Rensselaer Union, Volume 2, Number 44, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 28 July 1870 — The French and German Armies. [ARTICLE]

The French and German Armies.

Aodroonrs to Ik* best authorities the Ud toroee of North German Confed«raC7“~<iti* with the North German Confederacy, ud probably with aU the Oer man State* except the Austrians, and not with Pnusla atom, that France hM involved hlMf in a war)—are superior in numbers to those and^the French fleet, on the other hand, ii inconi parabiy superior to that of the North German Confederacy In every respect The French navy count* in all 831 war steamers, of which there are twelve large ironclads, sixteen ironclad frigates, twen-ty-six so-called mixed frigates, sixty-nine corvettes, seventy-fire transports, twentynine floating batteriea and a flotilla of 104 small river steamers, besides about seventy sailing war vessels. It is undeniably the swiftest and most available fleet in Xurope—more than a match in every rorst, even to that of England. Upon action of the fleet the success of the French operations is principally calculated, A sufficient number of French war ▼emela can be stationed at the mouth of the Elbe and the Weser, the Oder and the Vistula, to suoeesafaily blockade all the ports of the lforth-German Confederacy, and there will yet remain an immense fleet lor the transportation of troops and other operations on the open sea or upon the riven. The hope of the Emperor to terminate this war by one short victorious campaign in the same manner as he closed hie previous war enterprises is essentially based upon the celerity with which be can throw vast numbers of troops into the interior of the enemy’s country. In case of a first failure of his policy, the campaign may be either prolonged indefinitely or even at once derided in favor of the North-German Confederacy, should the Prussians temporarily abandon a portion of their territory and concentrate all their forces at one point and then invade the French territory.

Thu* it will be seen that the war will be conducted on an entirely different system from our own. For whilst the French oan reach the northern parts of Germany in a very short time, by their fleet, the German troops may cross the eastern border of Frarcs with the same celerity, and either of the principal armies may poesibly stand in the enemy’s country and there decide the war. But when nnd wherever they meet, this struggle will be oi the greatest magnitude ; because the two largest and bast-drilled and best-equipped armies oi the old continent will contend for the supremacy. Entirely different as the organization nnd sprit of the two armies may be, they are, in many respects, equal. The Prussian* showed, during the last campaign against Austria, that they can be as impetuous in the attack a* the French, and no one doubts that they are possessed of as much, if not more, endurance. In a moral sense the North German fanny, however, has a great advantage over the French, in that it is taken indiscriminately from every class of tho population, whilst in consequence of the substitute system, which prevails in France, the bulk of the army there is mainly taken from the class of laborers and prdetaires. Thus the Prussian army really represents the whole character, the strength, the intelligence and culture of the Pruissian people, whilst the French army at best only represent the natural qualities and instincts of its race. There is this, however, in favor of the French army, that any common soldier may reach the highest rank by his personal bravery and excellence, whilst in Prussia the highest offices in thearmy&re exclusively reserved for the nobility. Both armies are well trained in active service. The last Prussian war was, at best, as good a school for active service as the permanent military occupation of the French army at Algiers, and during the last war in Italy. Both armies are equally well officered; they will march againfet each other under equally competent leaders, and although the physical constitution of the Prussian soldier may perhaps be sr-erior to the average of the French troops, and the needle-gun may bo a betto*.Weapon than the Chassepot, chance and good or bad fortune may have much to do with the result of the first movements of the two armies. It is otherwise in regard to the final result of the war. A first defeat will not compel the NorthGerman Confederacy to give up the fight. Its reserves, the Landteehr and the Landsturm will enable it to continue the war a long time. The national spirit which has been aroused during the lari thirty years in Germany, and which nbver was 'more vigorous than at present, is at least as effective as the hope of the French people to recover the prestige lost under the present empire. Missouri Republican, July 18.