Knoxville weekly chronicle. [volume] (Knoxville, Tenn.) 1870-1875, 1870-08-03
WAR sPECULATIoNs

The war advices from Europe are con-
flcting, as we might well imagine. The
dispatches are all subjected to the censor
ship of French and German officers APP
pointed for that purpose, and we need not
suppose they would permit any news to he
published which would in any way aid the
enemy, by giving too full or accurate infor-
nation concerning their forces, their dis
position or equipment The New York
dailies have their correspondents at both
capitals, so we get through tn I'm such news
as either army officials deem it most to
their interest to make public. For instance,
we are told from the correspondents at
Paris that the French army numbers fully
800, 900 men, well equipped and in fine
spirits, advantageously posted and ready
to sweep over Germany like an ire
sistible avalanche; and that it is certain the
Prussians have not over 2O0,0 900 men on the
Rhine, and that even this small force is di-
vided into small divisions, and cannot pos
sibly man to advantage the extensive for
tresses that dot the banks of the Rhine.
On the other hand, the newspaper men
from Berlin assure us with great conf
dence that the German army on the left
bank of the Rhine is much stronger than
is generally supposed, that tits armed with
the needle gun, is in splendid spirits and
able to take the offensive at any time, and
march to Paris. They declare that Napo-
leon has found the Germans stronger than
he expected, and has positively changed
Z /, -. Ill nf that I'm
stead of marching straight over or through
Coblentz and Mayence to Berlin, he will
probably give the enemy battle, and, after
decided victory, encamp the Imperial
! Guards in the streets of Berlin.
These are fair digests of the kilograms
sent us for the past few days 1t is hardly
necessary for us to say that all dispatches
should be received with due allowance.
| Our own experience in war schooled us to
such receptions, so that we hardly need be
cautioning our readers as to what they may
expect in this.
But from the dispatches at hand making
the proper credits to those we believe, from
experience and known facts to be reliable
we think some few things are satisfactori-
ly established. In the first place we think
Napoleon has been disappointed at the
unanimity with which the German State.
have supported Prussia as well as that the
public sentiment of the world SO generally
endorses the course Bismarck has pursued
Again we think he has found the German
forces concentrating with greater rapiditS
OH the Rhine than he anticipated, and thai
the defensive preparations along its banks
are more formidable and nearer completion
than at first reported. We infer this boil
from the delay of actual hostilities anC
from the apparent confidence Gen. Moltll
seems to feel in his preparations-a conf
dencc assumed because of the protracte,
delay at Berlin of the King and his staff
We do not attach much importance to tn
bets offered in London that the German
would be in Paris inside of a fortnight, o
to the enthusiastic predictions on the othe
hand that Napoleon will soon plant hi
banners in the palace of King WillaI
, While having decided sympathies founde
o a. much upon an intelligent judgment i
=, favor of Germany as upon any other has
=, we are not blinded 50 as to give to OF
a readers unfair or prejudiced statement
: We believe the day of battle is near at hant
!, 1t cannot long be delayed. The armies a
> concentrated in great force and when Il
# struggle does come it will be one such
p Europe has not witnessed for years. 1t wi
70 in truth be a battle of giants. Arm
# numbering a half a million or morocco
-, armed with the deadliest weapons, of
cered by able Generals driven on to deaf
at the fearful rate made possible by Il
improved and terrible enginery of model
warfare. We do not await it inpatient
d for we wish it could be avoided forevC
Is What the result will be no man can tie
81 and it void be useless to speculate upon
II result that may even now be decided.
DC VERY NATURAL.