The Bee-Hive. — 1870-09-10 (London, England)

PLAIN DEALER.  IT is wonderful what folly even very wise people will sometimes talk. The Spectator, which stands, in our opinion, pre-eminent for political wislom and bigh.minded impartiality, has actually, more than once, and in a very out-spoken way lost Saturday. declared that there is danger to Europe from the extraordinary power with which the German nation had been able to effect the invasion ot France. How is it possible that such a journal should fail to perceive that the whole force put forth by Germany on this occasion really rests iu its patriotic fervour roused by the necessity for a self-defensive war ? Does the Spectator really imagine that the German people, so remarkably domestic and peace-loving as they are, could ever become an aggressive and dangerous neighbour ? Is there the slizhtest desire for military glory or territorial acquisition in the hearts of those lawyers, doctors, merchants, tradesmen, farmers, and p2asants who have rushed with such magnificent ene gy to repel the proposed French aggression ? No people on earth, in all probability, are less to be feared on the ground of a lust of military con quest. It is huge standing armies, not a domestic, industrious nation (however cornple`e thar milit try organisation), that are the standing peril to civilisation.  ENGLISH RECOGNITION OF THE FRENCEI REPUB• r.w.—A meeting orate cfficers of the Labour Representation League and gentlemen representing various sections of political action was held last evening at the BEEHIVE Office, Bolt Court, Mr. William Allan in the chair. It was resolved to convene a meeting of leading members of the trades societies and other associations, to be held at the Arundel Hall, Strand, at eight o'cicck on Tuesday next, for the purpose of organising a great national demonstration in support of tbe French Republie. and to press upon the Government the desirability of officially recognising the same, and using its best efforts to bring about a cessation of hostilities between France and Germany,  SINCE the issue of the recent battles, and the disastrous defeats sustained by ont gallant French neighbours, they, or their partisans, have been rather profuse in their declarations that the Germans have conquered solely by force of numbers. It is perhaps Well to remind them that their greatest general, Napoleon, obtained nearly all his principal victories precisely by the tactics which he, above all men prominently established, of concentrating the greatest number of troops on a given spot—thus overmatching the enemy by superior numbers. But there is another point still more importaat for all interested in this fearful struggle to remember, and that is, the question how it happens that the German people were present at the different conflicts in inch superior force. Itis  jtist because they were prepared to make all sacrifices for the sake of their country, and rose literally as a nation to the death grapple, while France was content to leave the murderous work to hired forces, that the disparity of numbers has been so tremendous. Those hired forces, also, our French btethren must remember, were fatally diminished by the gross jobbery and corruption pervading even the highest classes, while the German forces rnwt have been served by Goment ofiirials in every respect with a fidelity as noble as it has proved succeseul.