New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1870-11-21
PLOTTING rs NOT PREPARING.

| The Berlin papers claim that documents
have been discovered in Saint Cloud proving
that the war against Prussia was prepared at
least two months before the Hohenzollen
| incident. There is no question that ever since
the refusal of Bismarck to rectify the Rhenisl
flontiel in 1906 the purpose OF war was cher
! ishcd by the Emperor and his immediate sur
rounding. The enormous increase In the
military budget, and the apparent reorgani-
cation of the army on a basis of 100000 men,
had no other object OF purpose than an attack
on their powerful Ieighbor. 1t should be
| easy to find documents to show this. But
every battlefield from Wcissenburg to DIenx
proves that the war was never prepared
That is Just the thing which the sly plotters
Of the Tuileries did not dO-and that Is what
| is the matter to-day.
The curse of France has been that paralyzng
personal rule which ended, perhaps too late, at
Sedan. The Emperor was never restralDed by
any moral considerations from schemes OF ag-
gresson and plumber, and yet he was destitute
of the mental and physical vigor necessary to
q clear and definite development OF his own
ideas He built mp the Kingdom of Italy TO he
q thorn in his side. He could not control she
element OF nationality he had fOstered into
robust life. He vaguely planned Latin En-
pire i'm America which should he tributary to
France, and should check the dangerous en-
croachments of the Anglo-Saxsn. Yet so
feebly and irresoutely did he sustain the
mower he bad planted in Mexico, that his
boastcd troops were ignobly defeated and
barassed by ragged greasers, and his imperial
brother shot to death by the victorious Re-
fptI
military efforts. MERCER and MOnthOloa were
ridiculous in Washington on account or Their
e.ryile desire to be agreeable to him. Bene-
detti in Berlin was hose of wax IN the
hanls of Bismarck. Whenever strong rren,
like DrOuya de Lhuys and few others,
driited into the service. they were soon sagTl-
feed by some sudden incxphcable attack of
cowaglice or languor in the bead OF the STATE
With boundlesS resources the greatest position
in the world, a law-abdng population OF forty
mlliOna and legislature more swift to obey
than he was to command, be was never able
to bring to successful completion single one
of his schemes of aggression OF conquest. lie
stood imootent before that superb and magniii-
cent France which he could not use.
He surrounded himself with pleasant people
who would not crate on his nerves. lie dis
liked men, of energy and will. Like Louis
XIV, he would have dismissed so great
statesman ~ Choiseul because he laughed too
loud. His palace was full of sOft-speaking
courtiers. His favOrite Generals. and Marshals
never would talk business, but would always
assure him they could go to Berlin in week.
His Ministers sang the same dpOwsy refrain
Everybody tod softly about him, as in the
chamber of a sick man. And when mt last ho
made his crazy war, and the rabble greeted it
with the nosy ferocity with which every
r,ibbhe has gceeted every war since Govern
ments began, he was as ignorant OF what he
was doing as If during eighteen years he had
been living out of the world. The corruption
and lassitude Of the autocrat had Infected the
army and the country, and Emperor, Army,
and Empire went to pieces at the first shock.
If this example does not teach other nations
which need the lesson that despotism is not
strength, then we may as well let by-gones be
hy cones. and cease to write or Dead history.