The Sun. — London, England, 1870-09-13 00:00:00

THE SUN, LONDON, TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 13, 87() THE SIEGE OF STRASBURG. 'MP following is from the Daily News:—The . narful `amount of suffering inflicted on the inhabitants of Stras burg by the siege, is forcing itself upon public attention at a moment when it is uncertain whether a similar calamity may not he impending over Paris, and deep anxiety is ex pressed for the discovery CIF . some means by which the horrible scenes which are only too likely to occur may be averted. Short of the conclusion of peace, with its preliminary, an armistice, it does not appear that any plan can be devised. The ex terior forts of Paris are at a sufficient distance from the wall to keep the place from being shelled at once; but these forts are independent erections, each con structed to stand a separate siege, and would soon be ruined under the concentrated fire of the siege . guns, and the bombardment of Paris might then take place. Such a proceeding would far more shock the public sensibilities than the bombard ment of Strasburg has done. It is, however, one strictly within the legal rights of a belligerent, although in the case of Strasburg, for reasons probably political, the King of Prussia has given orders that the fire may be henceforth confined as much as possible to the defensive 4morks. The reason for attacking a fortress is sometimes in order to get possession of the place, sometimes to compel the surrender of the resisting force, sometimes to accomplish both ob jects. When Strasburg was first beiieged it was generally understood that the fortress itself was all that Was wanted, and that if it were surrendered the garrison would be allowed to march out. Now it i s reported that General 'Ulrich is ready to give it up, but that General Werder insists upon the surrender of the garrison as prisoners of war. If this is true, it is probably because he sees his way to the capture of both fortress and garrison, and thinks that the loss of life and the destruction of property which have taken place within the last four weeks require a military compensation. Some of the German papers have stated that General Uhrkh is to be made personally responsible for the destruction of Kehl as a purely wanton act, not serving a single purpose of war. However that may be, a very large portion of Strasburg has been laid in ashes, and grand historical monuments of the old German city, such as the Cathedral, have sustained irreparable injury. The damage, it is alleged, was in great part an inevitable incident of the seige, and this may be admitted. You cannot fire at a bastioned front with out many a ball going over into the city. But to throw bombs into a town, is this allowable ? The answer usually given is that no town ever has a shell thrown into it except by the choice of its masters. If, however, a town is fortified by its own Government so as to become a basis of military operations, or to give shelter and protection to that armed force which it is the object of another armed force to seek out and destroy, then that town is a fortress, and may be bombarded if the enemy thinks that the best way to compel its surrender. The character given to a town by the element of defence which it possesses is often a source of misfortune. When Blucher, having saved his corps from destruction after the campaign of Jena, was pur sued to Lubeck, he found it surrounded by a ruined , wall and deep ditches filled with water, and this gave him an excuse for treating it as a military post, in spite of the protestations of the inhabitants, who loudly declared their neutrality. The consequence was that on the next day the French stormed the place, which the Prussians de fended from the tops of the houses when they had lost all other footing, and the inhabitants underwent all the horrors of a town taken by assault. THE BLQWING-UP OF THE CITADEL OF LAON. An eye-witness of the events at Lao& has mentioned some facts in connection with the blowing-up of the for- ress. The General refused to surrender the fortress, though several applications were made to him on the part of the Prussians. The citadel of Laon may be considered a stronghold, but it is otherwise with the town, which is quite open. The General persisted in his resistance until the morning o'f the Othy when he received a telegram from the Minister 'of War, saying that the citadel had better be surrendered, as it was not in a fit state to defend itself. /n consequence two officers of the Garde Mobile Informed the Prussians of the determination on the part of the garrison to surrender, and a corps of Prussian infantry entered the tows A portion of them went at once to the citadel, which was guarded by the Mobiles. These laid down their arms, and were in the act of defiling when a tremendous explosion took place. The powder magazine was blown up. Another account says that the town of Laon is built on a height, which commands a plain of ten leagues in diameter. It was defended by a little citadel, which had thirteen batteries of cannon and 26,000 kilogrammes of powder in the magazine. Some of the army corps which were stationed there withdrew from the place on learning of the disaster of Marshal MacMahon, and little notice was taken of the commander of the place He was left there with some troops and a mobile well resolved to fight. An revoir was said to him, adieu, replied he. He had already made up his mind as to his titure conduct. He knew that Laon could not hold out, but he knew also that he had 26,000 kilogrammes of powder in the citadel. The next day some Uhlans appeared, they were repulsed. The day after a regiment appeared, and the next an army, the hour of surrender approached. What could they do, in fact, but that which all the towns had done since the beginning of the war and surrender themselves, The enemy appeared en masse with the Prince of Mecklenburg-Schwerin, they took pos session of the citadel, their spurs grated on the pavements, while the black masses of their troops advanced along the plain. All at once• this earth was shaken and the air shook with a terrible detonation. Only one. For some seconds the earth and the sky appeared to be nothing but chaos. then all sank again into silence. The mountain had fallen in. The town of Laon existed no longer. The citadel had been blown up, with all the force of its 26,000 kilogrammes of powder. Fifteen millions of francs are in course of being struck by the Paris Mint in 2f., if., and y. pieces. On Sunday morning a body of French cavalry drove back a Prussian reconnaissance in front of Chateau Thierry. The Satr declares that Marshal Canrobert, so far from being one of the escaped at Sedan, has never left Bazaine, and is shut up with him in Meth. A subscriber of Figaro writes to suggest that a price should be put on Bismarck's head, and that a public subscription should be opened to recompense the assassin. All the detached forts which protect the enceinte of Paris have been supplied with the electric light, in order . _ . to guard against possible night surprises. It is said that the Provisional Govrnment pro pose to sell a large quantity of the furniture, &c., belong ing to the Crown, the proceeds to be applied to the henefil of the wounded. A Frankfort journal reports that a regiment belonging to the garrison of Strasburg marched out of the fortress on Sunday, and laid down their arms, stating that they were not bound by the military oath to the Empercr. Private letters received in Berlin from the seat of war state that the discipline of the French army is utterly destroyed, and that the element of protection upon which the French counted, the marine troops, was rendered use less at Sedan. It is said that when Prince Napoleon arrived at Flo rence, his father-in-law, Victor Emmanuel said to him, "In your place I should have remained - to die beside my cousin." The Prinee, after Q. pause, replied, "That is easier said than done." The municipal authorities of Paris directed, in view of the probable siege, that all the closed cemeteries within the limits of the capital shall be re-opened, so as to pre pare for any eventualities ai the future. Five thousand Remingtons, 'coming horn England vii* Havre, have arrived at Paris. The Brankfort magistracy has received an order from the Government to report whether any and what anti quities and objects of art were taken from Frankfort by the French at the end of the last or beginning of this century. A telegram in the Maitaloster Examiner says that the German Princes will take the initiative themselves in regard to the settlement of German affairs. Corres pondence is already being exchanged between the Govern ments upon the subject. M. Von Delbruck (President of the North German Parliament) is now at the head quarters of the King. A bladder is said to have been found in the Moselle some miles to the north of Metz on the 2nd. It contained a letter from Marshal Bazaine addressed to the comman dant of Thionville. The letter states that the condition of the fortress was dreadful. Typhus and dysentery were raging. • It is positively asserted from Rome that the Emperor of Austria has pledged his word to Signor Minghetti not to interfere in any line of action which the Italian Government may feel itself obliged ti) adopt in order to protect its own interests as against Rome. THE LOSS OF THE CAPTAIN, LIST OF = THE SAVED. The foliawing was received from the Admhalty yesterday : "Admiralty, 12th September, 1870. " The following persons who escaped from H.M.S. Captain, and landed at Corcubion, north of Cape Finisterre, on the evening of the 7th inst., arrived this day at Portsmouth in H.M.S. Volage : Mr. James May, gunner. James Ellis, gunner's mate. Lewis Werry, captain of foretop. James Harvey, second captain of foretop. George Borde, coxswain of the pinnace. Charles Tregenan, leading seaman. John Heard A.B. Albert Herd, A.B. William Lawrence, A.B. David Dryburgh, A.B. John Walker, A.B. Jame Freeman, A.B. Henry Grange,-ordinari Robert Tomlinson, ordlntirg. Thomas Vernan, ordinary. Francis Merriman, boy, Ist class. • • James Saunders, boy, Ist class. John Gribble, boy. Ist class. " Mr. Herbert L. Mayne, midshipman, who was sup posed to have perished on board the Captain, was left in valided at Lisbon Hospital. " It appears from the deposition of the survivors that the Captain turned bottom up in a heavy squall, and went down in three minutes." and directions which may help to give the great city the calmness and the order which are necessary for saving the country. Subjoined are pieces of sage advice respecting the careful manage ment of food, the dangers of giving too much drink to the guards, &c. Among these wise counsels is one by no means needless, cautioning citizens that every one who speaks with a foreign accent is not a Prussian spy. The ligaro says that the Prussian armies are living on the enemy's soil, and beneath their steps around them and behind them, they meet with nothing but hatred. and vengeance. Innumerable resistance has been shewn to their soldiers. Strasburg will not surrender ; Metz keeps firm ; Laon blows itself up with the Prussian staff, and Paris awaits the enemy with a firm demeanour, ready to die rather than to yield. If peace should not arrive to put a period to this horrible butchery, Prussia will learn before a month has passed over that she cannot bury. alive a great nation like Prance. The Journiti des Dawes thinks that public opinion in foreign =arias to veering round in favour of France, - If the tone of the English press 114 fairoutablio 4or the most- par% that meetings have been held in the large towns where lively sympathy .for France was expressed, and the Government requested to make overtuees of peace, and the Independace Beige has published another article on the terms of peace which might be proposed by Prussia, in which ft declares that the dismemberment of France would be an act of injustice. The equestrian statue of Napoleon 111., which was placed on the new buildings of the Tuilerles, facing the quay, has been surrounded by a scaffolding for the purpose of removing it. In awaiting this object, the head and the bust of the statue have been covered with mortar, and only the horse is visible, which, in its turn, has had lime pub over it. There was a false alarm in the court yard of the Governor of Paris the other day. A picket of National Guards, whose guns were clustered togethers, called out suddenly, "Aux armes!" There had been rumours during the morning of disturbances provoked by the Corsican sergents de ville, but it was soon discovered that a mistake had been made. It was' only a deputation of bourgeois from Paris, who appeared in great force to protest against the article in the Marseillaise. Some workmen accompanied them. Among the suggestions which it makes with re spect to the defence of Paris, the Liberte advises the authorities to require that every soldier detached from his corps should be interrogated on returning to Paris because some of the Prussian spies might easily slip in under cover of the soldier's dress a military guard might be placed at the railway stations, and proceed to a short examination. The Temps has received, on good authority, some accounts of the bombardment of Strasburg. They are of a reassuring character. The inhabitants pass their time on the ground floor, barricading their win dows with mattrasses. Buckets of water are placed in the streets, and in different parts of the houses, by which means the flames can be quickly extinguished. At night they meet in the largest cellars. The people still exhibit an admirable courage, and display the greatest perseverance. The news of the proclamation of the Republic has been received with enthusiasm. The initiative committee which has been constituted at Paris has adopted measures for the support of the Alsatians; THE FRENCH PRESS ON LAON. The Journal des Debate refuses to credit the assertion which has been put forward by various journals to the effect that the general in command at Laon blew up the citadel after having surrendered it to the enemy. It cannot suppose such a thing possible, because it would be an act condemned by all the rules of war. It appears that some French soldiers have perished in the catastrophe, and as the custom is for the forces of the enemy not to enter fortress that has been given up until it has been evacuated by Ore hesieged ) . it would seem as if the Governor of Laon bad -simply opened the gates of the citadel, without having made any engagement, verbal or otherwise to surrender it to the enemy, so that he had full liberty of action. In any case, says the Debats: whether the blowing up of the citadel was a legal act of war, or whether we must admit that a French general, in a state of patriotio despair, outraged rules that he ought to have respected, the tragic event which has caused so profound a sensation in Paris shews that the passions which this implacable war has aroused are increasing day by day. The majority of the Parisians trouble themselves very little about the moral or legal character of the act, but give unqualified praise to tae intrepid soldiers who have buried themselves beneath. the ruins of the fortress which had been confided to them. The Temps says that many reports are circulated as to the cause of the explosion of the citadel of Laon. The most reliable is that which attributes it to an act of heroic despair 01% the part of General Ternin„ the com mander of the place. In awaiting the confirmation of this story, it may be 'remarked that there is in it nothing inconsistent with the course pursued by the commanders and governors of the French strongholds, and with the example they have given of their unalterable resolution and civic devotion. Strasbourg, Phalsbourg, Toul, Ver dun, Montmedy, Thiont ille, will all fill a glorious page in the sad story of the present reverses. The Siecle declares that the garrison of Laon has set an heroic example in blowing itself up in the fortress along with the enemy. The Soir says that the sublime' act of the defender of the citadel of Laon, who, according to the news just arrived, has blown up the fortress under his charge, with himself and the staff of the enemy's army, has created a universal admiration in Paris, at the same time that the feeling is mixed with horror and fright. This soldier, an unknovin hero until yesterday, will be for ever inscribed in the golden book of his country. The name of Com mander Ternin will have from henceforth a place in French history. France has always welcomed enthusias tically all that is great and noble. Do great things, said, one of his guests to Napoleon 111., and the advice was not bad. Napoleon being conquered, would have done a great thing if he had acted as the humble and admirable Commander of Laon. The latter will appear greater than he does in history. Napoleon preferred to act quite contrary. France does not forgive her chiefs for acting with faltering and cowardice, and he who provoked the capitulation of Sedan, at the same time signed the defini tive extinction of his family and his race, for he humi liated France. When Francis 1., after having precipitated himself, his lance in rest, in the midst of the enemy, was made prisoner at Pavia, France expe rienced an immense grief, but also felt immense admira tion for the courage of the King. He could say at anY - rate, " All is lost except honour," and France, while she lamented her defeat, reserved for him and his race the ' reparations of the future. It will never be here again. a question of having the Bonapartes. The Liberte mentions that the precise details of the affair at Laon are wanting, but two names are cited, those of General Ternin de Hame and those of Commandant Henry de Chazelles. They had their lives secured, but honour was dearer to them than life ; they could not hold out any longer, and therefore they are dead. Our history has instances of such devotion, which, as children, we remember to have read in kindling with enthusiasm they appeared as legends to us now the French of 1870 are making, in their turn, legends for the future. The Patric says that, like General Ulrich at Strasbourg, General Ternin at Laon has just rendered his name illus trious for ever. The Government dispatch states that this brave general officer has been wounded in the head, but still survives. Dead or living, the recollection of his heroic devotion will place him beside Bisson and other sol diers who havesacrificed their lives for their country. Gene al 'Armin d'Harad is 64 years of ago, He w as sent to the resew corps in 1868. He asked to be allowed to resume service immediately the war with Prussia was declared. He was entrusted with the command of the department of the Aisne in place of Count Brayer. General Jermin, a brilliantpupil of the cavalry schoolof Saumur, and performed the functions of instructor of hussars with indefatigable zeal for some time. He was made general of brigade in 180, during the holding of the camp at Chalons. He commanded the sub-division of the Haut Rhin and that of Aisne, from which he returned some weeks ago to ren der immortal the defence of the town of Laon and his own memory The newspapers are on their part preparing for the lit erar y pert of the siege- One of theta suggests that as papas is likely to tie Anne, men should fee their wits to work to discover r soluble printing ink which could be easily removed by an application of acids. By this means the same sheet of paper night, if returned to the office, do duty several times. The Siecle informs its subscribers that in the expectation of the communications between Paris and the departments being interrupted by the enemy, its directors are taking measures to ensure its regular delivery to its provincial subscribers. What those measures are it does not explain. Perhaps King William would like to know. The Siecle remonstrates with those who complain that the journals main tain their price, notwithstanding the abolition of the stamp duty, a n d says t h at t h ere are many great expenses THE TOWN OF RHEIM S. journals hav e b een entailed by th e war, and the price of The Stetatsanzeiger, a G erman paper, thus describes the paper has risen so town of Rheims :—" The to wn o f R heims, into which his much that several. obliged to sus- Pend publicati on . C ertainly the Siecle is cheap at Majesty the King made his ent rance on the sth ' of this mouth, is situated upon the Vesl e , w hi c h flows into the office of public cens or . I ts fourth page is headed, any price, for it h as undertaken gratuitously the Aisne, and the Marne and Aisne Canal, and is built upon in tremendous letters, b y the words " Conseil, a plain, surrounded by vineyards. Th e town is anx Citoyens." The notice w hi c h follows tells us the point of centralisation of five rail ways, two - of which lead either through Epernay o p that dozing the whole epoch of national defence Soissons towards Paris, whilst the three others, the Siècle will publish in this manner concise warnings coming from the directions of Laon, Bethel, and Verdun-Chalons, all meting together in one single station at the north-west of the. town. Rheims is about 160 kilometres from Paris by the northern route through Soissons, and 172ki1ometres from the capital tici Epernay. Rheims contains 60,600 inhabitants, and is the chief town of the arrondissement, and is the seat of a large 'lumbar of spiritual and temporal authorities, amongst whon;t is the archbishop, who controls the sees a Soissons, Chalons, Beauvais, and Amiens. Rheims is the town where the French monarchs were formerly crowned, and is one of the most ancient and historical cities of France. The ancient ramparts still exist upon the south side, but to wards the north all the old fortifications have been re moved to enlarge the town by handsome villas and pro menades, stretching out towards the railway stations. There are several theological colleges—a medical and pharmaceutical, a large library, college, civil and commer cial tribunals, a chamber of commerce, assurance offices, and a bank with a note circulation of over 65,000,000 f. The town containsmost important cloth, woollen and cash mere manufactories, wax bleaching works, wax candle manufactories, several breweries, biscuit manufactories, cutlery works, colour mills, tanyards, and an enormous commerce in many other products, amongst them a yearly trade of 25,000,0001 r. in champagne. The magnificent Gothic cathedral, dating from the 1212 ; the church of St. Remy, rebuilt in 1041; the town hall ; the palace of the archbishop ; the Place du Roi, ornamented with its monument to Louis XV. and old Roman gate ; and a triumphal arch known as the Porte de Mars, are of the greatest historical interest." A. LETTER FROM MARSHAL MACMAHON. The Minister of War has received the following letter from Marshal MacMahon ; " POURRU-AUX-Bois, September 8, 1870. M. le Ministre,—l have the honour to inform you that I have obtained permission from the Prussian mili tary authorities to be removed to a little village called Pourru-aux-Bois, situated some leagues from Sedan, in the direction of Belgium. Being prisoner of war. I cannot, according to the terms of the convention, resunn active service during this campaign ; but as, like most of the officers, I wish after the catastrophe which has befallen the army to share the fate of my soldiers, I shall request, as soon as my wound allows my removal—which will be, according to the doctors, in five or six weeks—that the Prussian authorities will confine me in some place in Ger many. Accept, M. le Ministre, the assurance of my highest consideration. " The Marshal of France, Du Arial& }lox." GENERAL WIMPFFEN ON THE PRUSSIAN AND FRENCH ARMIES. General Wimpffen, who was nominally commander-in chief of the French army at Sedan after MacMahon was disabled, is said by a member of his staff to have thus given his opinion on the relative merits of the two armies. He attributed the disasters of the French in a great measure to the inferiority of their firearms. It Is to be noticed, he said, that if our artillery had been in con dition to fight the Prussians iu this campaign, we might not perhaps have had these reverses ; but when our projectiles explode at from 2,000 to 2,400 metres theirs go 1,000 metres further. It follows that their artillery men, who are composed and skilful, can correct their aim, and can easily shatter our material. In truth I saw in the wood of the Garonne three pieces of artillery placed in position by the general's orders, which were obliged to be spiked because the impotence of their fire was apparent, and it was not less evident that they would be speedily destroyed by the Prussian artillery, which they were powerless to hurt. The Prussians having recognised the su periority of their artillery over ours, a fact we did not rightly estimate before the war, though it might have been easily perceived by a Minister who was a distinguished artillery • officer, inundated their armies with formidable batteries. They never engage their infantry without having first crushed their adversaries under a hail of projectiles. Their artillerymen never do as most of ours do and fire hurriedly or lightly. They never fire at venture at an un certain point, but aim at A definite and well understood mark. The German army is better disciplined than ours. It . obeys better, exe cutes its manceuvres with more order and unity, and seldom exceeds the lines pointed out. It marches in such a manner that it is not easily surprised, but can easily surprise a careless adversary like ourselves. How do they manage the important subject of proiisions, said the General. I do not know, but it is certain their admin istration knows how to provide for all wants. This part of the service with us leaves much to be desired even when regular distributions are made. Our troops are obliged to send numerous corvees to a great distance to obtain their provisions at a central point, and as the number of men to be provided for is considerable there is always delay and sometimes disorder. Could not the intendance have the same means of transport to carry the rations at least from the central point to each corps d'arm6e ? Notwithstanding these faults and these criti cisms, the General believed that France might regain.the advantage over the Prussian armies by avoiding great battles, by placing field and siege pieces in position on the ramparts of Paris, and in placing detached forts a little in the real so as to delay the bombardment of the capital. Small bodies of troops might harass the enemy's flanks, though they could not enter into a regulareombat. They might pass between the enemy's lines, blow up the bridges, and destroy the railways, carry off the horses and vehicles before the Prussian columns ; in a word, abandon the system of war on a large scale for that on a small scale, and act without pause and without mercy. Such are the opinions of a General of considerable military experience and ability. TILE PROGRESS OF THE PRUSSIANS. At no point nearer to Paris than Sedan have the Germans met with anything that can be called resistance. Laon, we were informed the other day, had refused a summons, shut its gates, and p re . pared to resist ; but no real resistance was offered. Official despatches received at Paris, however, report an accident—which only a cha- ritable and magnanimous enemy would class under that _ _ category. The French commandant, General L'Hame, after slamming the gates in the face of the Prussians, thought better of the matter, and "surrendered the citadel in order to save the town." The conquerors, un suspicious of mischief, entered the citadel on Saturday at noon, and set at liberty the Mobile Guards who garrisoned it. Half an hour after noon a magazine ex ploded, killing all the Prussian staff who had entered, several hundreds of Prussian soldiers, and a number of the Mobile. The occurrence was very awakward—so very awkward, that one statement, put forward by refugee inhabitants of the place, broadly implies that the citadel was purposely blown up; while another telegram tells us, with a sort of guilty sense of relief, that the Prussians are using no violence in the town." The fact says a great deal for their self-control ; almost any other soldiery i 4 the world would have instantly taken the blowing up of the citadel for a treacherous trick of war, and would have exacted a terrible revenge from the troops and from the inhabitants who might be deemed participes criminis. That the Prus sians did nothing of the kind, testifies very strongly to their moderation and their discipline, The fact remains, that Laon is in Prussian hands, and therefore that no obstacle in the way of fortresses outside Soissons hinders the Prussian advance towards Paris. Soissons, as we have already said, has most probably been masked. With all the other roads from the north and east open to the invaders, and with the com mand of the transverse routes which Laon affords, it would hardly be worth while' to besiege or assault Sois sons, for all the time that the Prussian armies are likely to have to spend between it and Paris. Meanwhile Paris pre pares resolutely for siege. The Court of Jriminal Justice and the Court of Cassation will be transferred to Tours, whither also the Diplomatic Body and the delegations of the Government will proceed. Postal and telegraphic communication is almost at an end in the Department of the Seine, and it has even been announced that no English mail would leave the capital after Friday night. From our Correspondent I,se learn that the city is perfectly tranquil, and that the streets are crowded with the Gardes Mobiles who have come in from the cciantry. The principal thought of the mo ment seems to be, that peace is attainable, under the impulse given by the Emperor of Austria and the Tsar, who have both interceded in favour of an armistice. There are many reasons why the Prussian Monarch and his advisers should hail a proposal for an armistice that was based on a straightforward desire to make such a peace as the fortune of war has made inevitable for France But so much exasperatiOri against the beaten nation pre vails in the camps of the conquerors —so much hatred of the victor prevails in the menaced capital—that it is not possible to discern the common term on which they could meet to agree on peace. At the present moment, however, all the thoughts at Paris strongly tend that way ; and though the belief that the peace may be had on the French terms is too likely to prove only a delusion — like so many other things which it has'pleased the French to believe for the moment since the war began—the fancy does certainly at this moment powerfully influence minds at Paris.—Daily Telegraph. The adulais cites, as a proof of the security and confidence of the " Government of the Defence," that on the previous day, up to midnight, no political arrest had been made. THE WAR. PARIS IN SUSPENSE. PARIS, SUNDAY. The great topic of the day is the blowing up of the citadel of Laon, which has created the greatest excite ment. Most persons applaud the spirit of the defenders, whose desperate act comes almost as a relief after the • tamenes and vacillation of too many French com manders. It may be remembered that at the beginning of the war the commander and all the officers of Laon assembled, and took an oath to blow up the place rather than deliver it to the enemy. It is said the gates were thrown open without any capitu ation being made, so that the officers held themselves ex cused from the military law which forbids any offensive act after surrender. General Trochu has issued a proclamation directing that on the approach of the enemy all the woods and forests &c., surrounding Paris shall he fired, in order to prevent their giving airy shelter to the enemy. The tinsniane have so kugeip proated by the 4sroody nallnrecat *Ye Mgt:Acta they have Invaded that this measure- though culling for a sacrifice on the part of the people ie not an unnecessary precaution. The General, in his proclama tion, calls upon the citizens of Paris to surprise the in vader by showing him that the capital which he thought was enervated by the enjoyments of peace is in every way prepared for the combat. An armistice for a fortnight has been talked of for the last day or two but there is no authentic grounds for the rumour. There has also been a report that all women are to be sent out of Paris— a measure which they not unreasonably object to, as they contend their presence may be useful in encouraging and cheering their husbands, fathers, sons, and brothers, and also in succouring and tending the wounded. In the latter capacity, especially, it would seem they could ill be spared. Meanwhile the action of the diplomatic world is engaging anxious attention. The Republic has met with a favourable reception on the whole. Four . Powers, America, Switzerland, Italy, and Spain, have formally recognised the new Government, and the official recognition of Belgium is daily expected. According to a despatch from Prague, published in the Constitu(ionnel, the Washington Government has gone further than this, and has represented to the Prussian Government that the war has no longer an object since Napoleon is dethroned, and the King proclaimed at the outset that he was not fighting with the Freneh people. To add force to this remonstrance, the Government of the United States declared that it could not regard with indifference the effusion of blood in a country whose institutions were kindred to its own. This despatch, it Is said, has produced an immense sensation in the diplomatic world, though what effect it will have on the sturdy old King, who, to judge from some of the German papers, is lw no means inclined to have his declaration taken au pied de la lettre, may be questioned. The papers are full of the courteous despatches exchanged between M. Jules Fevre and the Ministers of Spain, Switzerland, and Italy. They are less openly enthusiastic> than the letter of Mr. Washburn, but they are amicable enough. Switzerland and America can more openly sympathise with the esta blishment of a Republic than their professedly monarchi cal companions. There is no doubt that the overthrow of the Empire 1,13 given a great impetus to the Democratic movement on the Continent. In Spain, in particular, the example of France is likely, in the present unsettled condition of things, to have a great effect. The Figaro publishes, under reserve, a letter from a correspondent, who reports that he has seen a con fidential communication from Marshal Prim to Olozaga, directing him to ascertain how the offer of 40,000 or 50,000 Spanish troops, on the establishment of a Republic in 'l3Paln, would be received in France, Numberless 4mm** are =rent respecting the negotiations now .pforeng, I)at ail accotmdle sgree hi' describing England .ae hesitatiug anti unwilling , to act. Russia was .Said to have been, on the contrary, -vesy active end to have herself proposed an armistice to the Prussian King, feeling certain of the support of Austria and Italy. Another report, however, states that she has drawn back and grown cold and hesitating in her turn. Austria is believed to be the Power in Europe most friendly towards France, and the Liberte rejoices in the conviction that she bas at last perceived it is a war of races as much as a war of conquest, and that as Prussia has absorbed Germany by force, so she will eventually by force dismember Austria. The dream of the house of Hohenzollern has always been to be the strongest, and the work of to-day dates from 1740. Prussia is a nation of prey, and it will be unfortunate for Austria if she allows her to pursue her course unmolested. All Europe should take warning for Prussia fighting, Prussia conquering. Prussia triumphant dreams of a colossal German Empire, which would be nothing but a great bar -euelca, in which noziewaie (Beans, bat auk were &Alms. 1 413ssing. elhicting 4o flie Prussian tnilitary m's) tett, called Prussia " the most enslaved nation In Europe." How many slaves, asks the Liberte, will be made by the eventual triumph of King William? Some of the German organs are by no means so bitter or so desperate in their tone. The ilvenir of Berlin declares that now Ca , sarism is, humanly speaking, entirely de stroyed, Germany has no object in raising an insensate demand for war. A Republic in France will give her a better guarantee of good neighbourhood than the annexa tion of political dilettanti. The Woehenblatt, a Mayence paper, has a very strong article, counselling Germany to use her victory with moderation. History, it says, proves that conquests have never secured the happiness or the liberty of the people, but have always produced flesh complications leading to war and misery. It would only be just and reasonable for conquering Germanyto demand the repayment of the costs of the war, but to annex pro vinces to Germany against their will, would be wholly opposed to the democratic sentiment, which refuses to regard populations like flocks of sheep which can be passed from hand to hand. The peace of Germany will be better secured by forcing France to disarm, to dismantle the fortresses which threaten Germany, and to employ in works of civilisation and education the miillions she has hitherto expended on war. Out of an enemy Germany would thus make an ally, and the only conflict possible between the two peoples in the future would be a rivalry in works of civilisation. It is generally believed, however, that France will not be able to obtain such terms of peace as she can accept until she has obtained a military success, or until so much blood has been shed that Prussia becomes exhausted, and a universal protest is made in favour of peace. At present Paris looks like one vast citadel, and reinforcements keep pouring in. Twenty thousand Kabyles from Algeria are among the latest arrivals. The proclamation of General Trochu, already referred to, has been so far anticipated that in the direction of Melan trees have been cut down and used to barricade the roads. The bridges have been blown up. In Paris itself preparations are being made in case of fire, and orders are given to destroy every inflammable article. The task of providing the defenders with sufficient and suitable munitions is no light one. The difficulty is heightened by the diversity of arms and calibres. It has been necessary to distribute guns of the old sort to the Gardes NationauX and the Mobiles, and consequently there is some risk of a mistake in a hurried distribution of cartridges. The Temps, in discussing this problem, suggests that all the men with the old weapons should be stationed on one bank of the Seine, and those with the new on the other, and, also, that the names of the arms to which they belong should be very distinctly painted on the cases of cartridges. Neither method, however, would prove effectual with ignorant or careless agents. CORRECTED LIST OF THE OFFICERS LOST. The following is a corrected list of the officers, from the last return received at the Admiralty, who are supposed to have been on board her Majesty's ship Captain : Captain.—Hugh T. Burgoyne, V.C. Commander.—Richard Sheepshanks. Lieutenants.—Charles Giffard, Francis 13. Renshaw, Richard P. Pardon, Robert F. Castle, and Edward W. E. Boxer. Second Captain, R.M.A.—Richard A. Gorges. Lieutenant Marine.—John A A. Eckford. Chaplain and Naval Instruct or.—Rev. Edmund S. Powles. Staff Commander. Robert J. C. Grant. Paymaster.—Julian A. Messum. Assistant Paymasters.—Richard Cornish and Arnold West. Chief Engineer.—George Rock. Staff-Surgeon.—Matthew Burton, M.D. Surgeon.—Robert Purves. Assistant Surgeon.—John Ryan. Sub-Lieutenants.—Edward P. Hume, Lord Lewis Gordon, Herbert F. Murray, Douglas E. D. Curry, W. W. Glanville, James D. Kirkness, Arthur 0. R. 13. Ternan, and Charles E. Goldsmith. Navigating Sub-Lieutenant.—Arthur E. Tregaskis. Engineers.—William C. Moreton, Peter Baldwin Frederick Pursell, George H. Barnes, and John H. Willis, Midshipmen.—Gerald W. Trevor, Leonard G. E. Childers, Alfred Ripley, Allan C. T. Manci, Hon. Arthur T. N. Baring, Henry W. Gordon, Alfred A. Ashington, Hon. William R. Herbert, Edmund F. Goodfellow, and Edmund D. Ryder. Assistant Engineers, Ist Class—George P. Gardiner, Frederick J. Baron, and Thomas W. Curtis. Assistant Engineers, 2d Class.—Alfred Parkis and Geo. Harding. Gunner, 2d Class.—* James May. Boatswain.—Robert Davie. Carpenter.—Charles Dyer. Assistant Clerk.—William V. R. Hugh. * James May, gunner 241 class, is the warrant officer who is reported to have been saved. The Evening Standard has been favoured with the follow ing private letter from an officer on board the Incon stant :—" H.M.S. Inconstant, at sea, off Cape Finisterre, Bth September, 1870. "My dear Father,—We have been, one might say, witnesses of the most terrible tragedy in naval records. The Captain must have foundered in a gale we had the night before last in the very middle of the fleet. Everyone has " perished—in number more than 600 and over a third of them, in all human probability, were drowned in their hammocks. As nothing was seen of her yesterday morn ing, and as the fleet all day yesterday, and again this morning, have been employed in picking up her boats, fragments of spars, upper works, and what is more ' ominous still, bits of polished mahogany that formed part of her fittings between decks, nobody permits himself to hope. We were the nearest ship to her, and the last that saw her before the height of the gale. A terror and awe indescribable are over everyone on board. Nobody could have believed that we should have come with but littl e damage out of weather that would produce such a catas trophe to a ship like the Captain. She was the famous exponent of Captain Cowper Coles's turret and low free board theory, and the poor man was on board her himself to observe her performances. Mr. Childer's son is one of the victims. One very ominous sign about the debris we have been picking up is that we passed over the same. spots where this morning we have been picking up spars, &c. Yesterday I saw nothing tending to the belief that every thing was drawn down in the vortex and is taking some time to detach from the wreck. We have been ordered to get up steam at full speed, and to make the best of our way to Plymouth to report to the Admiralty. Ido not think the commander-in-chief wouid give orders tending to terrify people in England if he thought that there still existed any chance for the poor fellows ; in fact, the admiral has made a general signal to the feet expressive , of his deep sorrow at the terrible loss. The general theory is that she was taken'aback, her stern port either open or burst in by the waves, and that she filled, and went down by the stern. If such be the case she would not have taken more than a quarter of an hour to settle, and the weather was such that no boats could live. No bodies have yet been found, or will be for some time probably; but we picked up to-day a portion of the bowsprit, with some roor fellow's black handkerchief tied to it. He had evidently attempted to make himself fast. All hope is now given up (about eleven a.m., September, 1870). We have started on our way home with the dread news. A terrible accident occurred on board within the last ten minutes, as though the last two days had not been sufficiently pregnant in horrors. A gun, at exercise, fetched away, and passed over a man,liilling him instantaneously, and wounding two other men. It is wonderful (though under the circumstances natural enough) to see the whole ship's company completely awe-struck as they are. We certainly in the last three days have supped of horror to repletion. —Your affectionate son." The Western Morning News says—Some of the o ffi ce rs . the Inconstant have obliged us with additional facts. All went well up to the 6th inst., on the afternoon of which day Admiral Milne and his staff went on board the Captain to witness from her a trial of sailinc , , in which she was to take part, with the Monarch', In constant, and Bristol. The gallant admiral re mained on board the vessel until the evening, happily declining the invitation of the officers to remain to dinner, and go on board his own ship the next morning. When he left the Captain, at about 7 p.m., the sea was pouring over her upper deck in cataracts, so much so that the admiral's galley was nearly swamped whilst alongside. It is reported that when he arrived on board the Lord Warden, Admiral Milne was heard to say, " Thank God, he was on board his own ship again." At 7 o'clock the Captain communicated with the fleet by signal, and this was the last time she ever did so, as night soon after closed in. About this time a gale sprung up from the S. W., which all the vessels weathered out up to 1.30 on the morning of the 7th. At that time the Captain was seen from the Lord Warden steeling NN.W. under trebled-reefed fore and main-topsails and fore top mast staysail. Fourteen minutes after, at 1.44 a.m., a sudden tremendous squall struck the fleets, the wind having shifted round to NN. W. Nearly all the vessels were "taken aback," and a signal was made f r o m th e Lord Warden to " wear ships." The squall lasted for two hours, causing considerable loss to all the ships in the topsails, which were split and blown away. When the day dawned all the vessels of the fleet were in sight with the exception of the Captain. It was then presumed that when the wind shifted and the signal to " wear " was given she had not observed it, and standing on was now out of sight. Rumour says that Admiral Milne, when he heard the report that she was out of sight, said, "then she went down last night ; I was afraid she would." Towards the afternoon the Inconstant picked up a piece of topmast and a launch's mast, and two or three cutter oars, all in different places, The Warrior discovered topsails, and the Hercules swinging booms and a life buoy. The whole of these were observed to be man-of-war gear ; and in the evening the Pysche, despatch vessel, joined the squadron from Vigo—the only port into which the' missing vessel was likely to have put—and reported that she had observed, besides much debris of wreck two man-of-war cutters, bottom up, and a portion of the hurricane deck o f a vessel. From the latter she took the body of a seaman. The Globe in trying to account for the foundering of the Captain, says : —The sides of the vessel reached no higher than the main deck, which, in a calm sea, was " eight feet only above the water line." The advantage (which those who saw the spirited picture in the Illustrated London News a few weeks since will easily realise) of this mode of construction was, that the water could in stormy weather wash harmlessly over the main deck under the upper platform, which would remain dry. The `model is, however, necessarily subject to two great dis advantages. (There is a loss of all lateral pressure, beyond this eight feet above the water line, to help the ship ' o resist the wind and keep her upright on her keel; whi .0 directly she keels over, a great portion of her main deck along the whole of one side is submerged, and becomes for the length of some 300 feet a lever by which the sea to leeward is enabled powerfully to assist the force of the gale and waves to windward in their efforts to upset the vessel. Sir Alexander Milne says th a t when frmn &alit 5.3 U p.im" until aunt 1,30 a.m, I constantly watched the ship, her topsails were either close reefed or on the cap, her foresail was close up, the mainsail having been furled at 5.30 p. m ., but I could not see any fore and aft set. Sh e was keeling over a good deal to starboard, with the wind on her port side." Th e topsails, even when close-reefed and lowered down to the oar', are at least 80 feet above the deck of a ship of this size, and 3 pressure of wind against them would be acting upon th e long arm of a rectangular lever, of which the fulcrum was, 4' the ship's centre of grav ity, an d upon th e s h or t a rm which same lever (i.e., the submerged portion of the main deck, when the vessel was keeling over) the water would be exercising a termendous pressure in the same direction. When we add to this the suddenness of the squall it is easy to imagine that the unfortunate vessel must have been in an. instant upset, past all chance of righting her self again. Lord Lewis Gordon, who was lost, is a brother to the Marquis of Huntley. Mr. W. Taylor, midshipman, ha d exchanged with Mr. Alfred Ripley, midshipman of the Royal Oak, and it is feared that the latter officer m ust be among th ose w h o wen t d own i n t h e C apta i n. It was the Duke of S o m erse t w h o au th or i se d th e build ing of a tu rre t s hip on C apta i n C o l es ' s pr i nc i p l e. The deceased officer and the Messrs. Lai r d were a ll o wed to construct the vessel unf e tt ere d by any *official interference. One part of the p rogramme t o b e carr i e d out d ur i ng the present cruise is for the M onarc h, C ap t a i n, an d H erc ules, to test the relative quickne ss an d a c curacy o f fi re o f their heavy guns when discharging while runn ing p as t a rock or mark at the rate of four miles an hour, at a thousand yards distance. It is said that in the first trial the Hercules ffred 15 shots within five minutes the Monarch 8, and the Captain 6. The sec on d d a y the Hercules fired 17/ the Monarch 12, and the C a pt a i n 7 w ithi n th e presc ribe time of five minutes. The Hercules fired from the four other 18-ton guns on the one side of her battery, but did not use either the four 18-ton guns on the other side, or her two 12-ton guns. The Monarch and Captain used the whole four of their heavy guns. The projectiles fired by the Hercules were 400 lbs. in weight ; those of the Monarch and Captain 6001bs. One of the 400 lb. chilled projectiles, fired from the Hercules, broke up close to the ship. There will , be further trials, which may skew 3 different ultimate result as to quickness.- The relative accuracy of fire is as yet only known to the judges.—We s ' tern Morning News. • THE IMPERIAL PRISONER. The Princes Ney and Murat are with the Emperor At Wilhelmshohe, also several Generals, including Reihe, who brought the Emperor's letter of surrender to Xing William. The Princes Murat has put up at one of the hotels. A telegraph and post-office has been opened at the Castle. The household of the Emperor consists of about 130 persons who are boarded at the hotel; but the cooks whom Queen Augusta sent are In the Castle. The Emperor has complained bitterly of the treatment which he received in his way through Belgium. He declares that it shewed great thoughtless ness. Speaking of the German troops he says that he wished to " render all h )mage to their bravery and disci pline. Their discipline is without parallel and is surpassed only by. their courage. Nothing can res i s t th em , and they will enter Paris, for Paris does not know how to keep them out." The Emperor does not shew the smallest sign of regret at what he has done. During lii journey from Bouillon to Verviers he sighed very much ; but whenever he spoke to any one he put on an air of cheerfulness. Altogether he exhibits the aspect of a man who is glad that he 1 09 escaped from a great danger. At the last minute before surrendering it was his intention to put himself at the head of a troop and cut his - way through the Bavaria lls, but the German artillery fire was too hot for him to carry out this intention. Throughout the French army the Emperor was universally despised- After the battle of Sedan no one would hear his name mentioned. The officers were especially bitter, and would not listen to what had become of hica• Some surprise is felt that so many French officers have been allowed to return to F rance on con di t i on o f no t bearing arms during the present war. They say that thel, have only to change their names, and they will be su, right. They excuse this f a ithl essness on t h e gro un d that King , William no longer keeps his promises of making war only against the Emperor, a promise which the King never made. A oorrespondent of the Times vouches for the truth of a story that 30,000 Prussian needle-guns have bees discovered, stowed away in the warehouse of the Eastern Railway at Paris. Who sent them, and how they P t there, has not yet been discovered. Another story, whic h may be true, but which is probably false, is that of the existence of a subterranean passage, with one entrance beyond the fortifications and another in Paris itself. Th e letter conveying this information to the authorities sale that the writer has it from one of the masons employed is the work, who offers to come to Paris with a safe conduct, he being a German. The subterranean passage is said to have been the work of six years, and to have been dug by German workmen on high pay, who were always taken to and from their work blindfolded. A contract has been made for the delivery of 1,500 tons of coat at the French settlement of Maho on the Malabar Coast. It is said that the coal is to be used in supplying French men-of-war cruising in these seas in search of German vessels. But the German Consul at BombnY has objected to the coal leaving the port, and the decision rests with Government. The Berlin papers charge M. Jules Favre with iliac" curacy in stating in his recent circular that the King of Prussia declared the war to be with the dynastl and not with the French people. His Majesty's words were that he was making war with the French diers and not with the citizens ; and the Allgenteil le Zietung remarks that if it becomes a war against the French people it would be the fault of the new Govern' ment, who desires to make the entire population soldiers The same paper, as a commentary on the Republican re' pudiation of aggressive tendencies, quotes M. Chevalier, who in 1859 referred to "the 'Rhine frontier, whic h Europe, blinded by passion, took from us," and it states that, in Ledru Rollin's circle in London the opinion wa ° that France must have the Rhine, in order that the cal+ tal might be more in the centre of the country. The late Count Montalembeit, moreover, said, " If Louis Napoleon takes the Rhine I shall think no better of him, but I wil l never again open my 'mouth against him." M. Alexandre Dumas fits has written the following letter to the Journal de Rouen :—" I read in your impres sion of yesterday that some boxes belonging to the Frill' cess Mathilde, containing 51 millions, have been seized at Dieppe. For more than ten years I have had the honour of being received by the Princess. Ido not know whether or not the boxes seized contained 51 millions i n g old or silver, but I believe not. Persons who have 50 millions to send abroad are not clumsy enough to pack it up in boxes, knowing well that there are no railvial porters strong enough to lift such cases ; but I venture to declare, without other information beyond my ten years' observation, that if the boxes which were seized did con' tain anything which France had a right to claim, those boxes did not belong to the Princess Mathilde. If the Princess quits our country, be assured that she wil l leave much to it and will take nothing froul it." The Journal de Rouen, in reply to this letter, repeats that when an embargo had been placed upon the baggage of the Princess two great cases, containing property valued at 50 millions, were found i n a s pecial waggon. These were sent back to Paris, but the ne% day several other packages belonging to the Prince° arrived, in which were found some pictures of grea t value which had disappeared from the Louvre collection . The account of these events given by the Vigie of Dieppe contains no reference to any such discoveries as those just mentioned. The Paris correspondent of the Independence Beige 3t tributes the slowness of the English Government . 10 offering mediation to the influence of Queen Victoria• The same writer mentions a rumour to the effect that her Majesty urged as one of the conditions of peace that the King and the Crown Prince of Prussia should m ake triumphal entry into Paris. [ADVERTISEMENT.}—HoIIoway's Ointment and Ms.--; Rheumatic and Nervous Pains.—The chilly mornings and evenings will provoke these tortures in constitution s susceptible to these maladies. Nothing affords so much relief as Holloway's Ointment, well rubbed upon the dal? , after repeated warm fomentations. Thousands of testi monials bear witness to the wonderful comfort obtained from this safe and simple treatment which all can adopt ,. Holloway's Ointme n t, ass i s t e d by the judicious use of his' Pills, is especi serviceable in as suag i ng th e su ff e rings' from cramp another muscular pains. Nor are these remedies less useful in arresting diarrhoea, in 0 91115 stomachic pains, and in removing other internal complaints, prevalent in summer when profuse perspirations suddenly checked, continually occasion these inconveniences. BIRTHS. On the 9th inst., at Leamington, the wife of H. Bow Yet Esq., of a son. On the 10th inst., at 27, Euston-road, the wife of W. J• Phillips, of a daughter. MARRIAGES. On the Bth inst., at the Catholic Church, Richmouq , Yorkshire, Edw ar d D uc ki n fi e ld Swarbreck, Esq., soli citor, Bedale, Yorkshire, to A nas t a ti a , f our th d au ghter of the lat e Wm. Printman, Esq., of Richmond. On the 9th inst., at Kingsland, Charles Robert, sec ond son of C. W a lt er B ur tO n , Hi g hb ury New-park, to Seph,i, the daught er o f F. M. F ran kl in , Cli s sold-road, SW. ° Newington. _ . _ DEATHS. On the 9th inst., at Armadale,' Row, Dumbartonshir e, John Dennistoun, Esq., formerly M.P. for Glasgow', aged 67. On the Bth inst., Mr. Geo. Hooper, of the firm of Foster , Porter, and Co., 47, Wood-street, Cheapside, aged 44. London : Printed by GIDEON ACLAND BOYCE, No. 112, Strand, Printer, and Published by bilia at THE SUN Office , No. 112, St ran d, i n th e P rec i nc t of he Savoy, n the ounty of Middlesex. Tuesday, September 13, WO,