The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1870-08-24
sPxRIT OF THE PRESS.
Editorial Opinions Of the Leading Journals
upon Current Topics-Compiied Every
Day for the Evening Telegraph.
THE VICTORY OF PRUsSIAN ADMINS
TRATION

IL the Germans conduct their campaign to
the end as vigorously and successfully as they
have commenced it, even though meeting
with occasional checks the attention of the
world will be closely called to the system aud
organization which could produce such re-
maIkable results. The Prussian Common
wealth-which now leads and represents the
various German States-stands forth to all
Europe as the one community which has
been able to make the most tremendous and
well-diTected military efforts beheld by the
world since the days of Napoleon. In fifteen
days from q sudden declaration of war,
community of scholars, merchants, and
farmers are seen to quietly and carefully as
semble nearly million of men in arms, trans
port them, as methodically as though they
were sent by express, to their appointed
stations, and suddenly hurl half of them,
with the precision of campaign arranged
on O map, upon the first military empire of
modern times and shake it to its base. The
business-like quiet of these vast operations
the modest tone of the leaders, and then the
tremendous and combined energy of the
strokes dealt upon the enemy are calculated
to impress the minds of the most thoughtless
observers, as showing great fund of power
and thorough discipline and training behind
all these outward efforts. Men will recall
that four years since, by similar audacity and
similar organization, the proudest empire of
Eastern Europe was struck to the ground in
six weeks campaign Napoleon was accus-
toned to say that but one or two of his Mar
shals could handle in the field over hundred
thousand men. Thus far under the present
Emperor, and in this campaign, there is no
evidence that single French General has
known how to handle even fifty thousand, so
that heavy bodies Of troops could support
one another.
The French are, by their own statements,
always outnumbered at any given point on
their lines of attack or defense. And yet it
cannot be mere accident that on the Prus-
sian side at least three men are found who
can handle armies, and mass them with per-
feet order, and hurl them with tremendous
force on points selected beforehand, each
of which armies numbers over one hun
dred thousand men. Our people, who had
four terrible years experience in military
science, know that it is not accident which
enables Prussia to transport, feed, supply.
and arm suitably such vast bodies of SOL
diers. While complaints come by every
mail from Paris of the want of organization
and the defects in commissariat and trans
portation in the French armies, the Germans
seem we'll fed and provided for, and all sup
plies are rapidly transported. War in mod
ern times is not entirely an affair of chance
work. Success nseans discipline, organiza-
ton, power of command and financial and
administrative skill. The Prussian victories
over the Austrians were victories of intelli-
gence over stupidity. The German victories
over the French are conquests of education
over drill and mechanism. If the German
armies invest Paris during 1870, it will be be-
cause the whole Prussian system is superior
to the French, because an educated nation in
arms is stronger than a standing army, and
common schools are better even for war than
Imperial Guards.
Ever since Prussia broke down under the
assault Of the first Napoleon, and Won Stein
began his great internal reforms, she has
been steadily and quietly pursuing her course
of Improvement and education. Enforced
education for all, strict discipline, limited
military service for every able-bodied man,
municipal administration, free trade and an
economical government, have been the sail
ent features of this Prussian development
and progress during the last fifty years
Under it she has silently created q nation of
scholars and soldiers, a civil service of exact
ness and faithfulness a well-ordered govern
ment of municipalities, not too centralized,
and most healthy condition of industrial
and financial prosperity. She stands forth
now the best educated nation in Europe
perhaps the thoroughness of her common
school education surprising even our own
country. There is no vast ignorant proleta-
riat at the base of her society, such as
threatens the prosperity of England or the
good order of New York. Almost every man
can read, and every man has been, for at
least three years of his life, a soldier
But to be soldier in Prussia does not
make him, as in France, a mere Pretorian,
or tool of the Emperor. The Prussian serves
his three or five years. he learns order and
subordination thoroughly, he is trained in
all physical exercises, and is educated in
many mental branches at public expensa
Shortening his term of service by intellec-
tual proficiency, and after his assigned years
are finished, he returns to the people q
citizen again as well as a soldier. His sym
pathies are not permanently withdrawn
from the classes in which he was born. He
is better soldier from being citizen and
intelligently trained, and a better citizen
from his habits Of order and subordination.
Though SO large class of able young men
are thus withdrawn every year from proauc.
tive labor, so economically is this military
administration of the German Kingdom car.
ried on, and so carefully are the economical
maxims of the great Fritz still observed, that
the taxes of Prussia are not nearly so burden.
some as those of New York. while her civil
administration is hundred-fold better. Nc
nation in Europe was so we'll prepared, finan
cially, for war as she was this year; and ever
this enormous struggle will be borne by hel
more easily than by France
The administration of Prussia has fittet
her equally for war and for peace 1t onl,
needs what it was gradually receiving-ai
Infusion of parliamentary life and gradua
limitation of the royal power-to make it tn
model Government of Europe. 1t stand
now pre- eminent before the world as tn
representative of intelligent and united ad
ministration, as opposed to Cesarism rulin
by ignorant suffrage. Once already it ha