New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1871-05-18
THE EUROPEAN WAR.
Views of General Sheridan

A New York Times reporter interviewed
General Sheridan ON his arrival from
Europe. The reporter says
His views upon the European war are
most interesting and valuable He has
travelled over a very large extent of the
contested territory, and examined many of
the forts, earthwOrks and strongholds He
was present at several of the principal bat
tlefields. including Gravellotte, Sedan and
various localities around Metz. While
abroad he has met with the most cordial
and distinguished attentions from all the
authorities, and received especial and
marked courtesies from the Emperor of
Germany and his royal suite. He is very
careful and considerate in the expression of
opinion upon the merits and comparison of
the several national armies. Why" he
said, in response to question from our re-
porter, ut is not an easy thing to say who
fights best. They are all good soldiers.
But there Is a wonderful difference in their
respective peculiarities. The Germans are
tremendously stubborn, and stand fire like
a wall of stone. The French are more full
of dash"
He does not make any invidous COM
parsons. The grand success of the Ger
mans, he says, was partly owing to the ex-
cellent training their officers have received
in their military schools, and to the splendid
discipline of their men. The same thing
may be claimed for the French. 1t is
wonder that the latter have stood out as
long as they have. Their reverses are not
due to a lack of prowess or skilled officers,
but political troubles at home. Place both
of those nations in the same prosperous
state they were five years ago, and the
present situation might be very greatly
changed. Then, again, there is the Ques-
ton of arms. The needle gun is of i'm
mense power. So is the chassepot. But
these do not excel a perfect gun of our
Springfield pattern. 1t is not fair to draw
hasty conclusions in these matters.
The campaigns there were not comparable
to those of our late war. Their country is
an old one. 1t has been mapped out and
surveyed, almost to the foot. for Warlike
operations. 1t is all known. The roads
are older and better than ours. The terri
tory is more thickly populated, and the bat
tle-tields in closer contiguity. Their base
of supplies and objective points are of
easier range. Besides, they have made war
a science for centuries. Military schools
abound. Their soldiers are more absolutely
subservient than ours They have drilled
reserves ready at all times, even in peace.
Our country is immense, with inferior and
scattered roads. The territory is not well
known. We have but one military school,
with small number Of pupils, and small
standing army. But in warlike operations
they have more red tape than we do.
There are many improvements suggested
to us by their systems. But, after all, there
is no such material as is found in the Amer
lean armies. They are composed of every
national ingredient, and have much eminent
talent from foreign schools. Won Moltke
is man of tremendous and inherent will.
He moves large bodies of men with rare
success, and handles them splendidly. He
carries out his plans as a man recites some
thing thoroughly committed to memory.
The king, too, has superb judgment.
The beauty of the Prussian military mind
Is it great carefulness. Possibly at Metz,
had the French people strong government,
and their military leaders been of the old
Napoleonic force and dash, the fortune of
war might now be vastly changed. Place
those armies here and they would be non
plussed at the Typographical difficulties we
overcame. There is nothing like our army
for our work. We have an excellent sys-
TEN, but it needs changes and can be vastly
benefited by some of the European exam
pies.