The Placer herald., 1870-07-30
THE WAR on THE RHINE.


found in the city papers for the past two
weeks, We should have had great battles oe.
tween the Prussian and French armies by
this time; tat at this writing we are agree
ably disappointed. The truth is, the city
papers want war simply to aid their circu-
lation and furnish facilities for humbugging
the people with trashy and sensational news,
and they have made great efforts to unduly
excite the public On the question. France and
Prussia are 10th preparing for great war,
and are actually throwing great masses Of
troops, on the borders of the Rhine, where
the principal fighting must take place, if
these two powers must and do fight. Both
these powers, however, have control of the
territory from which news must come, and
both have prohibited army correspondents
and news gatherers from entering their lines.
Under these circumstances it is the hight
Of folly to suppose that either party will al
low any reliable news to go out that would
be of the slightest advantage to the other
side, or worthy Of serious thought to the
outside public. Prussia and France can
each place in the field 100000 of as well
armed and as good fighting soldiers as are in
the world, and the field of combat is small in
comparison to America and American ideas,
and the contest will be no child's play, and
will be determined by generalship, and not
by the force of numbers. Louis Napoleon
is the greatest man that wears a crown in
the world, and Bismark is the greatest d.
plomat and statesman known to Europe
We must admit and consider these things, to
be able to judge of the news as it arrives
and of the magnitude and duration of the
war, if confined to these powers alone, and
fought at all. The London Times publishes
the text of a secret treaty which has been
under discussion and pending between Prus-
sia and France some four years, that makes
the statesmen of England and all Europe
turn pale and shudder for the safety of their
little Kingdoms and Principalitics. The sub
stance OF this treaty is about this Napoleon
admits and guarantees Prussia the territory
won from Austria in the late war, and ac-
1uiesces in the union of the North and South
German States under Prussia. For this
Prussia consents to and aids France in the
acquisition of Luxembourg and the absorp-
ton of Belgium, and then the alliance fol-
lows that makes France and Prussia the two
great overshadowing and absorbing powers
of Europe. This programme is SO natural,
so reasonable, when the desires of Kings
are considered, and so desirable to the pride,
power and glory of both Prussia and France;
and when it is known that the discussion of
this particular treaty was kept secret from
the other powers and diplomats of Europe
for nealy four years, that it's no wonder Eng
lish Lords bleached and sunk tremblingly
into their seats on its being made public. The
ratification of this treaty and its proclama-
ton to the world under the shadow of 2,OOO,-
600 armed, equipped aud supplied French and
Prussian soldiers, would be an end to all
'ther powers in Europe, except Russia
Prussia and France, so far as their power
or either evil or good are concerned All
these things considered, leaves doubt upon
,ur mind as to the sincerity and malignancy
of this quarrel between King William and
he French Emperor Yet the chances are
n favor of their fighting few battles, if fol
nothing else than to get their soldiers, arma-
ments, etc, in good fighting trim, preparatory
to the ratification of this or similar treaty
to redistribute the territory and reconstruct
the map of Europe, so as to make all the
other Kingdoms exist only in the shadow and
by the sufferance Of these two great powers,
Prussia and France. BE this as it may, the
French army will not reach Berlin unaided,
nor will the Prussians reach Paris. Thi
war, if war it is, is for the aggrandizement OF
Kings, Emperors and despots-to add to
their power, and to take from their subjects
liberty, law, bread and blood. In such wars
our sympathies are not with the crowned
a,1s, their court circles or progeny, but
with .he suffering, bleeding, starving and
crown-ri. den masses. Should this threaten
ed war result in dethroning and driving into
exile every crowned head, and every ap-
pended pimp Of crowned heads in Europe,
leaving the continent peopled with free
Democracy, and governed by fraternal Re-
publics-as we pray to Gcd it may-then,
and not till then, will we tol's our hat and
shout for the victors in Euro pean war
There is absolutely no telegraph ne WIS worthy
of publication, not embodied in this Article.
A HANDSOME COMPLIMENT. The follow