The Andrew County Republican. [volume] (Savannah, Mo.) 1871-1876, 1875-02-26
TREMENDOUS .iRMTES.
The GF"nd S,"o"f D"nrc 81 fHfjnH>-iS
Europe ga: ti" Ere al II NjghtB EG.'"

The Gr"nd S~o"d Dane" ~ ,fnfion>-Is
E"ropr "a: th" Ere nj II Nighty Ec..:
From the London T.:n.-.l
In the gloom that surrounds IL Il
thing is perceptible. All men are arm
ing themselves. 1t is the darkness that
may be felt, and the sensation is not i'm
aginary. Al the word OF command
Germany is arming Cn AaaSs", and the
surrounding nations-that IS, the best
part of the world-cannot but do DIS she
does. The momnmtary dreams 0f peace
and quiet, arts and progress have tied
away, ana Germany recognizes Die stern
necessity Of the case, which is that what
she has won by arms she can only hold
by arms, as long as the arms are III her
hand. 1t is no longer possible to doubt
the sagacity and truth OF her rulers, and
they say that henceforth every German
sound IN wind and limbmust bcu s0liicr.
From the age of seventeen - ~fortv-two
every man not Belonging t. the army o.
the reserve is to be liable 80 be called ont
III the case of an actual or even threat
ened invasion. The nature and contin-
gencies Of this new enrolment are by 10
means tictions on paper. IS to Its nJ;-
merical amount it i sufficient to say
that, added 10 the line, the Landwchr,
and the existing LandsturIn, il raises the
disposable force OF the German empire
to $500 900 men. The Landsturm will
be German in arms as distinguished from
the standing army of Germany; but even
that distinction threatens to disappear,
for the gaps OF the line are to be filled
from the reserve. SO. far from the latter
having the special exemptions and i'm
munities which England associate, with
Il reserve or = local force. it seems wen
more at the beck and call OF absolute
power tlan the line. The orders given
il the contemplated emergency are ne
to be published; so that the German NAL
content or partisan may know rs little
as the foreigner and the foe who are
called to arms, low many, and where.
The government may call ont the re-
serve of Il state and not Of the next;
the youth Of 4 province immediately
threatened with invasion; the older men
OF one not So threatened: III a word,
whatever it pleases, without being bound
by any rules OF Slavish uniformity. The
whole reserve is Immediately to have lis
arms, il not the newest, those that were
new the other day. 1t is admitted that
the Germans do not generally like fight
ing, but they Xix" it better than being
killed in their beds, or made beasts Of
burden, or carried into captivity. Some
of them even Ike it better than being
divided into Il dozen states. or into two
or three, each only half German. All
are told they have to fight or die; fight
or be slaves: fight OF b" beggars, fugi-
earth. They seem to be only too well
aware of it. For a man to be always ey-
pecting a murderous attack is sometimes
supposed to cmbitter life. and make it
hardly worth having. But people man
age to live and be comfortable in vOlca-
noes, coalpits, ships and pOwder-mills.
In like manner, the three millions Of
Germans, expecting every day to be
called ont TO fight an enemy at their very
doors, and themselves unfortunately adj
dicted to habits of provocation, may be
happy. 1t is to be hoped they will be
happy on these conditions, for it is all
the happiness Germany is likely to e
JOY for many a year-the happiness,
namely, of an even chance with a des-
pcrate and would be deadly foe.
Ii this enormous, this prepOstarous
armament is provoked by the attitude of
France, it provokes i'll return. \ man
who goes about armed in time of peace
is suspected of hostile intentions, and
Germany lends itself easily 70 that delu-
sion, if such it be. 1t finds itself unex-
pectedly Il great military power, and
even q maritime power, victorious, sue
c~essful, and its luck by no means ex-
hausted. On every side-north, south,
east and west-it finds that which it still
wants to its completeness, and which it
sees a way to. It's turn is come. After
a minority of ages under evil guardian
ship, it steps into its patrimony, and is
once more an empire. For ages Ger
many has possessed all the glories, ex-