The New York herald., 1871-01-04
Removal Of the Duke Of NIecklenbufg-A
Glance at the Military Situation.


The HERALD correspondent at Versailles
sends the information that it is reported at the
headquarters Of King William that the Grand
Duke of Meeklenburg has been summarily dis
missed from his command. The Duke com
manded the right wing Of the army of Prince
Frederick Charles. The task assigned to that
army was the annihiation of the Army of the
Loire, if possible, but at all events to push it
back, and thus reduce its chances of being
able to give Paris the slightest assistance. In
this, however, the Duke failed. It is plain,
then, that this French army, which we were
told by bulletins was badly beaten at
Orleans, Beauns- la Rolande and other points,
cut in two, forced to retreat in a disorderly
condition and almost completely 'sused up"
was in reality not so badly beaten after all
and as for being demoralized, the best answer
to that allegation is to point cut that, notwith-
standing all those disasters Of which we have
heard 80 much, the Army of the Loire was
able to preserve the stores which had been
accumulated for the relief Of the capital If
more is needed to convince us that this
s'routed, demoralized and undisciplined army
of Frenchmen" is not only formidable force,
but now threatening force, it is the removal
of the Grand Duke of Mecklenburg from his
command for not being able to stay its ad-
vance.
For some time past the Grand Duke and
General Chauzy have been manGuvring, with
advantage accruing somewhat in favor of the
French general. There is no impetuosity, no
seeking after grand dramatic effects, no grand
charges as have in many campaigns distin-
guished French movements, but instead there
is steady, solid, almost slow movement for
ward not at all palatabe to the German COM
mander. France has now too much at stake,
and from the very nature of circumstances
must act with the greatest caution. The life
of the nation is set upon a cast which the
French armies must shortly throw. The
French generals appear to realize this and
are acting accordingly. It may seem little
strange at first sight that the Germans
do not pursue the same policy which rendered
their strategy so successful in the early por-
ton of the campaign. 1t now appears evident
that the successes of the Red Prince and the
Grand Duke and the Bavariaus of Won der
Tam did not accomplish as much as their
royal master intended the world should believe
they achieved. We see no more Of the hurling
of heavy masses Of troops against inferior
bodies which snatched victory from the impe-
rial forces of Napoleon. Suppose this plan
were now attempted Fancy that in order to
crush Chauzy's force Prince Frederick Charles
marched to the assistance Of the Grand Duke,
as he formerly fastened to the assistance
of Won der Tam, what might we
reasonably anticipate as q consequence Of
such movement. Bourbaki unmatched
would most certainly advance and possibly
appear somewhere close to Fentainebleau. The
army of Bourbaki, with the late reinforce
ments which it has received from Marseilles,
LYONS and other points in the southeast Of
France, cannot fall very far short Of one hun
dred thousand men-a force, it will be admit
ted, which requires watching.
Regarding the army commanded by General
Chauzy, his force is vastly superior to that Of
the Grand Duke of Mecklenburg, and is daily
increasing in numbers, figuring up to between
one hundred and twenty-five and one hun
dred and fifty thousand men. 1t is the
slow but steady approach Of this large
army to the investing lines around
Paris which causes anxiety at the Prussian
headquarters, and the inability to drive It