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the system of standing armies that
makcs*Europc an everlasting camp?—
a system, by the way, forced on other
powers by the policy of Prussia? If so,
the world has progressed backwards
since the days of Lycurgus, and our
American Constitution-thinkers are all
louts.
Mr. Reid regales us with a compari
son between French and Germans, based
on a six month’s tour. Did he stay
long enough in Frankfort to inquire
what had become of the ancient liber
ties of that once free city? Did he ask
what ruthless hand had violated the rights
of centuries? Rut his paraded between
the two peoples must go for nought, since
he has forgotten that Germany is more
than half Catholic, and France almost
half infidel—that is “progressive.” Let
him remember history, and he may dis
cover that tho French have always been
an eminently free people. They are
not slow to oust unwelcome rulers. They
will not endure as much oppressi >n as
our own Tennesseeans. No tyrant can
rule long in France.' Napoleon's mono
cracy has not been a despotism. The
proof may be found in the emigration
tables. Men are not in the habit of
abandoning their native soil, if satisfied
with its institutions. Hence few French
men reach Castle Garden.
Nor do I hesitate to award to the
Germans a spirit of freedom perhaps
none the less earnest because less im
petuous than the French. Indeed, it is
to this German love of freedom that I
attribute the localization of power
which has created so many indepen
dencies, and always prevent unifi
cation.
After all, what is this German unity,
that is promised by this war? It means
exactly what Unionism meant here in
1861-4, and what radicalism means to
day—coercion, consolidation, centrali
zation. The wiping out of State lines.
The abolition of self government.
We Southerons ought to be able to un
derstand it.
If Prussia succeeds, good by to li
berty, in our sense of the thing. France
beaten will paddle her own canoe, with
or without Napoleon. In the latter al
ternative Henri De Bourbon is too old,
and the House of Orleans stinks in the
nostrils of Frenchmen. So we shall see
for a while a “strong, sober, republican”
concern—that is, chaos.
But the French deserve well of us,
even if they are Catholic in the national
nomenclature. A solitary Prussian
came to our aid in the revolutionary
struggle, Baron Steuben—and he did
valiant service—but Germans were
hired by the tens of thousands against us.
France was the first to aid us. She was
the first to recognize our independence;
and the student well knows that without
that recognition the colonics would have
collapsed more speedily than did our
Southern Confederacy. With a similar
recognition, which France wished to give
but Napoleon was too selfish and coward
ly to give, without the concurrence of
free, liberal England, the rights of man
would have been better sustained on this
soil. But Napoleon was cowardly, selfish
and short-sighted. He wanted to do
better than his uncle, and regain Loui
siana as the price of “going it alone,”
and he finally disgraced France by sac
rificing Maximillian to Mexican grasers
and cosmopolitan Seward.
If my countrymen sympathize with
France, it is perhaps because they are
more grateful for smaller favors. Amid
the many foibles of our race we have
never been accused of ingratitude. Be
sides, the French arc the hereditary ene
mies of England; so are we, through
seven hnndrtd years of oppression by
that motherly country, which has scat
tered us over the face of the globe. We
love our religion because we have been
presccuted lor it; but in the present war
we see as many religious brethren on the
one side as on the other.
If Mr. Reid will look again over the
water, he may see that the crippling of
France would place Prussia in an atti
tude ot menace to the entire autonomy
ot Europe. And perhaps he would re
vise Ilia religious views of the war, if
Protestants England should join hands
with Catholic Austria in grappling the
giant.
Pardon me for trespassing so much on
your space, but I have imagined that
“the other side” would prove interesting
as it has been hitherto suppressed to
please our German fellow-citizens, whose
many good qualities I appreciate and ad
mire, perhaps more than most Ameri
cans, because of youthful companionship
with German students and happy hours
spent by German firesides. Rut with
their aspiration for such unity as Prussia
can give, I can no more sympathize than
I could have joined in the late fiasco of
the Fenian O’Niel.
O’Sullivan.
THE BATTLE OF GRAYELTTTE,
HEAVY FIGHTING —PRUSSIAN
VICTORY.
[PRUSSIAN ACCOUNT.]
From the New York Tribune.
London, August 21, 1870.
The speci 1 correspondent of the Tri
bune, at the Prussian Headquarters, sende
the following account of Thursday’s battle,
written the same night oh the field, for
warded by messeuger to Saarbruck, and
reaching London thence by telegraph on
Sunday evening.
“The battle fought to-day, Thursday,
the 18th, (we call it the battle of Grave
lotte), began at 10 in the morning and
lasted till after 9 this evening. Until noon
it was au artilier.y duel. The French
lines being stretched along the hilis co~er
iny; the two roads leading from Metz to
Veidun, having on their right flank a farm
kn iwu as LaViliette, with a walled
garden, held in great force a sunken road
that led straight from GraveloLe to the
center o; their position.
“On the French left, the road wound
over the crest of a hid on which 12 earth
works h r id been thrown up. E : ght mit
railleuses, beside artillery, were posted to
command every approach to this strong
position, and their guns swept the valley
reaching Gravelotte eastward, by
which the Prussians had to advance. Re
hind this line ot strong defense lay the
forts St. Quentin, making the position ap
parently one or impregnable strength, and
completely protecting the French rear.
“The position at first held by the Prus
sians was to the east of the French facing
toward Metz, occupying the southernmost
road to Verdun, and reaching over the
chain of hills lying between Gravelotte
and Rezonville. The result of the artillery
contest was to compel the French to aban
don their most advanced positions, and
the lice by which they hoped to cover both
roads was pierced and driven back.
“At noon the Prussians were able to
push forward their artillery, the French
guns proving unable to resist the weight of
the Prussian fire. The Prussian batteries
shortly alter noon were in position on
either side of Gravelotte, so that neither
of the roads, which at that point branch
off to Verdun north and southwesterly,
were any longer open to the French i»rmy.
I reached tne field just as this forward
movement of the Prussians had been ac
complished. The ground was favorable for
a good view of both positions, and it was
apparent at a glance that the JVeueh had
already relinquished a line of defense inm
portant to them tactically as well as strate
gica ly.
“By 2 o'clock the French, batteries
covering the Verdun road from the north
and east were silenced, anil the Prussians
had advanced so far from the south of that
road as to occupy the farm-house at Mal
maison, a little northwest from Gravelotte.
Twenty minutes later th* French fire so
slackened and wavered that the Prussian
batteries were once more pushed forward,
and took up anew position in front of
Gravelotte. A '3:30 the Prussian cavalry
went into ac /on. They advanced under a
hot fire from the French guns. The attack
was made in considerable force by the
Uhlans, both cuirassiers and hussars; but
they were at first without infantry sup
port, and coulil make no serious impres
sion on a position still naturally strong and
still held in force by all arms of the French.
“But an hour later, it being now nearly
four in the afternoon, a portion of the
third Prussian corps had come upon the
ground. The infantry regiments were
formed as fast as they came into the po
sition from which the serious attack was
to be directed no what appeared to be the
key of the French lines. At four the
Thirty-third Regime .t of the Prussian
line was launched against the same position
which the calvary had failed to reach. It
moved forward with the utmost determi
nation ; but the French by this time had
reinforced their defense more strongly
than the Prusjians had their attack, and
they still outnumbeied their assailants and
steadily maintained the second line which
they had occupied.
“As the different divisions of the Prus
sian army came into position they attacked
forcibly, but were repeatedly driven back
with heavy loss. The struggle lasted with
varyirg fortunes on different portions of
the lines, until S o’clock. Up to that
hour the French held their ground.
At 8 o’clock, the Prussians massing
heavy forces ou their lett, attacked and
carried La Yillette, a hamlet vov-rring the
French right. This, once in Prussian
hands, enabled them to enjiiade the French
lines and take in reverse some of their
outwoiks, The ground the French held
so obstinately and so gallantry during nine
hours they were compelled to abandon, ar.d
at 9 o’clock were driven back upon Metz,
and, under cover of its outlying forts,
their last hold upon the Yerdu Road was
abandoned, their communication destroyed
to the east and to the west, and the
French ‘Army of the Rhine,’ after losing
three pitched battles since Sunday, was
shut up in the fortress which they had
chosen for the base of their operations for
the invavsion of Germany.
“I believe a strong Prussian force is mov
ing to-night to the north of Metz, to cut off’
all communication with Thionville also.
King William was present throughout the
battle. The Prussian forces engaged were
under Gen. Steinmetz’s command, and
personally directed by him. Marshal Ba
zaine commanded in person on the French
• 1 1
tide.
“The Eighth Prussian corps, numbering
with other divisions over 50,000 men, bore
the brunt of the battle. The second and
third corps were partly engaged. Four
thousand French prisoners were taken.
The Prussian loss in killed, wounded and
missing is estimated to-night at not less
than 10,000. Os the French losses no esti
mate can yet be formed; but their defeat
is complete, and it is believed they are no
longer in condition to make any further
attempts at escape. The Prussian army,
spite of all its losses, is in the highest
spirits. Rumors of peace are already cir
culated in the camps, and the hardest work
of the campaign is thought by the soldiers
to be over.”
TIIE B iTILE OF WORTH
MARSHAL MhdAHON’S OFFICIAL REPORT.
The following is the official report of
Marshal MacMahon to the Emperor
of the battle of Worth, or, as it
is called by the French, Freichsweiiler :
Saverne, August 7.
“Sire: I have the honor to acquaint
your Majesty that on the 6th of August,
after having been obliged to evacuate
on the previous evening,
the Fir t Corps, with the object of covei
ing the railway from Strasburg to Ritsche,
and the nrincipal roads connecting the
eastern and the western slopes of the
Vosges, occupied the following positions :
The First Division was placed, its right iu
advance of Freichsweiiler, and its left in
the direotion of Rcichsht ILn, resting upon
a wood which covers that village. Two
companies were detached to Neunviiler,
and one company to Joegersthal. The
Third Division occupied with First Brigade
some low hills which run from Freichsweil
ler slops towards Gueredorff. The second
Rrigade rested its left on Freichsweiiler
and its right on the village of Eisassbau
sen. The Fourth Brigade formed an
uneven line to the tight of the Third Divis
ion, its First Rrigade facing toward
Gunstodt, and its Second Rrigade
opposite the village of Marsbroun, which,
on account of insufficient strength, it was
uuable to occupy. The Division Domes
nil of the Seventh Corps, which had ral
lied to me early on the morning of the 6th,
was p'aced in rear of the Fourth Division.
There were held in reserve the Second Di
vision, in rear of the Second Rrigade of
the Taird Division, and the First Rrigade
of the Fourth Division. Finally, (till fur
ther in the rear, was the Brigade of Light
Cavalry, under the command of General
Septeuil, and Division of Cuirassiers, un
der General de Bonnemuin. Michel’s
Cavalry Brigade, under the command of
General Dechesmcs, was stationed in the
rear of the right wing of the Fourth Di
vision. At 7 o’clock in the morning the
enemy appeared before the heights of
Guersdorff, and opened the action with a
cannonade, which he immediately support
ed with a sustained firs from his tirailleurs
upon the the Fir.-t and Third Divisions.
The attack was so vehement that the
First Division was ob'iged to effect
a change of front, advancing upon its
right wing, in order to prevent, the enemy
from turning the general position. A
little later the enemy largely increased the
number of his batteries, and opened fire
upon the other position wLich wo occupied
on the right bank of the Sauerbach.
Although even more heavy and more
strongly marked than the first, which was
still maintained, this secot-d demonstration
wa3 but a I'eigDed attack, which was warmly
repulsed. Toward noon the enemy direct
ed his attack toward our right. Clouds cf
sharpshooters, supported by considerable
masses of infantry, and protected by up
ward of sixty pieces of artillery, placed
upon the heights of Gunstedt, rushed upon
the Second Division and upon the Second
Brigade of the Third Division, which occu
pied the village of Elsasshausen. Despite
repeated offensive movements, vigorously
executed, notwithstanding the well
directed tire of the artillery and severa
brilliant cavalry charges, our right was
broken after many hours’ obstinate resist
ance. It was 4 o'clock. I ordered a re
treat. It was protected by the First and
Second, which presented a bold front, and
enabled the other troops to retire without
being too closely harassed. The retreat
was effected upon Saverne by Nieder
broun, when the Division of Gen. Guvot
de Lespard, belonging to the Fifth Corps,
which had just arrived there, took up po
sition, and did not withdraw until night
fall. I submit inclosed with this report to
Ilis Majesty the.names of officers wounded,
killed, or misting, which have been re
ported to me. This list is incomplete, and
I will forward a complete return as soon
as I shall be in a position to do so.
MacMahon.
Defence of Paris. .
The Journal Official publishes a report
addressed to the Empress Regent by the
Minister of War. It runs thus:
Paris, August 7, IS7O.
Madame —The present circumstances re
quire us to provide for the delence of the
capital and assemble fresh troops which
may permit, with those the Emperor has
preserved under his orders, to oppose in
the open field an enemy emboldened by
his first successes to such a point as to
march on Paris. But Paris will not be
taken unprepared.
Its outer torts have had for a long time
past their defensive armament, and steps
are now being taken to complete it, whilst
that of the fortifications wms commenced
at the opening of the war. The placing
of the city in a state of defence requires in
addition the execution of certain works.
the plains of which are decided on, and
which will be begun to-morrow. They
will be rapidly executed. The outer for
tifications are about to be placed in a state
to support a regular siege, and in a few
days the enceinte will be in the same con
ditions. Neither the arms nor the courage
of the inhabitants of Paris will be wanting
in that task. The National Guard will de
fend the ramparts, which it will have con
tributed to render impregnable; 40,000
men taken from its ranks, united to the
present garrison, will be more than suffi
cient to make a bold and active defence
against an enemy occupying a very wide
front. The defence of Paris will be, there
fore, assured ; but not a less essential point
is to fill up the vacancies which have been
made in the ranks of our army
With the aid of the navy, with the regi
ments still disposable in France and Al
geria, and the fourth batallionsof our hun
dred regiments of infantry completed to
900 men, by incorporating the Guard Mo
bile iuto them, and lastly, by forming with
a part of our gendarmery regiments which
will constitute troops of elite, 150,000 men
may he easily put in the field. In addition,
the calling out of the class of 1860, of
which the young soldiers are to arrive at
their corps between the Bth and the 12th,
will procure us 60,000 men, who in a
month will be real soldiers. Thus., with
out enumerating what the cavalry, artil
lery, engineers and other arms may furnish,
150,000 men may be employed immediate
ly, and later 60,000, to meet the enemy.
But in that struggle may also participat e
the National Guard Mobile, ami the com
panies of volunteer riflemen (francs
tireurs), who everywhere are asking to be
organized. By that means the nuniber
may be raised to 400,000. The local Na
tional Guard may also be included. France
may thus arm two millions of defenders ;
their muskets are ready, and there will re
main a million in reserve.
I am, &c.,
General Viscount De-Jean.
to incorporate in the Guard Mobile all the
citizens aged less than thirty years who do
not at present form part of it.
Our Ministers of the Interior and of
War are charged, each in so far as he is
with the execution of tho
present decree. Eugenie.
Countersigned by all the Ministers.
ARCHBISHOP PURCELL
HIS ADDRESS AT CINCINNATI
LAST EVENING.
INFALLIBILITY AND WIIAT HE
DID IN HOME.
Cincinnati, August 21. — Archbishop
Purcell, who has very recently returned
from Rome, delivered a lecture to-night,
at Mozart Hall, on the (Ecumenical Coun
cil, of which he was a member. In con
sequence of the attention his speech in
the Council attracted on the doctrine of
the Infallibility of the Pope, much inter
est was felt in hearing him now on that
question.
The first part of the lecture was de
voted to remarks concerning the nature
of the Council and the difficulties and in
conveniences experienced by so large a
body meeting iu the Vatican. The
acoustical qualities of the hall were such
that it was difficult to hear the speaker;
besides, it was a most unhealthy ball.
Its currents of air and peculiar atmos
phere operated badly on foreigners. He
said the Pope was never present in the
Council; he did not preside at a 1 !; he
did not control our minds of discourses.
He left us perfectly tree under the direc
tion of five Cardinals, one of whom was
always present. The oldest of the five
is six years older than the Pope, who is
in his eightieth year. We had to ask
leave to speak when we were so disposed,
and this leave was never refused. We
spoke as long as we thought necessary,
and it was only when we were, in the es
timation of the audience, too tedious or
lengthy that a little bell was rung, and
we were requested to descend from the
stand.
In the first schema we were called
upon to discuss the origin of governments
for the constitution of the Church, em
bracing the constitution of the State, and
also the propagation of religious and
scientific truth, or the examination of the
question whether scientific truth could
at an} 7 time be antagonistical to revealed
truth; whether scientific truth should be
discouraged or whether such restraints
should be imposed upon the students of
science as would cripple them or deprive
them of that free range through all de
partments of science, without which they
would in vain seek important results, I
am happy to say that never have the
rights of science been better vindicated
than they were by the Bishops of that
assembly.
The Archbishop went on to speak of
his speech on civil government, in which
he took occasion to show that ours is the
best form of human government. 1 Ap
plause]; that the source of power is placed
by God in the people ; that Kings rule
for their benefit; that they were not
created for the benefit of Kings [applause p
that the Church of God has no need of
Kingly patronage or protection; tnat for
the first three hundred years of her hi> ?
tory she managed to prosper and arrive
at spiritual supremacy without the aid
of Knights, and.in despite of them; that
while she was persecuted, she throve and
prospered, and that the blood of martyrs
has ever since been the seed of the
Church.
_ He spoke then of America, that our
civil Constitution gave perfect liberty to
every denomination of Christians; that
it looked with equal favor on them all,
and that he verily believed this better
for the Catholic religion than if she was
the object of the State's special patronage
and protection. Here we are, side by
side with every sect and denomination
of Christians, and it is for the people to
judge which is right. This he believed
to be the best theory, and he illustrated
what he said by contrasting the condition
of Catholics in all the nations of Europe
with the condition of American Catholics,
and showed that in Spain the Catholic
religion is persecuted; that in Portugal
the Catholic religion is persecuted, and
even the Sisters of Charity driven out of
it; that in Italy the Monks, Sisters and
religious people were piteously driven
away from their homes.
INFALLIBILITY.
On the subject of Infallibility lie said,
when I spoke of Infallibility, this was for
me a subject far more delicate than any
other. 1 knew that the Holy Father was
in favor of the dogma, and for good rea
sons no doubt of it, for he is ou a higher
eminence than any of us, and be could
S3C better than any of us what is for the
good of religion and Christianity. As I
say, the Pope was in favor of his own
personal, independent and separate Infal
libility, and moreover, he was urged to
this by many others.
There were five hundred and thirty
bishops who thought with the Pope that
he was and is infallible. We saw at
once from the beginning that there was
a decided majority against us, and yet
we thought that we discovered incon
veniences iu the definition of this dogma
which it was impoitant we should make
known to the Holy Father, the Pope.
There were twenty bishops, dwelling
together in our American College at
Rome, and we mot to see what couse we
should pursue with regard to thL matter.
The Archbishop of Baltimore urged us
to do what we proposed, viz : to write the
Pope a most respectful letter, and im
plore him not to have the subject brought
before the Council. I drew* up the ad
dress to the Pope in Latin, and was the
first to sign it. Twenty-seven A ehbish
ops and Bishops signed also, almost all
Americans except the Archbishop of
Halifax and two others. The Archbishop
of Baltimore, as I said, urg and ns to this
course, but he declined to sign the peti
tion because he was a member of one of
the Commissions cn Faith. Some other
B.shops made up their minds to sign no
paper on this question either lor or
against.
Besides this, there were one hundred
and forty Germans, Hungarian, and even
Italian Bishops and French Bishops, who
addressed a similar question to the Holy
Father. Othere there were who declined
because they said it would show a want
of unanimity and union among the Bish
ops, and would cause many things to be
said in the heat of debate and discussion
which might be unpleasaut to the lloly
Father, as well as to ourselves. The
Holy Father did not think proper to adopt
our suggestions.
CO
When my time come to speak on this
subject of infallibility, I spoke after the
venerable Patriarch of Jerusalem, whom
1 had known for many years. He stated
in his discourse things that I took notice
of, and to which I was obliged to answer.
When I entered the pulpit I addressed
myself to the Couucii, and then before I
delivered the discourse which I had pro
posed for this solemn occasion, I said :
Be pleased to let me make some re- |
murks on the oration which has just now
been delivered by the holy patriarch of
Jerusalem. Iu the course of his remarks
he said that we were discussing a ques
tion that has long since been decided.
That a certain Council of Lyons and the |
Council of Florence had declared the de
finition Os the dogma that the Pope had
full power to declare infallibility, that
he had a plenitude of power to declare
infallibility. So the matter is settled;
and why waste our time in discussing it
at the present time ?
Says I to the Cardinals and the Coun
cil, I am exceedingly obliged to the vene
rable Patriarch of Jerusalem for placing
us in such good company. Every one
knew that this Council at Lyons after
the Council at Florence, had examined
the question of the Pope's inu'Jlibility. 1
But they did not see their way through.
They could not find sufficient evidence iu
scripture orjradition to deliuc the per
sonal, independent and separate and ab
solute infallibility of the Pope, and there
fore they laid the question aside.