FRENCH CRITICISM ON THE ABYSSINIAN WAR.

Westport Times, Volume II, Issue 320, 10 August 1868, Page 2

FRENCH CRITICISM ON THE ABYSSINIAN WAR.

(From the Times.)

The military critics of France freely express their surprise and admiration at the success of the Abyssinian Expedition. The phrase used on this side the Channel seemed to have been suggested chiefly by the sudden sense of relief from unknown dangers, political perplexities, and an abyss of utterly fruitless expenditure. The French are able to dwell more generously, and with more dramatic interest, on the crowning incidents of an Expedition most romantic in its very conception and motive, more and more marvellous at every step, and surpassing all possible expectation in its end. What they notice most of all is a great novelty in their eyes, and an epoch in our history. As if there never was any doubt of our military courage, endurance, and determination, they now recognise for the first time a scientific success. We have really proved ourselves adepts in the art of war. We have done something more than march on and on, encounter foes, kill and be killed, survive gloriously, or retreat without loss of honor. The arrangements have been made with skill, and executed with precision. An impregnable fortress has been taken, not with mere flesh and blood, but with perfect marvels of ordnance admirably adapted to the purpose, and excellently handled. A few wounds on our side against a great slaughter on the other duly represent the difference between civilised and semibarbarous warriors. By this single feat of arms, or rather of intellect, we have gained a step, and may now be called a military people. This is war, even though it lack the magnificence of mutual slaughter on the grand scale familiarat the beginning of the century, and revived two years ago. We ought not to pro' e insensible to eoinpLmen'Bof this sort even had our own prejudices still run in the old track of crossed bayonets, cavalry charges, " forlorn hope," mines, and. escalades. We ought also to take the hint for practical use, and discern clearly the point which has elicited this unwonted tribute from watchful and interested observers. Certainly, we were all aware that without science it would be impossible to overcome the peculiar difficulties of the Expedition. Our soldiers, and every living thing they had with them, had to drink water distilled from the sea they had to carry with them eve ything they wanted ; they had rjo make their road as they went axid photograph it also; had to carry their ordnance on elephants, and compel their Indian soldiers to march in European fashon; and after penetrating into the heart of an unknown continent four hundred miles, they had to strike a decisive Wow, and return. If we suppose, what we may reasonably hope, that the return has been as successful as the advance, the feat, if, paralleled, has never been exceeded. Of course there have been more desperate deeds of daring ; but no such deed on such difficult and inexorable conditions. Our night-erranty was to be done with scruples beyond the highest standard of mediaeval or fabulous chivalry. We were to be just humane, and polite to all we met, and, above all, we were to bear in mind continually the exact account to be rendered on return for every life or limb, and every drop of blood shed. The British public would not inquire too curiously aftar the millions of money, but it would count the missing, or disabled soldiers. Such a success, fulfilling such conditions, is wonderful but, if there be any value in the military traditions of this country, the greatest wonder remains to be told. The success has been achieved by an officer of Engineers 1