The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1870-07-22
rhe Seat of war.

hF0h the ". J. tpSt. '-'
In q war between Prussia aud France,
tle actual frontier between the two cOun.
tries is likely 10 be the first scene Of mill
t0ry operations: This frontier Is by no
means extensive; the Palatinate In the
South and Belgium in tho north lying like
wedges between the territories Of the con.
tending powers, and approaching each
other within antlistanCe, measured in a
straight line from Sarrcgucmmcs on the
Sarre TO Perl on tho Moselle, Of
forty English miles. If the South Ger.
man States and tho Low Countries should
remain neutral, and IL their neutrality
were respected by the belligerents,I II Is
upon THIS narrow frontier that the queS-
ton must be decided whether tho war
Fshall be Waged upon French or German
territory.
1T appears that Belgium will remain
neutral, and that neither COmbatant will
venture to intrude upon her soil, on the
peril of meeting an immediate declaration
Of war from Great Britain. But not so
with the South German States. They
are bound by treaty 10 Join Prussia In re-
sisting an attack on Germany, and they
make common cause with her Now, the
old "Palatinate" a detached province Of
Bavaria, and the Grand Duchyof Baden
dljoin the Rhine provinces OF Prussia on
the eastern Borders Of France, and con-
tinue her German frontier further dis
tance Of one hundred and fifteen English
miles 10 the borders Of Switzerland, Ut
Basle. Il f.. iUin utp lagl
The design Of the French Emperor
doubtless IS TO wage war upon German
territory. 1t is the lavorltc ambition OF
the soldiers of France TO be led across the
Rhine, and tlle whole hatIhn would Ge ID
spirited by it. Besides, it is Aserious mat
ter to have great army Of invaders quar-
tered upon country. twas therefore an
effective stroke Of fpOlicy on, the part Of
Napoleon to demand Of the South Ger
nian states yesterday an immediate deci-
sion on tho question Of neutrality. He
knew that they could notavoidi following
FrlssiI but TINT II he should attack them
before they lind openly taken part with
her, lie would put himself plainly in the
wrong. Accordingly, he drives them 10 o
decision ut once; and thus opens tue way
tor himself 10 attack nnypart Of tue Ger
man frontier. Tho Palatinato ia peculiar!
" exposed TO attackon the side Of France,
and might be dcsOlated by q detached
corps Oi tile French army In few days,
perhaps before Prussia could occupy It;
and tic Emperor may possibly have hop
ell that this fact would cause Bavaria TO
hesitate before taking up his challenge.
When the seat Of war must needs be a
territory perfectly familiar to. the leaders
on botll sides, every mile Of which has
been made d special study, and upon
which tie energies OF a nation have been
spentitOr many years to make 1t impene'
trable to IN invader, the difficulty OF an.
| rticipaling the first efforts Of the combat
ants Is greatly heightened Neither army
cal leave lis own position far behind with.
out. facing some Of. those wonderful for
tresses, which nre TO this century what the
vast Gothic cathedrals were 10 q more re-
ligious age, the highest efforts OF. Its &C.
lnius and its resources; on the one side
| IVcrdun, Metz and Strasburg !; on the
other, Saarlouis, CJblentz, Mainz and
Radstalt. To storm such works as these
is impossible; To lay siege to them Is 70
wear out tho spirit and resources Of the
army; To leave them behind Is perilous.
In nm offensive campaign on tho Rhine
efficient gunboats would be Invaluable to
Napoleon but he has none there; he
cannot bring them without violating the
neutrality Of Holland, and to build them
Is the work Of many months.
The French people and sOldiery GER
tainly look for campaign on the Rhine j.
hut Napoleon, while not superior 70 Ger
many in land forces, has great superior:
ity in his leet-unQuestiOnabl strong
est, except the British, in the world. 1t
Is but three hundred aMd sGventy.tiye
miles by sea from BoulOgnc 10 the mouth
Of the Weser or the Elbe; Il distance so
shnrt that, with steam transports, land
force might be carried thither In two
days sufficient to support the French
ships in u formidable attack on either Bre.
men or Hamburg. Just beyond lies the
long disputed territory Of Schleswig and
of HOlstcin, recently occupied by Prussia,
but In which u large part Of the people
are OF Danish origin, and arc. hostile To
the Germans BY occupying this region
Napoleon might reasonably hope to ce-
mcnt IN alliance with Denmark, which
would secure to him Copenhagen as a
base Of naval operations against the
Prllssian coast, and increase the disatfcc'
tion of tho Hanovcrians towards tile mon
arChy at Berlin.
To an observer at distance some such
course rs this seems to otter obvious ad-
vantages over movement against the for
tiications on the Rhine. But the great
fortress OF Luxembourg, purity disman.
tied Of late, but still formidable In itself
ind the very gateSto Rhenlsh Prussia, d
such a.priZothat ttfc flrstinp0rtht strug,
gle Of the war may be Tor its possession.
| In either case Il is clear that no time will
Fbo lost in'dGlIbcrating, but that The plans
oftllc French arc fully maturctl; and there
il, therefore, reason 10 expect, within a
very short time, stirring news, either from
the lind between TAiOnville aud Tricr, Ol
from the southeastern coast Of the North
Sea.
.,.slI .ETEz5-5TT,T 2 Y, e - .i2i'' I