New-York tribune., 1870-08-10
W1R TOpIEN.

When the breech-loaders of Sharp and Colt
were first introduced, military critics objected
that they required so much intelligence and
care on the part of the soldier that they would
be unavailable for practical use. This predic-
ton was not justified but the ChassepOt and
the neede-gun are so much more complex
than the American rifles that the intelligence
of the men who handle them becomes very
important consideration in predicting the for
tunes of a campaign. The Bureau of EduCa-
ton at Washington furnishes statistics which
may enable us to compare the French and
Prussians in regard to this point. According
to the returns Of the French Minister of Pub
lie instruction in 1865, more than 30 per cent
of the cOnscripts could neither read nor write.
In Prussia, in 1867 the proportion of illit-
crate conscripts was only per cent, the ratio
varying from OH in Saxony to 1913 in Posen.
We shall probably hear no more from Paris
about the immeasurable superiority of the
Chassepot over all other weapons; but it may
be interesting to recall what was said of it in
the official report of Messrs. C. b. Norton and
w. j. Valentine to the United States Govern
ment on arms and munitions of war in the
Paris Exhibition of 1867. "The Prussian gum
"maker, Specht,' says this report, "has re-
"ceived from Paris a Chassepot gun similar to
"those adopted by the French army, and eX
"periments have been made with it which
"have furnished important results. The Chas
"sepOt is certainly superior to the Prussian
"needle-gun. Competitive essays have been
"made with the two. More than fifty officers
"of all arms witnessed them. The ChassepOt
"was in the hands of M. Specht; the needle
"gun in that of one of the best marksmen in
"the garrison. The arrangement was to fire
with each weapon per minute. The needle
"gun was the first; it fired eight rounds and
Z" struck the target eight times. The Chasse-
spot fired ten shots and was loaded the
eleventh time within the minute it also
"reached the target eight times. The two guns
"were afterward fired together during half
minute the needle-glm discharged three
shots, the Chassepot five" Both weapons
may be seen at some of the New-York gun
shops.
-Chalons, where the Emperor now has his
headquarters, is about so miles in the rear of the
line OF the Moselle and 30 miles in a straight line
from Paris. Metz and Nancy are 30 miles apart,
and each ITO miles in straight line from
Paris. BY railroad however their distance
from the capital is much greater. The Stras-
bourg trunk line (Chemin de fer de ESQ
passes through Nancy and Chalons, the dis
tance of the former place from Paris being
by rail about 22O miles. Metz is situated on
branch OF the same road, which forks few
miles northwest of Nancy, and its distance
from the capital by rail is about 24O miles.
When the Cable reported some time ago
that Germany demanded as her ultimatum the
dethronement of the Bonapartes, we pronounced
the story baseless. A remark of Count Won
Bismarck's made public to-day confirms our
opinion. lie declares that it is not the busi-
ness OF Germany to lberate the French peO-
pie; If they want their freedom they mnst win
1t themselves. He has no wish to interfere
with the domestic ccnerns of the French En-
plre. bismarck indeed il too shrewd to push
victory so far as to irritate the other nations
OF Europe. If he win he may demand of
France the surrender of territory properly
German which she now holds on the left bank
OF the Rhine, and he may exact heavy in
demnity, but beyond this he is not likely to 90.
The London Times doubts whether Nipo-
leon is III full possession of his faculties and
some OF the American papers think that the
Saubruck bulletin could not have been writ