The Portland daily press., 1870-12-03
It FL It PR JESS
Saturday Morning, December 8, 1870
Pear France.

"Glory.n as Strauss recently said almost
tauptincly, sis word that the French have
greatly misused," and one to which they might
well ascrbe no small part of their misfortunes.
"Shsme," the terrible antithesis of their
watchword has now right TO the first place
in their vocabulary. For surely nothing is
wanting 10 their humiliation. The brief re-
animation of the national spirit that followed
the unexpected advantage gained at Orleans
must disappear before the subsequent re-
verses. With the long expected aggressive
movement of the Army of the Loire resulting
in most incomplete success, if not in defeat,
with Keatry insubordinate and troublesome,
with Garibald Whose ''luck has turned" and
against whom Of late years the stars in their
courses have fought-adding another lost bat
tie to Aspromonte and Mentana-with all
these fresh disasters added to the crushing
ones of an earlier date, it seems as if French
society must be resolved into its original ele-
ments with nothing bnt anarchy to rule
among its ruins.
At the time of writing this, the news con-
c,rning the conflicts of the first days OF this
week is meagre, but as it has hitherto invari-
ably happened when both parties have claim
ed victory that the Prussans were really
successful, it is natural to conjecture that
they were so in this case. But the result
does not appear TO be so decisively in their IA
vor as in the previous general engagements,
judging from the lack of detail in King Will
Jams dispatch in relation to the engagement
But little blow to those who have already
received more punishment than they can bear
is a severe misfortune.
Their condition is now truly pitiiul AS il
to add the last possible drop to the humilia
ton of the PROSTATE nation it is again serious
ly proclaimed that the deposel Emperor is to
relieve the embarrassment of the Prussians,
who are beginning to be unhappy on account
of their long Punishment from home, by
marching at the head of the French prisoners
now in Prussia back to Paris and his throne
Even the London Times is inclined to believe
that Bismarck and his royal master have de-
cided to take this path out of their diff
culties. This would be refinement
of barbarity which it is impossible fol
spectators not directly interested to regard
with any sort of calmness, but Frederick the
Great left some queer precedents for his sue
cessors, and be they as INSCRIPTIONS as they
will they can hardly hope to rival him in du-
plicity and violence. So it is not impossible
that Louis Napoleon may also have his "hun-
dred days." But it is entirely certain that
there can never be a Napoleon Fourth.
AS persons who are unduly elated in theil
days of prosperity, and omit no act of wan
ton insolence and outrage against their neigh
bors, become suddenly changed by misfor-
tune and exhibit patience, energy and skill in
practical work of which they were supposed
to be entirely destitute, so it may possibly be
with France and Der proud capital in their
unprecedented abasement Perhaps the good
qualities which the French really possess
may now for the first time have an oppoItu-
nifty for a natural development. If there
were less Orleans, Bourbon and Bonaparte
harpies lowering over her borders waiting to
rend her again, such result might be artici-
pated with considerable confidence.