The Hawaiian gazette. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1865-1918, 1871-03-15

to details which provide commissariat
chests, and parks of artillery; which train
the tactician and drill the Slider. Such
memories, if long continual unbroken,
are but too apt to make LADDERS supine,
and subordinates arrogant.
France had ample notic in the fate of
Denmark and of Austria, of the coming
duel between the two nations. Cireum-
stances might delay it, bu nothing short
of the Millennium could avert it. Strong
in her traditional memoirs, fattered aud
feared as the greatest military power in
/ Europe, France felt not tie slightest mis-
| giving as to the result of duel with
| Germany as it then was; but the COM
plete unifcation of that country troubled
its mind, because it saw clearly that a
united and consolidated Germany would
never tolerate its dreams of the Rhine
Provinces, and that probably the drama
of Schleswig Holstein would be repeated
under German patronage in Alsace-
Lorraine. 1t was to prevent that unifca-
ton that France preciptated the war.
The ostensible cause was out a diplomatic
pretext, and was not believed in either in
France or Germany. In fact, the very
declaration of war gives the key to the
problem, when it ignores the consolidation
of Germany so far as it had proceeded,
and in pitching into Prussia alone, holds
out promises of favor and countenance to
every German State that would remain
neutral in the fray, or follow the banner
of France
This precipitation Of France was
almost as fatal to her as her own UMPIRE
paredness for the contest 1t surprised
and alarmed Europe and Withdrew SYM
patty from her. 1t brought every Ger
man State, whether in or out of the
Confederation, to the SIDE of Prussia.
They all felt, instinctivdy, the hollow
ness of the pretext, and that the real
issue was not quarrel oFer dead mems
shoes, or the unimportant succession to a
distant throne, but whether live men, and
those men Germans, should be permitted
to arrange their Fatherland in their own
way. Prussia accepted the challenge,
and Germany rose as one man, with one
will and one purpose, to inculcate the
salutary lesson that United Germany is
sufficient for itself to protect its honor
and defend its interests.
We have all read the current descrip-
tions of the events of this memorable
conflict We have seen France betrayed
into a war for which she could really care
but little except to uphold the prestige of
her arms. We have seen how soon the
jubilant exultation with which she went
into the war was changed into gloom
and disaster. We have seen how treach-
cry, jobbing, and corruption had impaired
her military organization how her armies
were short in numbers, in ammunition, in
commissariat. But we have also seen
and it is with us a pleasure as well as
justice to record the fact,-the unparal-
leled bravery of her soldiers, in spite of
those untoward circumstances the heroic
defense of her fortified places; the stub
born resistance, the pluck and endurance
with which she has attempted, again and
again, to stem the torrent of invasion and
to turn the fortunes of the war But all
her efforts were unavailing. From causes
Just referred to, she was brought upon her
knee at the very first important engage
ment, and the vigilance, steady purpose
and sturdy will of the Germans have kept
her thus ever since She has lost every
field during the war, but she has
saved her honor, and at Woerth, Grave
lotte, and Sedan, and many other places,
the ancient Unborn gallantry of the French
nation has thoroughly indicated itself
Now that the Germans stand victorious
on French soil, with Paris in their hands,
there are some who seem to think that
they ought to have stopped on the Rhine,
to defend their own land, or at least at
Sedan. With all our aspirations after
that better state "when war shall be no
MORE" for the present, we are obliged |
to accept mankind as they are A Deacon
Jones or Elder Smith might possibly not
follow their adversary over the fence that |
separates their lands and keep on thrash
ing him to his own house, but unfor-
the Deacon Joneses and Elder
Smiths do not represent the majority of a
nation, or express its opinions. 1t is trite |
but true, that no nation is greater than
its average men, and the average men of
Germany,-no more than the average
men of France, England, the United |
States, or any other civilized country
are not yet up to the sublime point of
when they would forbear
to follow an enemy as far they could, and
smite him as long as he showed any re-
sistance, and until he sued for peace.
Would the French have stopped at Cob
lentz or Magdebourg, had fortune favored |
their attack? The 6 On to Berlin y gives
tho ansuer