OCR Text |
Show XAPOLEOX'S SITUATION. Napoleon's situation is critical. W itb the; Prussians pressing oj him in the i'ront, and a strong revolutionary feeling feel-ing in Paris, Marseilles and most-likely in other cities, the prospect is not very pleasing for a man who has just experienced expe-rienced a severe defeat. The talk, however, of the Orleans family being reinstated on the throne uf France i. Teiy premature. That they have a strong leaning towards it, and that their adherents are strenuously working work-ing for then), are beyond question. But France is not prepared to overthrow over-throw the Napoleonic dynasty for one defjat. Should the French be again severely whippjd without a victory to CJanterb-iUn;a it, th3 chances are that Eugiuie would be invited to vacate va-cate tbe regency, Napoleon to abdi-cUe abdi-cUe the thj throna, a.ii a provisional government be fermed to prosecute the war. A republic might be proclaimed, but would no- have a long existence. The French are too fond of show and tinsel to bear with the simplicity and eiuali-ty eiuali-ty which are the foundation an! strength of a republic, especially at its commencement; and they would allow louie one to elevate himself above the nation and claim monarchial honors. Meantime Napoleon is at Me;z with a strong force, and McMahon is said to be at Nancy, about thirty-five miles from it, with a respectable army. Froisard is probably at Thionviile, a little nearer Metz than is Nancy, only in a northerly direction. The three places are connected by railway, e.o that it would be an easy matter to concentrate con-centrate the entire forces there at any OD3 place. This gives Napoleon a stronger front than the French had when the battle of last Saturday commenced. com-menced. The flrat line of the French forces has been compelled to fall back upon the second line, leaving Strasbourg, Stras-bourg, St. Avoid and Frbach to the mercy of the Prussians. Should there still be garrisons in Strasbourg and St. Avoid they cannot stand their enemy's ene-my's advance. The French second line may now.bo considered to have irs centre at Chalons, where Canrobert is with the garde mobile. Chalons is about fifty -five miles from Metz, on the road to Paris, from which it is gltuated something like a hundred and twenty-five miles, the railroad from Paris to Metz running through i", so that all are in easy distance. The Prussian army advancing on French soil is the one which beat McMahou's aimy, but unless strongly supported by the advance of the Prussian second line it is numerically much inferior to the French forces that can coucentrate in a few hours in its front. ttill it is doubtful what the result of the next battle may be. If, as reported, repor-ted, Napoleon shows such incapacity, he may suffer defeat, even with overwhelming over-whelming odds in his favor. On the other baud, it is a mark of egotistical hypercriticLw to denounce his military abilities because the Prussians have gained the fi.st great battle. lie maybe may-be more successful than is predicted. IIj lias not had much experience on battle fields, but up to the present he has been geucrai'y tucces-ful,abMagenta and Solferino declare, no matter what g:nerals won them i'or ui;;i. With a v.ctory he can return to Paris to be received re-ceived with plaudit", having regained ascendancy over the fickle Parisians. "iVith a defeat his throne will be in serious se-rious peril. |