The New York herald., 1870-12-03

the Republic no Establishods
The news which wo publish this morning
shows that the French are making desperate
fight. The kilograms, as usual, are rather
conflicting In their statement Of events and the
situation Of the belligersnts, the French claim
ing great successes and the Germans asserting
that they have repulsed the forces Of France
In oil the sorties and important engagements
The despatch OF King William to Queen
| with the dispatches from Tours or even with
those from London. Though we are always
disposed to give credit to the dispatches of the
frank old Prussian monarch, the result Of the
| fighting before Paris, as reported by himself
does not show any great or very deci-
sve success for his armies He admits
| the positions were taken by the French" in
their sortes at first, though he adds they were
In the end rspulsed all round. Admitting this
to be so, how was II that no more prisoners
were taken or no more Of the French killed in
such prolonged and hard lighting with such
vast forces engaged? In the reported repulse
of the French sortie on the south Of Paris
there was only, as the King says, ''over ono
hundred prisoners taken and several hundred
dead and wounded" Driving the French
''back behind their works." as he claims, with
such small losses, looks very muck as If the
French retired orderly and for strategic rea-
sons. A later despatch, which says s'the
French are now renewing the attack on the
south" makes this view of the situation rea-
sonable one Another despatch, by the way
of London, reports that the losses of the Prus-
SLAMS were enormous. 1t Is said, too, that the
Army Of the Loire had successfully resisted
an attack Of the Germans on Its left and right
wings, and was moving forward. If 1t be
true, as Is also reported, that the French have
obtained possession of the road to Fontaine-
bleu, 1t is not unlikely that Trochu's forces at
Paris may be able to operate conjointly with
the Army Of the Loire against the besieging
Germans. But we must wait for further news
before determining what are the chances or
the relative positions Of the bellicerents.
Bravely and desperately as the French arc
fighting, the Prussans have great adva ntages.
There is not much hope that they can extri-
cate themselves from the meshes in which they
are enveloped, and less that they will be able
to drive the hosts Of Germany from their SOIL
The most that can be expected, even with
great successes, Is that tho French might
make the Prussians more desirous Of peace
and get out of the trouble with easier terms.
And here we are led to look at the present
object and spirit Of the war on the part of
Prussia. Both the purpose and character Of
this dreadful conflict have changed. From
war Of defence and against sthe Bonapartes"
1t has become an ambitious and relentless
one. To squelch the French republic and to
dismember France is now the object of the
King Of Prussia. He says-or rather Count
Bismarck says for him-that it is not continued
from hostility to republcanism. Both pretend
that they are not making war upon the republic
Of France; that they are comparatively in
different as to what form of government the
French people may choose, and that they
have no wish to interfere with such choice
| or to impose any government upon the nation.
| This declaration does not accord with their
| action nor with their sentiments and policy.
| 1t is unreasonable to suppose q proud
monarch-an absolutst Of the old ''divine
right" school, like King William-would be In
different to the establishment of republican
government in France, or that he would not
try to prevent it. It Is as unlikely that his
aristocratic Minister, or the proud aristocracy
of Prussia and the hundreds of petty
princes Of Germany are Indifferent.
MOI they fear too much the dan
ger to their own privileges from a great
republic IN the heart Of Europe embracing
such vast territory and population. They
know by experience and from the lessons of
history what an extraordinary influence
French republic has in awakening and diffas-
| ing republican ideas and aspirations in sur
| rounding nations. They dread this propa-
| gandism Of liberty and democracy, and, if pos
| sble, will extinguish the fire before it is well
| lighted.
II has been frequently said that the French
cannot establish republic, could not maintain
one, and have not the ideas, stability of nature
Or moral character for permanent republican
institutions. The facts Of history seem to JUS
tify this harsh opinion for the French have,
in the course of eighty years, had several revo-
lutions, deposed several dynasties and pro-
reclaimed the republic three times. The first
revolution-the great revolution which over
turned the old Bourbon monarchy and virtu-
ally extinguished 1t in the blood of Louis XVI.
and Marie Antoinette, established the republic
on the broadest basis. But the frightful ex-
cesses Of thatrevolution-the bloodiest tyranny
of modern times-and that, too, under the
mockery OF liberty, equality and fraternity,
soon produced reaction and ended in the
ascendancy Of a military conqueror. The en-
piro of the first Napoleon was the natural con-
sequence of these excesses and the disor-