The New York herald., 1870-08-09
The war In Europe.

Prussia has gained victory which almost
determines the campaign Is conviction
which is shared by every nationality, French
men scarcely excepted. The news this morn
ing clearly shows that the French on Satur-
day were found unequal to the Prussians at
| two points of their line-at two points which
deserve to be spoken Of as their right and left
| fanks The victory of the Grown Prince was
scarcely more complete than was that OF Won
| Goebeu. General Trossard was not more COM
pletely defeated between Saarbruck and For
bach than was MacMahon at Haguenau and
Woerth. On each of her projecting points
France was punished. The news Of this
morning seems to imply very general demorali-
zation all along the French line. MacMahou's
! army seems to have been cut to pieces; and,
according to late intelligence, 1t was hope
lessly cut off from the main body of the French
army. 1t seems to have been equally bad
with the forces under Frossard. Forbach is in
the hands of the Prussians. and, according to
Prussian reports, IL is a most important strate-
gle point.
This, however, does not fully state the ad-
vantages gained by Prussia. In consequence
Of the victories won on the right and on the
left the Prussian army felt emboldened to
move forward along its whole line. The result
has been that not only have the French on the
right and the left retired, and retired in confu-
sion, but the headquarters, which were at
Metz, have been drawn inwards, the Emperor
retiring, sick, il is said, and almost in despair,
to Chalons. Without going too much into
details, which more perplex than enlghten the
reader, it may be said with confidence that the
whole French army has been driven back, and
that the original plan of the campaign, 30 far
as France is concerned, has been complete
failure Napoleon assumed the aggressive;
he carried the war into the enemys country;
but, in place of marching direct and triumph
ant to Rim, he now retires crestfallen and
sick towards Paris. At the moment we write
it is possible that a great battle is going on-a
battle not of divisions, but of whole armies.
All accounts agree in this-that Prussia is
pressing on in the rear of the retreating
French; that the Prussian army numbers
somewhere about eight hundred thousand
men; that it is flushed with success, and that
Napoleon, if he would save Paris, must fight
at once.
In the event of a general engagement taking
place without delay it is not difficult to
see that the chances are nightly in favor of
Prussia. The forces Of King William move on
unbroken and cheered by victory at every
step. The forces of Napoleon are broken on
the right and left, scattered and, by virtue of
retreat, demoralized along the whole line.
This, however, is not all. German soldiers,
like all soldiers of the North, 60 into battle
counting on possible defeat and prepared to
learn and turn, If possible, defeat into victory.
French soldiers, like all soldiers Of the South
go into battle counting on success and on sue
cess only. All the advantages of the situation
are, therefore, in favor Of Prussia Napoleon
must concentrate before he can fight; and in
concentrating it is next to impossible to pre-
vent the enemy from finding an easy way to
Paris. Prussia is already in order and
marches on like a living wedge. If Prussian
troops are only quick enough they may be in
Paris before Napoleon is able to get his army
in fighting order. If it be true that the
Emperor is sick the chances of France are
nowhere. The absurdity of the one man
power is likely to have an effective illustration
before this war is ended.
The general situation is enlivened somewhat
by news from Italy. On the one hand We are
told that the Pope, dreading an invasion by the
party of action in Italy, has imploringly
besought the Empress Regent to send him
only one ship, that he may have secure
place of refuge. On the other hand we learn
that Victor Emanuel has agreed to send one
hundred thousand men to the assistance of
Napoleon. Both reports are in all likelihood
true. If true it requires no large amount of
observation to see that Italy is to be plunged
into all the horrors of civil war. The Italian
people cannot, at one and the same time, in
wade the Pontifcal territory aud send legions
to the Rhine. Napoleon's difficulty is
Mazzini's opportunity; and although the
trumvir is old he has not, we may rest
assured, abandoned his principles or given up
his purpose. More than this. If Italy goes
in for France why should not SpainP Why
should not Austria? If Italy and Spain and
Austria go in for France, or if any one of
them offers France assistance, the duel be-
tween France and Prussia is ended and the
war becomes European. Russia, to dead
certainty, will hurry forward her legions to
the front of the fight, and Russia and Prussia,
whatever Great Britain may do, will put down
the South. The presumption is that Great
Britain, in such case, will come in as media
tor and probably end this fight. The Bible
prophets, who see in this fight the battle Of
Armageddon, may not be 80 far wrong after ALL
The condition Of France as compared with
the condition of Germany at the present