New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1871-01-28
THE CONQUEST OF FRANCE.
GERMAN TRIUMPHs FROM THE RHINE TO
PARIS,


1870-ITS ORIGIN, PLAN, AND CONDUCT-SDM-
MARY OF PIE GREAT EVENTS OF THE WAR
THE EFFECT ON EUROPE OF THE REDUC-
TON OF FRANCE TO sECOND-RATE POWER.
Paris has virtually fallen, and France is at the
mercy Of the Germans-their spoil II they will It, The
campaign Of 1870 angorousy proclaimed by those who
precipitated the war, that OF paris Berlin mas
ended where few suspected 10 was to close- the
not the Prssan Capital 1t not Its most remarkable
that the original plan OF the campaign was
completely reversed: that the nation In the offensive
should have been thrown suddenly and rreeoverany
on the defensive; that the most peacefully disposed OF
nations should have proved for the occasion the most
warlke; and that immense standing army WHO'S
strength and martial spirit oil Europe has reared ior
almost generation, should have been annihiIated AZ
blow by an army msrshaed on the instant, and whose
existence only suspected, whose power was never
dreaded. The campaign Of the Germans In France
has been In every military aspect the most wonderful OF
modern times dwarng in the magnitude OF its opera
lions and the Importance of its results the most brilliant
efforts OF the great Frederick First Napoleon and
such, worthy Of the most careful study and review
Let us no longer credit the stale fiction that the two
nations went to for trivial point OF honor The
canddature OF the Prince OF HOhenzOern we now know
was not the but the absurd peext tor war; and
IL insult the nations themselves TO look upon the
conflict az precipitated by such shallow cause or
brought about simply and solely by the ambition or
criminal folly of man. Opposing races conflicting
nationaties churches, rvaries
competing Civilizations between whom was no natural
love and much unnatural hate FLASHED In this giant
struggle The conflict was inevitable theirs the credit
who long postponed IT. theirs the crime who precipi
taed It, Napoleon and his people that the threat
encd Of German unity would destroy the polfi
cal supremacy of France and this fear won the nobility
and landed propreors Of the Empire to the support or
war on any pretext. The consolidation OF the
and
the military system Of Prussia, whether
accomplished by Econfederation treaty, promised
eventually TO give Prussia military power greater than
that OF France and this belief rendered the French
army enthusiastic for The commercial projects OF
Germany-notably the Mount st. Gothard Railway,
which, the rival Of the Mt Cents route, was 10 nave
united the German railway lines with those OF Austria
and Italy beyond the Alps-were absurdiy Thought 10
threaten commercial prosperity and importance OF
France and this reused to hatred and to action her In
distria and commercial Glasses. The French Catholic
clergy have ever been the enemy OF Protestant Ger
many, and persistently preached the crusade which
Napoleon dreaded to declare and burst not OPP
pose The fallen Emperor was too much
the coward, too absolute q knave, to have
gone to had not every social, commercial,
and urged the nation to the con-
fct. Wise statesmanship In Germany lprevented the
struggle three years when the possession or Luxem
burg was demanded by France, and would have post
poned longer but weakness and folly In France TOO
criminal to be forgiven permitted II TO be inaugurated
The reorganization of the French army; the interior
ence In the Luxembourg affair the opposition to the ST.
Gothard enterprse-a these and many other more
trivial demonstrations have revealed the disposition OF
France provoke her rival Except in the thorough Or
gauzaton Of her armies Germany has betrayed nothing
of eagerness for yet che has diligently prepared for
IT, She accomplished by treaty that union Of her sew
eral armies and secured that neutrality OF
other nations which was necessary before she
could accept the wage OF Not being
ready, she yielded in the matter Of Luxembourg
hestated the st. Gothard project but halted In
the work Of organizing the armies and perfeetng tho
Union France has been passionate, quarreisome, and
and has thus appeared always In the wrong
Germany. the contrary, has shown disposition to
overlook insults for the sake OF peace and always calm
and sepossessed has managed TO appear always In the
right But Kings and Emperors and their Premers were
but the ant that brought about the
struggle 1t was after ALL conflict OF Civilizations seek
ing supremacy aud the weaker and worse has happily
gone the wall. No can fail to see that IL was
united nation which responded TO the French declaration
Of war July doubt that at the call VI tho Prs
sian King united Germany extended Its hearty
support The uprising OF the two nations SO
different I'm character fully committed them
TO the quarrel and raised 1t TO the dignity OF war OF
Nations not OF Monarchs. The summons to arms was
received In France with the enthusiasm. eXultation,
the boastng, that characteristic OF the French
nature. In Germany, 1t was responded TO with that
stern rocence, that serious determination, which belong
to the German temperament The nation sprang up
angry and defiant the other rose fierce and resolnte
France had but motive TO sustain her fading glory
Germany to maintain her wounded honor France I'M
pulsvey Germany, doggedly France, with passionate
cries Of rage; Germany, in stern and silent indignation
these characteristic outward evidences OF the uprs-
ing which makes that Of 1870 there so exact parallel OF
that of 1861 here To no quarels Of kings or poll
tcians civilized nations respond with such vgor and
determination as was witnessed there and here.
NAPOLEON's FIRST BLUHDRRs.
In this initial development Of the Wharf.-The uprising Of
the two nations-the greatest bunder Of the French
Emperor was exposed His own nation was at his back
his homes were realized there for only few voices like
those of Favre and Theirs had been heard In weak
monstrance against the nexpedeney OF the crime But
Germany, too united I'm support OF the Prussian
King Napoleon had believed that to threaten Germany
with invasion divide the Confederation and detach
the Southern allies from Its support The had not
been declared week before he recognized that In Insult
ing and arousng the national spirit, not the mere
national pride. Of Germany, be had united her.
The disaecon Of Hanover, troublesome always during
time of peace. disappeared the instant war was
begun. Frankfort BANKERS and citizens, bitter enc
of Prussia while peace lasted, became loyal lib
era enthusiastic citizens Of the Confederation when
threatened with invasion. Bavaria Baden wirtemberg
how, longer than four years be-
FORE the Prussian army had desolated OF them I'm
It's triumphant march upon Austria-responded with
alacrity to the German call. Napoleon entirely mlsca
culated the strength Of the German feeling Of nation
atty He forgot that in the face Of great dangers minor
disappear and that TO thus demonstrate the
value OF unity " confound all arguments for dis
union. r
Errors great this lost Napoleon also the sympathy
ne left i'm Wit
In all Europe The shaowness OF the pretext for war
was recognized by all In Italy 1t strongly con-
demned by public sentiment that Victor Emanuel in re-
plying to Napoeons demand for aid declared that to
send him Italian army to destroy the monarchy
In Austria the indignation Of the people Ut the French