Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1871-03-21
Written for the Grant County HEEALD.
The Philosophy Of French Disasters
BY REV. c. DUsHBY.

The terrible reverses uLd repeated
disasters which have continually at
tended the French armies during
their recent struggle with the sar.
passingly successful German forces.
certainly cannot fail to lead euquir-
ing minds to seek for the direct or
indirect cause Of such unparalleled
humiliation and defeat. From the
commencement Of hostilities until
the surrender Of Paris, the French
have been beaten and driven from
almost every field Of battle, though
fighting on their own territory, with
in the strongest Notifications that
military science can construct, and
with apparently every advantage
that they could desire. Never in the
history OF modern warfare, has one
nation been so speedily and complete
ly Inundated and vanquished by
another, as in the present instance.
The two nations were almost equal
in numerical strength and military
power, and France was surely as
well prepared for tho conflict as her
Antagonist, if not more so for Napo-
con is too shrewd 20 commence so
gigantic q strife without both estima.
ing the strength Of his opponent
and making an ncedful preparations
before throwing down the gauge Of
battle 20 50 formidable foe % viii
liam of Prussia.
What, then, is the philosophy Of
French rcverses and the ultimate
humiliation Of the nation. II has
been ascribed to Tho superior intelli-
gence Of the German soldiers, far
greater proportion Of whom can read
and write than the French. Admit
ting that the Germans are better ed
ucated than the French, it does not
follow that for that reason they are
better soldiers, unless it can be shown
that education makes private sol
der more willing and obedient, BRAY
CIR and less susceptible Of disease,
which is very questionable 70 say the
least.
Others have conteudcd that the
military system OF Prussia is more
perfect than that Of France, enabling
the former authorities TO fill up the
thinned ranks Of her armies with
greater rapidity and success than
those of the latter, but on examina-
ton it will be found that the number
of French soldiers will compare quito
tavorably with those Of the invading
army, especially when we consider
the natural advantages Of the former;
besides, we have heard no complaint
from French Generals Of their inabl-
ity to augment their forces when de-
sired, in fact, they had larger armies
than they were capable Of welding
to advantage, though many Of tho
French officers arc men If acknowI-
edged ability, ut least were up to the
beginning of the present war.
Looking at this marvelousy one
sided conflict from a military stand
point, the continuous succession of
defeats and disasters TO the French
nation is absolutely inexplicable ; it
does seem that their armies might
have achieved one single, solitary
victory Of importance during the
whole struggle, but such is not the
case.
Surely there is Divine Providence
overruling the affairs of nations,
thwarting the schemes of misguided
and ambitious chieftains executing
merited Justice upon such as have
filled up the measure of their iniqui-
ty. For enslaving the descendants
of Jacob and expressing them for -four
hundred years, the Egyptians were
punished, and the flower of their ar.
my destroyed in the Red Sea Fol-
the national sins of the Hebrews the
Chaldeans were permitted TO carry
them away into captivity, which they
endured for seventy years and after
the Chaldeans had become thorough
| y stepped in iniquity, the Persiaus
under the command of Cyrus, were
permitted 10 capture their capita
and vanquish the nation. But leav
ing those ancient landmarks of Di
vine Providence, let us glance at opl
own national calamity. Can any
sane person take retrospective view
Of the American conflict without &C
knowledging the providence Of Coo
in our chastisement and the enamel
patton of the slave? Previous t
the rebellion vast majority of on
people were willing that SLAYER,
should exist unmolested, provides
!, that il could be confined within pre-
scribed limits, SO effectually had th
popular conscience been stupefied b.
oft repeated anodynes and is il no
b a remarkable fact that our armie
suffered almost incessant defeat, nj
til after the emancipation proclaim,
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