OCR Text |
Show THE PRESS OX THK WAR. The partisan spirit of it large portion of the press of this country shows it- self almost as plainly with regard to ' the war in Europe a? in national and oeal political affairs. The Republican papers are generally on the Prussian side, with a view to secure the German vote in the ensuing election, though there are nutable exceptions, such as the New York 77m, which seems to aim at fairness and procuring reliable reports. On the other hand the Democratic Dem-ocratic papers, knowing the sympathies of the Irish are with the French, as - plainly seek to secure the Irish vote and show French proclivities very plainly. Read in the light of their tendencies j thus revealed, their reports and editorials editor-ials can be bette; understood. Takiu; , up a Republican and a Democratic pa-; pa-; per of the same date, and containing i the fame general news, with .special 1 reports from the seat of war, one is somewhat astonished to note the degree of comfort which each can draw for the respective nations towards which their sympathies run, from the most diverse news. One item will announce a Prussian Prus-sian victory, which is contradicted in the next paragraph. The announcement announce-ment is received by papers with German Ger-man leanings, and made the subject of gratulatory comments, while the contradiction con-tradiction is discarded. Another item will announce a battle with victory claimed by each side, when subsequent dispatches plainly show it. was a draw fight, in which neither conquered. But the claim of victory is made more strenuously by both parties thnn the dispatches give any warrant for. 1'apeis wi:h Prussian proclivities v. Ill sl;o v h-jw the French army is cornered cor-nered mi that a capitulation is absolutely abso-lutely necessary, the e-iptw "f Paris inevitable and immediate, and the death or fl'sht of Napoleon a -fcLii.'J fact. From the same dispatches, papers pa-pers inclining toward.-, the French :ire satisfied thai the Prussians are horribly cut up. their p'jwcr in France uiruo-t broken, the siege uf Paris improbable, and a deci-ive victory for B i.-iiue or McMahor. sure in a few Jays. And both sides look for a termination of the war in a brief spaw, with triumph to the arms which have their "oil feelings feel-ings and wishes for success. The fact- appear, independent of any partisan expression, that L-oi.li Prussians and French have stiffeied enormou- losse-. and a;e in a pi-i'i m to suffer s'ill greater. Both are immensely im-mensely powerful nation and can afford to wage a Png war. Poth are making tremendous effort f-r -ecuviiig a tinal triumph. There doe.-, not appear ap-pear t'i have bot-n a decisivi v i-: ;. on eith-r side -.ineo the givnt battle at Ili.i-eiiau, in which MeMab.n was so s- ilou-ly defeated. There has been 'oiitinuoiis and heavy fighting for days with the uio-t fearful s.aciifiee ofhfe to both ariuie-r. but the i.-..inpara'ivcly few prisoners taken on either side, and the fact that the result has only been a change in strategic position, however important that might be, show that a great victory, such as the Prussians claim for the l&th, has not been gained on French soil by either army. All the indications continue to show that the war will be long and bloody; and during its continuance we may look for such contradictory dispatches dis-patches as are now received, the Tiublic being compelled t glean the best understanding po-sibb: from the results of battles and movement-, iusttnd of f'om statements. |