New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1871-08-08
MILITARY ATTACHES.


has always boen considered that of privileged
SOY in time of peace, and has usually been
given to officers of some judgment and dis
erection. If the place is worth retaining, 1T
should certainly be reserved exclusively for
officers of great acumcn and prudence, men
able to see at n glance the bearing ana
significance of all military movements and
preparations, and incapable of misleading the
Home Government by either cxaggeratiOn or
neglect. There seem to be a few people i'll
England who appreciate the Importance OF
having a proper person IN TINS position, ana
these are beginning to worry the Government
somewhat on account of recent appointment
10 the Legation of st. Petersburg. This Is,
with perhaps one exception, the most important
post within the circle of British diplomacy. 1t
is scarcely inferior in significance even to the
Berlin Embassy, for the Eastern question is to
English politics a more immediate and press
ing problem than any to be debated at present
with the North German Cabinet. Besides, there
are a thousand channels through which intelli-
gence in regard to military preparations in
Paris, or in Berlin, or Vienna would be instantly
communicated, if not to Downing Street. at least
to the New-York and London papers, so that
Her Majesty's Ministers would not be long III
the dark in regard to them. But armies can
be levied and moved roads can be built; vast
quantities of supplies can be stored up along
the Euxine, and in the desOlate sweeps of
country that border the NOlga, and only
confused rumor of all this reaches the cities
of the West 1t should be the duty of the
Military AttachG at st. Petersburg to gain the
earliest intelligence of every movement, and
TO weigh with cool discretion the true value of
every act of the Russian Department of War.
To fulfill this difficult and delicate function,
the English Government, which Is continually
held up to us as a model in its system OF APP
pointments and Office tenure, has just named
one Lieut.. Wellesley of the Coldstream
Guards, young man entirely without expert
ence,' one who has given no evidences OF
capacity except as a waiter and man about
town, whose sole qualification, so far as known,
is that he is the son of Lord Cowey, and col
laterally related to the Duke OF Wellington
The appointment has occasoned percepuble
ripple of disgust among people who read news
papers, and especially among the young gem
tlemen of Mr.. Wellesley'S class who wanted
the place themselves.
1t may, however, be seriously questioned
whether the reports of Military Attach6 who
should even be gifted with Omniscience, would
be of any especial value, If opposed to the
preiudices OF the Foreign Office and the Home
Cabinet for the time being. There was never
a graver need of capable and honest military
observers attached to foreign missions than
that which France experienced last year. The
intentions of the Prlssan Government and Its
state of military preparation-the purposes and
the condition of the secondary States-werc
matters involving the life and death of the
Napoleonic dynasty. As il by a special dis
pcnsation of that Providence which, rs we are
told on the rim of the Louis-d'or, protege Ia
France, one of the acutest and coolest heads
in the French army was stationed at Berlin
as Military Attache to the French Legation
during the busy years of organization Whlch
interviewed between the victory of Sadowa ana
the Watch on the Rhein. This was baron
Stoilel, Colonel of Artillery, and his letters
just now collected and published IN volume
form the most remarkable passage ot CasS'l-
dra prophecy ever seen in history. During all
these four years he saw everything that was
going on in Germany. Repeatedly he warned
the Imperial Government of the perfect organ
izatiOn and the tireless industry which was max
ing the Prussian army the greatest III Europe.
His eyes were open also to the symptoms
of that movement toward national unity which
was welding the German people into one ma
ton. When we now read what he wrote, tho
inference Is irresistible that his letters mua
have been pigeon -holed without further alton
ton. We know too well, from other sources,
how impatient Louis Bonaparte always shower
himself 70 any honest or truthful criticisms OF
warnings. Marshal Mel was too old to APP
prcciate the now state OF things 'la' i''u SUI
denly arisen in Europe since ne was gray
headed, and LebWuf was nothing but an over
ted and arrogant rat OF the Palace Ine'