The New York herald., 1871-02-22
Tho Wcapons Of the European War-Amcri-
can Superiority AID Denciency.

\ Tho Wcnpons OF the European wnr-Amcri-
can Superiority AID Dsnciency.
There are some lessons taught us by the
present war in Europe which should be care
fully borne In mind, and one of them relates
to the weapons used by the contsnding armies.
We have no large standing army, but our sys-
tenn Of military defence, defective as it is in
many essential features, enables us to rapidly
raise and organize hundreds of thousands OF
men familiar with the use of firearms and,
more or less, acquainted with the discipline Of
soldier. In these scientific days, however,
much depends upon the weapons used by an
arny-more perhaps, than even good general
ship and perfect discipline. We doubt if the
French would have gained any victories in the
present war had they been as well drilled as
the Germans and remained wanting in the ter
rible breech-loadlng field artillery used by
their adversaries, and which has, on almost
every battle field done more to defeat them
than the strategy of Won Moltke and the i'm
becility Of their own generals. 1t is, therefore,
to enter o war upon equal terms with other
great nations. H. s'''-s,at''"
One fact developed by the European contest
is the defsctiveuess of the French and German
system Of small arms, Although proven at
\ Sadowa superior to the old muzze-loader, the
needle-gun has been an ordinary weapon when
opposed to the Chassepot. At Mars lie Tour
and Gravelotte the superior range and initial
velocity of the French weapon almost neutral
lied the advantage possessed by the Germans
in artillery, numbers and generalship. Never
at any time during these battles did the Ger
mans succeed in breaking the French line. At
Gravelotte, especially, 1t was not until the
right wing Of Bazaine's army had been turned
and its rear threatened that the French re-
tired, in perfect order, upon the fortress Of
Metz. .>fs Isl 4,4.>s .3.-e' >
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 bolt, which
moves backward and forward in channel
in order to open and close the breech. This
occasions great friction, and as both guns use
paper cartridges there is general tendency
for the gas to escape, thereby fouling
the piece and obstructing the operation of the
bolt. In addition, the 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 Douay's brigade at Weis-
senburg and MacMahon'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 aeedle-gun,
has been proven inferior to many American
and English breech-loading rifles. As we
remarked before, the system on which
both the French and German guns
are made is bad. Experience has demon
strated the effectiveness of all breech-load-
ing small arms in which paper cartridges are
used, when opposed to similar arms charged
with metallic cartridges, and simply because
1t is difficult to prevent the foulng of the
breech apparatus with the first, and next to
impossible for there to be any fouling with the
second, if the breech piece be constructed on
sound scientific principles.
In the matter Of small arms our government
has displayed much wisdom in selecting a
weapon which is not only superior to the Chas-
sepot and needle-gun, but also to the English
Snider and any other breech-loader yet tested.
One hundred thousand Americans 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 match for similar
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, it's
strength In resisting the recoil 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 in
cluding Generals Sherman, Sheridan and Scho-
field, and such also is the opinion of the Span
ish, 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 possess an ad-
vantage over the principal European nations
in the matter of small arms The converted
Springfield, which is also used by our govern
ment; the Peabody, the Spencer and Win
chester repeating rifles, and half dozen
others whose names we cannot ronaI To mind