napoleon by their negative
ballots on the Ple6iscite in May last will
be increased until they reach or perhaps
go beyond majority of the nine mil
! lion citizens who are voters. If the
army meets with disaster, he will be
blamed with it, and the tickle French
people would join any leader or party
that would promise to vindicate the
honor of France. Hence the Emperor
is, in forcing hostilities, placing his posi-
tion upon the hazard of the results of
war, and Prussian victory is very
Iikeiv tn he his DEATH -blow