The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1871-02-23

order, upon the fortress of Metz.
Nevertheless the Chassepot, which is only
an improvement on the needle-gun, is also a
defective weapon. Both guns are, in fact
constructed on false principle. The breech
mechanism works by means of a bolt which
moves backward and forward in channel
in order to open and close the breech. This
occasions great friction, end as both guns use
paper cartridges there is a general tendency
for the gas to escape thereby fouling the
piece and obstructng the operation of the
bolt. In addition, tie channel in which the
bolt acts frequently conducts the gas back TO
the face of the soldier firing the gun, render
ing it dangerous to handle. But as we have
said before, the superior range of the Chasse-
pot has been decided benefit to the French,
and accounts in measure for the desperate
resistance Douays brigade at Weissenburg
and MacNahon S corps at Woerth were able to
offer to the immensely superior forces which
attacked them.
1t must be borne in mind, however that
the Chassepot, though superior to the needle
gun, has been proven inferior to many Ame-
rican and breech-loading rifles. AS we re-
marked before, the system on which both
the French and German guns are made is
bad. Experience has demonstrated the effeo-
tiveness of all breech-losding small arms in
which paper cartridges are used when op-
posed to similar arms charged with metallic
cartridges and simply because it is difficult
to prevent the fouling of the breech appara-
tus with the first, and next to impossible for
there to be any fouling with the second, if
the breeoh piece be constructed on sound
scientific principles.
In the matter of small arms our Govern
ment has displayed much wisdom in selecting
a weapon which is not only superior to the
Chassepot and needle-gun, but also to the
English Snider aud any other breech-loader
yet tested. One hundred thousand Ameri-
cans armed with the Remington rifle, which
has been adopted by the United States navy,
and officially reported for adoption by the
army, would be more than O match for a simi-
lar force of French, Germans, or English armed
with their present weapons, if both armies
were equal in artillery and generalship The
simplicity of its mechanism, its durability, its
strength in resisting the reeoil of the charge,
its facility of execution rapidity of firing, and
accuracy of range, combine to make it proba-
bly, the best military arm in the world Such
is the opinion of many of our army officers,
including Generals Sherman, Sheridan, and
Schofeld, and such also is the opinion of the
Spanish, Swedish Egyptian, Danish, and,
though too late French Governments, which
have ordered large numbers, while rejecting
native or European inventions. But if we
even had no Remingtons we should still pos
sess an advantage over the principal Euro
pean nations in the matter of small arms.
The converted Springfield which is also used
by our Government, the Peabody, the Spen-
Ger, and Winchester repeating rifles, and half
dozen others whose names we cannot recall to
mind, are as much superior to the Chassepot,
needle-gun, and Snider as these latter are to
the old muzzle-loader.
But while we are as safe as science can
make us in our small arms, we are deficient
in artillery. During the Rebellion the favor
lite field pieces in our armies were the rihed
Parrott and the Napoleon smooth bore. Both
are undoubtedly good guns, but neither can
compare with the breeca-loading cannon used
by the Germans. The correspondents, in
their reports of battles fought between the
French and Germans, have Invariably stated
that "before the French could even catch
glimpse of the enemy they were compelled to
sustain fearfully effective artillery fire. so
great was the range of the German guns In
fact, the war in France has been decided by
artillery.
Formidable as is the French mitrailluse, it
cannot compete with the German rihed
breech-loader. 1t certainly can fire a great
many balls in an incredibly short space of
time, but it is incapable of spreading the
missiles which it discharges. These follow
single line and do not diverge; hence unless
the mitrailleuse be parked on a battlefield,
its effect is scarcely greater than that of can
lister thrown from twelve-pounder Napoleon
tieldpiece at easy range. At long distances
it is powerless when opposed to the German
gun.
We have in the Gatling gun adopted for
the army mitrallleuse superior to that used
by the French, but we have no breech-loading
cannon. OF what avail, then, would be our
superiority in small arms if our army went
into battle supported by rifed PARROTS and
Napoleon smooth-bore guns, if, as has been
the case in France, it was opposed by force
armed with the same artillery used by the
Germans? Clearly none At the Springfield
Armory the Government is manufacturing
RemiL gtons and converting the old muzzle.
loading rifle on the Allin system; but it is
doing nothing, so far as we are aware, to i'm
prove our artillery. 1t is true that there is no
immediate prospect of our engaging in war
with foreign power. The Alabama claims
and fisheries question will doubtless be ami
cably settled. But we know not at what time
questions may arise and involve us in war
1t will not do to wait till the contest is upon
us before preparing to meet it. Our Gov
ernment should at once have our artillery re-
cast and made equal to, if not better than, the
German breech-loading cannon. In our
artillery lies our military deficiency and our
military weakness, which, if not remedied,
may involve us in serious disasters.
THE DRAGONS FOOTSTOOL.
| From the N. Y. World.
Asia lattarlv in homa1v Ynhroca hos n od