energy and business qualities, cannon have been cast, old muskets
converted into breechloaders, and ammunition fabricated. He has had
endless difficulties to overcome, and has overcome them. The French are
entirely without what New Englanders call shiftiness. As long as all the
wheels of an administration work well, the administrative coach moves
on, but let the smallest wheel of the machine get out of order, and
everything stands still. To move on again takes a month's discussion and
a hundred despatches. A redoubt which the Americans during their civil
war would have thrown up in a night has taken the Parisians weeks to
make. Their advanced batteries usually were without traverses, because
they were too idle to form them. Although in modern sieges the spade
ought to play as important a part as the cannon, they seem to have
considered it beneath their dignity to dig--500 navvies would have done
more for the defence of the town than 500,000 National Guards did do. At
the commencement of October, ridiculous barricades were made far inside
the ramparts, and although the generals have complained ever since that
they impeded the movements of their troops, they have never been
removed.

I like the Parisians and I like the French. They have much of the old
Latin _urbanitas_, many kindly qualities, and most of the minor virtues
which do duty as the small change of social intercourse. But for the
sake of France, I am glad that Paris has lost its _prestige_, for its
rule has been a blight and a curse to the entire country; and for the
sake of Europe, I am glad that France has lost her military prestige,
for this prestige has been the cause of most of the wars of Europe
during the last 150 years. It is impossible so to adapt the equilibrium
of power, that every great European Power shall be co-equal in strength.
The balance tips now to the side of Germany. That country has attained
the unity after which she has so long sighed, and I do not think she
will embroil the continent in wars, waged for conquest, for an "idea,"
or for the dynastic interests of her princes. The Germans are a brave
race, but not a war-loving race. Much, therefore, as I regret that
French provinces should against the will of their inhabitants become
German, and strongly as I sympathise with my poor friends here in the
overthrow of all their illusions, I console myself with the thought that
the result of the present war will be to consolidate peace. France wil