The New Orleans bulletin. [volume] (New Orleans [La.]) 1874-1876, 1874-07-05
THE RUSSIAN BEAR.


habit Of interchangng, we strongly re
minded of the i'll more powerful hug whicl
the symbolic Russian animal is wont to be
stow on whoever comes III his way before h
has had good dinner There is, doubtless
much personal sympathy existing between tn
two crowned relatives, but the whole course 0
history demonstrates that such purely sent
mental ties, however they may contribute t.
smooth over minor differences, are utterl,
powerless to stem the tide Of ma
ticnal prejudices or national hate. The
antagonism between the Slave and the Teutor
is not of yesterday. 1t is the war of thou
sand years between the races The dream
of Pan-Teutonism is now nearly realized--tht
still grander dream of Pan-Slaviem of the
nnifcatOn Of the Slave nationalities scattered
throughout Germany and European Turkey
under the Russian banner, Is now more than
it ever WAS before, the cherished object OF
Russian ambition. TO this Germany can
never submit without relinqnishing the proud
position she has quite lately obtained through
the genius of Bismarck, the strategy of Won
Moltke, and last, though not least, the blum
dering policy Of Napoleon iii, and the utter
decentralization of the French army But
there is Nemesis in history, as Germany will
soon discover to her cost The title Of Prus-
sin to her Polish provinces, or of Austria to
Gallicia, is certainly not whit better than
that Of France to Alsace; and the Russians
hnv At piuL IN
Dantzig Ms the Germans to Stasburg.
That a life and death struggle must sooner or
later take place between the two Northern
giants there can scarcely be doubt, nor will
this contest be at all unequal on the side of
Russia. Although France, thanks to the folly of
her rulers, went to war totally unprepared;
although she took the field with only BOG, 600
men against far better organized force of
900, and with military leaders incompara-
bly, superior to the court favortes, by whom
the operations Of the French armies were con-
Quoted in the most laundering manner, yet it
must not be forgotten that the German author
tiles acknowledge they had 10000 men at
Woerth against 1900 Frenchmen At Grave
lotte the proportion was $50, 600 of the former
against 10000 of the latter and at Sedan
10000 French soldiers many Of them raw
recruits were hemmed in and forced to sur
render by an army of $50, 600 veteran troops.
That the best soldiers of Germany can be
beaten by the French has been often signally
demonstrated by the great Napoleon, who
used to say that the Russian infantry was the
most stubborn he had ever seen, and who con
sidered Friedland, Eylau and Borodino as the
most obstinately contested and most dearly
bought Of all his victories.
Great ~ the military power of Russia then
was it has become vastly superior since the
abolition Of serfdom by the present Emperor
and his adoption Of the system Of universal
and compulsory service. In a very few years |
Russia will have an available force of |, co., |
600 men, we'll armed, equipped and discip-
lined, and full Of confidence in themselves, in |
their leaders and in their Emperor. OF the
are pure Muscovites, whereas Germany, even
the Alsatians and the Poles,
does not number 10000, 600 Should war
break out between Germany and Russia the
81, 100000 of Frenchmen now painting for
evenge will certainly not remain quiet specta-
orr of the struggle, whereas the sympathies
It least Of Denmark, Sweden, Holland Bel
,ium and Switzerland would all be enlisted
IN the side Of Russia. No assistance to Ger
many could be given by AUSTRIA where the
slavonic element outnumbers all the other
aces combined, and is as four to one as
with the purely German population
# the Empire. Taking all the subjects of the
louse Of Hapsburg, the Germans are not 8, OOO.-
40 in total Of $1,000, 900. Turkey is pow
riess for offense, and her European subjects
Ne all Of the Slovenian race, and would un-
rejoice in the success Of the Russian
rms
II sounds very well to read in the official ,
'dsette Of st. Petersburg that the Emperor !,
alexander is 1.-THE crowned champion of the l
'eace Of Europe but, as an English paper 1
yell remarks certain it is that, animated by '
hese peaceful aspirations the Emperor Of
russia il raising his millions Of men in arms. l
; converting the harbor of Nicolaieff in the I
Slack Sea into navy yard, and that follow 8
ag his example, Germany Austria France i
nd Italy are raising immense armies and f
bsorbing all the flower of the population. Is il
in common sense that these Governments e
'ould withdraw four or five millions Of able I
odled men from the pursuits of agriculture e
nd industry without anticipating that they I
nil soon be wanted in the field? Rnmors b
re already rife Of a new Grand Alliance .or j,
he reconstruction of Europe. Statesmen of
experience have recently declared that the l
tier want Of balance in Europe oceasiorad :,
y the wars Of 1866 and 1870, is wha, can No, '
e permitted to last, and the opinion is general b
nat no one is more deeply impressed with g
lis conviction than the Emperor Of Russia &
heir theory is that Russia would gladly see Il
ne restoration Of France to the position of a 81
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