The Sun. — London, England, 1870-10-05 00:00:00

THE WAR. THE SIEGE OF PARIS. MORE NEWS BY, BALLOON. The following letter from a French correspondent, dated September 29, and brought from Paris. by.postal balloon and special courier, is taken from. the . Telegraph —" I expect that this letter will .reach, you in a few days, as the postal services by balloons tolerably regular. You have.,; _doubtless heard a good deal about the . events around_ Paris; but you have received your information from Prus sian sources. Let me give you a truthful account of the situation. The Prussians have made some isolated attacks, and have been repulsed with serious losses. All their batteries when approaching completeness were dismounted by the cannon in our forts. In a word, they have not, up to this day, been able to occupy any position from which they can attack us. For some days we have heard nothing from them. It is therefore to be pre sumed that they are preparing for a great effort. All is ready to receive them. The arming of all the effective population of Paris is proceeding with incredible activity. There are now more than 400,000 National Guards, since there are 240 battalions of them, each con taining 1,800 or 1,900 men. Every day new re giments are being formed. We have besides '200,000 Gardes Mobiles ; so that now the defenders of Paris amount to 600,000 men. These figures are not exagge rated. Bismarck's conversation with Jules Favre clearly shows that he calculated on there being a revoltition in Paris. The conduct of all is, on the contrary, calm and dignified. We will hold out ; and, if the provinces comes to our assistance, woe to the Prus sians 1 Military duty here is not very severe. You have to go on the ramparts for about three days in every nine or ten. I was on duty at three o'clock in the morn ing before Fort Bicetre, while the action at Villejuif was going on. We could only, however, see and hear the combat from afar. The conflict lasted for nine or ten hours. When I say I beheld the combat, I only mean that I caught sight of the shot and shell that were fired from the fort. At present we are tolerably well acquainted with platoon and target exercises. Everyone knows his weapon and how to use it. If the men who are now being drilled do their duty, Paris will prove im pregnable. We have a supply of provisions sufficient for a considerable period. The Government, however, are none the less economical ; they allow only 600 oxen and 4,000 sheep to be killed daily. Meat and bread are sold at the usual prices ; but things which are ranked as luxuries are dear. Butter is six francs a pound, eggs five sous apiece. In return, however, you can buy a horse for such a bagatelle as fifty centimes. On Sunday last I went to see some relatives of mine, who are encamped at St. Ouen in a park on the banks of the Seine. Some of the Gardes Mobiles had bought horses at prices varying from 4 francs to 15 sous. The poor beasts, after a considerable repast in the park, had to make use of their limbs in the following manner. On Monday a race was organised, and 29 francs were to reward the winner. A steed which had been bought for nineteen sous was the winner. In fine, when I was going from the race-course, there remained a lot, con sisting of six Gladiateurs,' to be sold for three francs. All ' used- - ;.;?' horses will undergo the same fate, and many are abandoned on the roads. As to forage, that is now beyond buying. We are assured that tie Prussians are in Versailles to the number of 190,000, and that they are raising strong entrenchments and fortifi cations there. The news we have received from London is cheering. At a meeting in Hyde Park the people have cried, Vive la Rdpublique r and ' Down with Prussia 1' Those out of Paris probably hear enough of what goes on inside, but we are ignorant of what is taking place in the outer world. None of the balloons which have departed from here have returned. Six couriers in disguise attempted to get through the lines ; of these three were taken and shot." A merchant writes to the Independanee Beige :—" Paris is an army. There are no more bourgeois nor workmen, but 390,000 National Guards and 150,000 Mobiles. The National Guards conduct themselves better than soldiers. One night in every three they are on the fortifications in the open air. There are no tents, but no one complains. Warlike exercises are gone through in all places, in the courtyards and on the pavements. Each one addresses another in these words, " Conquer or die." It is a fine sight, every one has become French again. Trochu is distinguished for his good sense, and a word from him is an order, there is no defaulter, there are no more ruffians : they have guns, and are become docile. Some Imperialists remain, but not many; and they are the only ones who lack enthu siasm. It would take too long to tell you all that passes here, but every one is gay. We passed the outposts of Maison-Alford, and heard the next day that we had been at the distance of 300 metres from the Prussians. Not a soul was to be seen there—all was abandoned. Every day some batallions proceed to deposit crowns of flowers on the statue of Strasburg. It has long since been hidden by its numerous trophies. The more one is sur rounded the more one becomes anxious to know what is going on outside, and what is the impression produced upon strangers by the siege of Paris. You must have heard of the small mitrailleuses Cail which strike down 3,000 men a minute, and at the distance of 2,000 metres. It is a pretty little toy, and let the Prussians mind the torpedoes if they pass the forts. GERMAN DIFFICULTIES. The Prussian inundation of troops seems to have reached its level, and a calm seems for the moment to be established in this ocean of men. The positions are taken up, and the enemy is fortifying himself and securing his lines of retreat, especially those to Choisi le Roi. Infor mation, the correctness of which is guaranteed, confirms the belief that the bulk of the Prussian army occupies all the heights from Chatillon, on the south-west, to Bezons in the north-west. Five army corps and an im portant siege artillery are collected upon this line. We are assured that in the north-east and south-east of Paris the enemy is established at a great distance ; a consider able number of batteries supported by infantry, and con nected with each other by squadrons of cavalry (unceas ingly in movement) are also collected. Thus the enemy is endeavouring to surround the capital by a sort of cir cumvallation which it is said it would be impossible for the French to cut without encountering the enemy. But however numerous the Prussians may be; this manner of investing Paris might have for them a very serious termination. A blockade embracing a circumference of 40 miles could only be effective so long as it is our will that it should be so, that is to say until the moment when we believe it is time to operate by making sorties or until corps are organised in the departments to engage the Prussian lines. According to information we have re ceived, says the Sikle, the east is threatened in a direct line, and we could not too much prepare the population of the eastern region of Paris for the t,•emen dons cannonade which may at any moment break forth from that sick It appears even that the enemy is at this moment affecting not to shell us because he flat ters himself he shall strike the capital with terror by bom barding it with the most formidably artillery which has ever shaken the human ear. The Parisians will prove to him that they have no fear of his thundering. They will not lose their presence of mind for one instant. And when once their ear has accustomed itself to this infernal uproar they will have no other care than to revenge the outrage which the barbarians of the north cause their dear city to suffer. Quiet, fearless, capable of all devotedness, the heroic population of Paris will return M. de Bismarck the blow which he has dealt them. —Beuter's Express, Sept. 28. The Manchest er E xam i ner ' s G erman correspon d ent, writing from Ferrieres, says :—" From all I see in the camp, our generals will think 'twice before making, up their minds to besiege the place. A siege would cost numbers of lives, and would only have the advantage of ga ining time, for Paris is as certainly ours already as, is we were encamped in its streets. The most humane way of conquering Paris is to starve it out. Not many Parisians will really starve, and if hunger is the best sauce, it is also the best cure for obstinacy." STRASBU.RG AFTER THE SURRENDER. The correspondent of the Daily News thus describes the appearance of Strasburg after its surrender "At 6 o'clock on Thursday morning I was on my way towards Strasburg. Passing through Schiltigheim, I saw tokens in every quarter of the severity of the lire from the fortifications. Hardly a house was untouched. A large number had been burned to the ground, and many were converted into piles of ruins by the explosion of shells. The direct road to Strasburg was crossed by the parallels, and it was necessary to walk along the first parallel for nearly a mile before coming to the pathway along which access to the city was alone possible. The destruction of the Austerlitz railway station lying outside the city was thorough. Shortly after the siege began this station was captured by the besiegers. Near this place more than one severe fight occurred when the garrison made a sortie. The fire from one of the mortar batteries was concentrated upon this station, and the numerous carriages which once stood on the line had been converted into heaps of charred wood and twisted iron. On approaching the Porte Saverne, I saw countless marks indicating the severity of the fire which I the besiegers had directed towards this spot. Between this and the Portes des Pierres the walls have TIM SUN, LONDON, WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER st . 1870!--#1.2- first row parallel with the crowning of the glacis. But soon there are no more men in the column and no more baskets to - be seen ; ho then 'hastens back, and causes the first division of the column, who had placed themselves in shelter, to advance again. At last, unfor tunately for us, a fire breaks out in the town, and the flames illuminate the whole of the glacis ; but nothing can be done, and even if -the enemy see plainly to take aim, the word is ' Forward.' Parillell with the first row of gabions short pieces are "sided which form the inner sides of the traverses ;. I bid what an immense amount of labour is required. No one but those who have witnessed these things can form any idea of them ; and amidst the danger which thWatens on all sides each man must take up the exact position assigned to him. In the midst of work the 9 eer officer seems to forget all dan,ger.„-an • anding all the bullets, he must keeplhis iild'atout him in order to make the position sheltered and secured—not only on one side, but ` on all sides—from the bullets of the enemy. The po s iti on I of the - enemy can be seen by the flashing of the rifle . discharges levelled against us. The work was increasing rapidly; when a non-commissioned officer, who was acci detitally in front of Captain von &hewn, turned round suddenly and said, I am - hit,' and at the same tune the • -- . ' captain, who was stooping to sheW where a gabion was to to be planted, felt a small blow upon his left temple. Most providentially both were spared. The bu,l49t had passed through a double fold of the corporal's overcoat without wounding him, and the spent bullet had grazed the cap tain's head. The work was being proceeded with when an obstacle presented itself, hitherto unseen, in a door which led out of some subterranean communication with the slopes, thus hindering the continuation of our trenches. Captain Scheven hastened thither with a basket, so as to mark - the spot, and planted his basket, but on his return along the open way illuminated by the flames from the fire in the town his form was clearly shewn, and he became the target for all the enemy's sharpshooters. He threw himself upon the ground and did his best to advance by creeping and rolling along. The storm of bullets whistled and howled over his prostrate form. We watched him narrowly, and followed him with our eyes, and saw, thank Heaven, that he had in his progress slipped into a rent in the earth caused by a' shell, and was secure from the enemy's fire, for they, not seeing him began to distribute their leaden favours, and after some time the captain was able to issue from his hole, and again take part in these dangerous operations. We sustained enough losses during the night—about ten men—and are glad the captain escaped. It is surprising we should have had so few casualties considering the great danger of our operations." remains to be seen ; but Lyons has shewn herself ready to follow if he can lead. . • THE DOCUMENTS FOUND IN THE TUILERIE,S. Among the papers found in the Imperial Cabinet was a copy of the following ,letter from General Ducrot to General Trochu. It was not dated, but a note at the heitl of the copy-Aated that it arrived in Paris on Friday morning; December h, 1866, and bore the post mark of Strasburg ;—" Since you are in the way of telling whole some truths to the illustrious personages around you, you may add this. While we are pompously and slowly deliberating on what is necessary to • form an army, Prussia is proposing to herself the simple and energetic invasion of our territory. She will be in position to put in line 600,000 men and 1,200 pieces of ordnance before we have thought of taking the necessary steps to prepare three hundred thousand men and six hund-ed . pieces of ordnance. On the. other side of the Rhine there is not a single German who does not believe in a future.war. The most pacific, those who by their family connections or by their interests are most French, consider a fight as inevitable, and do not under stand our inaction. As a cause must be found for everything, the people say that our Emperor has fallen into dotage. Unless one is blind one cannot doubt that the war will break .out on the first opportunity. With our stupid vanity, our mad presumption, we . laa.y believe that we shall be per mitted to choose our day and our hour, that is to say after the great Exhibition is over, to complete our organisation and our armament. In truth, lam of your opinion, and I begin to think our Government is struck with insanity.. But if Jupiter is resolved to destroy them do not let us forget that the destinies of the country and our own individul fate are linked with their destinies, and since we are not yet attacked by this fatal dementia, let us make every effort to stop this sad course which is leading right on to the precipice. Here is an additional detail to which I shall call your attention, as it must en lighten the dullest perception. For some time past nume rous Prussian agents have been travelling about our fron tier departments, especially those between the Moselle and the Vosges. They ascertain the temper of the people, and influence the Protes tants who are numerous in those parts, and are much less French in their sympathies than is generally thought. They are the sons and grandsons of the same men who in 1815 sent numerous deputations to the enemy's head-quarters, to ask that Alsace might be re stored to Germany. This fact is worth notice, as it may be held to indicate the plans and the campaign of the enemy. The Prussians went on in the same fashion in Bohemia and Silesia three months before opening hostili ties against Austria." • The Journal 0 fficiel publishes extracts from two other letters found in the Imperial cabinet. One of these is addressed by M. Jecker to M. Conti, e'er du cabinet to the Emperor, and is dated " Paris, December 1869," and refers to a transaction with Mexican bonds, in which he says the Emperor is especially concerned, and which may prove unpleasant to him if the Government persists in its indifference on the subject. N. de Morny was also con cerned in it, and it was his death which made the French Government drop all interest in the matter, though M. Jecker, who writes the letter, only mixed in the affair at the Duke's request. This letter is incomplete. which was rejected there, contained nothing as to the future conditions of peace. It only . ..included an armistice of from a fortnight to three weeks, to be granted on the fol lowing conditions, in order to enable the election of a National Assembly to be held :—Firstly, in and before Paris the maintenance of the military status quo ; secondly, in and before Metz the continuance of hostilities within a circle hereafter to be more accurately defined ; thirdly, the surrender of Strasburg with its garrison, and the evacuation of Toul and Bitsche, their garrisons being accorded free retreat. I believe our conviction that this was a very acceptable offer will be shared by all neutral Cabinets. If the French Government has not availed itself of this oppor tunity for having a National Assembly elected in all parts of France, those occupied by us not excepted, this indicates a resolve to prcrlong the difficulties which prevent the conclusion of a valid peace, and to ignore the voice of the French people. From all we see here the conviction is forced upon us, as it no doubt is likewise upon the rulers at Paris, that free and unbiassed general elections will yield a majority in favour of peace. I request your Excellency to communicate this circular to the Government to which you are accredited. '‘ BISMARCK." THE ARMY OF THE LOIRE. A correspondent, writing from Tours, described what he believes to be the position of the much talked-of army of the Loire. " About sixty miles east of Tours, in the department of the Cher, is situated the ancient town of Bourges. A glance at the map will tell you at once the advantage to be derived from the position. At Bourges, to which I have not yet been, and am not likely to go, as safe conducts are not given to such places, there are probably no more troops to be seen than at Tours ; but unless I am greatly mistaken, Vierzon, Bangy, La Guerche, and other little environs are well befriended in that respect. Bourges, it must be remembered, pos sesses a large arsenal and foundry. It is a fact that cannon and mitrailleurs are being actively manufactured in the good old town. It may be fairly presumed that Orleans will be held by the Prussians, as a most favourable post of observation. From that place IThlans can be sent flying out in every direction, and a reconnaisance towards Bourges can be made with small risk, as thirty or forty miles is about the distance. The immense bend which the Loire makes through the towns of Tours, Blois, Orleans, Gien, Cosne, Nevers, and Roanne, forms a natural rampart behind which a great deal of raw material can be moulded into a formidable army. As a central point of France, it is easy of access for the departments, and the much talked of levde en masse could have no better rendezvous." Garibaldi says he has not offered his services to the French Republic. The release of Dr. Jacoby is announced by the Dundee Advertiser, but the statement has yet to be confirmed. According to the Berlin correspondent of the Times orders have been given to take as few prisoners as pos sible before Paris, so as not to diminish the mouths within the city. A correspondent informs the Pall Mall Gazette that M. 011ivier is now living in retirement at Pollone, near Biella, in Piedmont. He is said to be preparing for pub lication a work, entitled "My Ministry of the 2nd of January." The first volume will bear the title, "The Plebiscite," and the second tnat of " The War." The Red flag is still hoisted on the Dome Terreaux at Lyons as a signal of the national danger, but the tricolour is displayed on the forts and military establishments. Order is reported to have been re-established, but from a letter in the Times it appears that not much confidence is felt in its preservation. A Southampton correspondent telegraphs that a great fire occurred in Rheims on Sunday, and it was reported in St. Malo when the Southampton boat left on Monday, that the barracks were destroyed, and a large number of arms had been burnt. The, fire is supposed to be the - stork of an incendiary. M. Devienne has published a letter addressed to M. Arago, expressing much indignation at the charges brought against him, but giving - no explanations. The Independance, which publishes the letter, pre faces it by saying that, .if its advice had been asked by M. Devienne, the counsel given would Lave been that he should have thrown his letter into the waste paper basket. A St. Petersburg journal says that Marshal Bazaine is only a Frenchman by naturalization. Soine French en gineer officers were authorized by Napoleon I. to enter the Russian service, and among them was M. Bazaine. This gentleman was married, but had no child, and in 1811 he adopted an infant which was abandoned at his door. The foundling is the present gallant defender of Metz. A story is told of the Crown Prince of Prussia. During his present stay at Versailles, while distributing decora• tions the other day awarded by the King to his army, he happened to remark that he was standing facing the back of the statue of Louis XIV. ; so, turning to an officer behind him, he said, pointing to the statue, "If that old fellow could only see what was going on here, by G—d, sir, he'd turn round on his horse for very rage." The French post-office authorities have announced that they will despatch balloons with private correspondence as regularly as the weather will permit, beginning from the 28th of September. The correspondence must be written on very thin paper, and each letter must be open and not weigh more than three grammes. It may be four centimetres long by seven centimetres broad, must be ad dressed outside "By balloon," and must be prepaid at the ordinary rates. The Grand Duke of Nassau, who has just been killed by French free-shooters, was 53 years old. His name was Adolphus William Augustus Charles Frederick, and according to the Alnzanach de Gotha, he was the represen tative of the elder line (styled De Walram) of the House of Nassau, a cadet branch of which holds the sovereignty of Holland. He was born on the 24th of July, 1817, the eldest son, by his first marriage, of the late Duke William George Augustus Henry, Whom he succeeded in August, 1839. It appears to be quite true that the wild animals of Alsace and Lorraine, frightened by the continual dis turbance of the late battles, have fled from their original haunts to Belgium. Eleven wild boars took refuge the other day in a park. A clergyman and another gentleman who were im prisoned in Metz have been set at liberty. They describe the spirit of the garrison as excellent, but the salt is almost exhausted. A peasant who escaped from the city says that provisions for the military are still in some measure sufficient, but there is a terrible scarcity among the citizens. An English correspondent bears testimony to the lack of sympathy which the French soldiers experience in their own country. They are refused food and shelter in farms and villages where there are plenty of empty beds and spare provisions. Peasants will not, unless armed force is brought to bear upon them, give hospitality to the footsore and wounded "for fear the Prussians might be angry with them." In self-defence the Francs-Tireurs are obliged to put illegal pressure on those people whose patriotism is entirely regulated by a care of their pockets. The German field telegraphs are of three kinds, called respectivelyflying, provisional, and permanent telegraphs. The first consist of wires surrounded by guttapercha, which are. paid out on the ground. These are adapted for level ground ; but where it is hilly or wooded the second class are used. In these the wires are of iron, and are affixed to the trees or to pegs placed in the ground by means of light insulators. The permanent telegraphs are constructed in the ordinary manner by a department intrusted with the duty. It has been previously noticed that the German press is exceedingly angry with the Belgian papers for the warm sympathy which they shew towards the Cause of the French Republic. The chief Belgian journal, the Ind& pendance Beige, comes in for a special measure of wrath. The North German Gazette declares that, to make matters worse, the Independance is the property of German capi talists, who turn " an honest penny" by writing against their country. This statement seems to be an exaggera tion. Some few Germans have shares in the Brussels paper, but they have no control over its management, and their protests have been unavailing. The-other day some Prussian prisoners who stopped at the railway station of Tours were informed that. their place of destination was Roche-sur-Yon. They professed -their ignorance of itsdocality, and were told that it was Napol4on-Vendde. They knew that chief town of the Department very well, but the name of Roche-sur-Yon completely puzzled them. The title had been changed. Both the Cologne Gazette and the Independance Beige state that M. 'Tiers, in his interview with Lord Granville, urged that England should induce the other neutral Powers to co-operate with it in pressing Prussia to make peace on reasonable conditions. He also wished to convince the English Government that the restoration of the Empire was impossible. As to the first point, Lord Granville replied that England could under no circumstances intervene, for Germany having carried on the war alone could not be hindered from concluding peace by itself. On the second point Lord Granville agreed with M, GENERAL GARIBALDI AND THE FR ANCO GERMAN WAR.—A letter has been placed in our hands, addressed by General Garibaldi to Mr. John Richardson , of Bishopsgate-street Without, London, which affords precise and authoritative contradiction of the rumour of the General's design of offering his services to the French Government of National Defence. The letter is dated Caprera, 27th September, 1870, and is written in French. "Je n'irai pas en France" is its most important sentence. MACMAHON'S . FLANK MARCH.—I do not think it is generally known in England how thorough was the understanding between Bazaine and MacMahon, and how detailed was the programme in case of the success of the movement of the latter. Intercepted letters bear testimony to the fact that MacMahon was petted to make his appearance from the Ardennes about the 30th of August. The signal for the Metz army was to be three bombs fired in the air by MacMahon, and then a sortie was to be made at the same moment that the army of Chalons was to fall on the Prussian rear. It is actually the case that Bazaine w 39 cautioned against allowing the guns of the fortress to have too much elevation when fired in support of the sortie, to obviate the risk of the projectil es falling in the co-operating army on the further side of the Prussians. Had Iron Moltke and the Crown Prince not succeeded in baulking tie "seheme, well planned as it undoubtedly w as, the Prussian armies might not have been lying to-day around Paris and Metz. —Correspondent of Daily News before Metz. A RAID FOR FOOD.—The aim of the sortie made by Bazaine from Metz on the 27th ult. was to capture a, quantity of provisions at Courcelles, and some herds of oxen grazing in the adjoining pastures. The Elberfeta Gazette says :—" The plan was really well organised. The inhabitants of the village of Peltre had acted as spies, giving information to the enemy with white flags ; but they paid dearly for so doing, for in order to punish the village for this act of treachery the place was set fire to. The sortie was made suddenly and unelc" pectedly. The French corps, numbering about 10,000 men attacked our lines with energetic vi g our, and it was only the extreme bravery of our 13th, 15th, 53rd,.55th, and 74th Regiments of the Line, and our 7th Regiment of Jagers, that prevented the enemy from succeeding, and he had to retreat with heavy losses. The enemy re treated behind the forts in three divisions, with several field-pieces. A train which proceeded from the fortress advanced to Peltre, where the soldiers who were in the carriages got out. Our artillery, drawn up in a long line upon the heights between Mercy-le-Haut and Laqueneor , by its rapid fire caused much loss to the enemy; our shells seemed to sweep away whole ranks. Mercy-le-Haut had been taken by the French and then retaken by us, but before they left the French fired the chateau. Unfortu nately, we were not able to prevent a large number of skirmishers, belonging to the 53rd Regiment of the line , who had advanced too far, from being surrounded by the enemy and taken prisoners. The French also suc ceeded in carrying off into the fortress the larger portion of a herd of oxen, about forty head of cattle. We had very few men killed, but, on the other hand, many wounded. The losses of the enemy are far more consider' able than ours." THE CHANCES OF FRENCH MILITARY SUCCESS. —What should be done is evident. A large camp should be formed somewhere about lourges. In camp the new levies would -be removed from the demoralisation pro duced by being quartered in large towns, especially in times of great political excitement. In camp, a lso the troops would be more unde r con t ro l as regar d s disci pline, and could be trained with greater facility. In this camp should be assembled all the regular troops now scattered by weak battalions and brigades all over France. To these should be added reinforcements from Africa, and marines from the returning French fleet, and the best of the Mobiles and Francs-tireurs, till a total of 100,000 men is reached. Then the remaining forces in France should be organised in three other armies destined to more passive attitudes. These should be quartered, one at Tours, another at Lyons, another in the north, about Havre or Rouen. The most important thing, however, is to restore discipline. A great step towards this has been taken by allowing generals of division to restore retired officers to their old grades, and to give lieutenant's cow: missions to deserving non-commissioned officers, the said commissions to be good only for as long as the war lasts. If an army such as we have indicated were assembled , and really energetic measures taken to enable it to act in the field, there may be some hope for France. At present the case stands thus. The army of the Loire cannot relieve Paris. Paris must eventually fall if not succoured from without. The army of the Loire might, if well handled, relieve Bazaine, and, united with his army: might then relieve Paris. If B aza i ne i s no t re lieved before manyweeks are out, the fate of France is, humanly speaking, settled.—Standard. NEWS FROM HAVRL—The forces at Havre are beginning to wear a very military appearance, owing t° the sound military management of the experienced soldier in command here—General Massa. To-day all the Sedentary National Guard, six battalions of the line, and. about as many battalions of Mobile, are about to march out to make a reconnaissance of the environs of the city, and become inured to the realities of warfare. Th e day is intensely hot, and will test the men's marching powers, and their capacity for acting together , The Mobiles here and at Montivilliers are in splendid con dition, and have, moreover, the g rea t a d van t age ove r the line of not being laden like • packhorses. The Sedentary National Guard are a fine body of men, but they are mostly the sort of men that Caesar used to like to have abouthim—" men that are fat and such as sleep o' nights' and to whom this afternoon's exercise must prove a very severe ordeal lam going down to the environs of Montvilliers to see this military display, in which not less than frinn 8,000 to 10,000 men are to take part. In all the rural districts of the department the National Guard are being supplied with our old friend the flint lock I This diversity of armament is very much to be regretted. No less than five different kinds of mus kets are now in use—the flint lock, the capping m uzzl loader, the Minid carbine, the " fusil iL tabatiere," an d , finally, the Chassepot. In addition, man y National Guards and Volunteers have armed themselves at their own expense, and great favour is shewn in Rouen to a Belgian breechloader, the " Comblain, No. 2," which appears very simple, efficient, and not so likely to get out of order as the generality of breechloading weapons. -- Correspondent of the Standard at Havre, Sunday. THE CATHEDRAL OF STRASBURG.—The Cathedra l of Strasburg is associated with the civil and religious history of the great Alsatian city. On the spot w here now 'stands this marvel of Gothic art, there was formerly a sacred forest, where the ancient inhabitants of the coun try offered up sacrifices to their divinities. Under the Roman rule a temple was built on the same place. Clovis, converted to Christianity by the battle of Talbiac, de stroyed this temple, and erected a church in its stead, which he dedicated to the Holy Virgin. Towards the close of the sixteenth century in all Alsace there were only three towns. The Merovingean kings had a palace at Strasburg, and paid great honour to its church In the year 768 Pepin le Bref visiting the city, conceived the project of rebuilding entirely this old wooden basilisk, which had already been repaired several times. Charle magne accomplished the wish of his father. Instead of the insecure and clumsy edifice of Clovis, he constructed a large church in stone, and deposited a silver cross, 12 feet in height within its walls. In the year 1007, the nos" church was destroyed by fire. The Episcopal see 0 ' Strasburg was filled at that time by a man of great ability , Bishop Wernher, decended from the dukes of Alsace- He undertook to reconstruct the Cathedral on a gigantic scale. He gave up his patrimony and his revenue for the purpose, and was seconded in his endeavours by the clergy of his diocese. He was also assisted by tin neighbouring States, and received contrib u ti ons f r om all parts. The rich gave their gold and the poor their labour. It took eight years to determine the plan of this nel Minster, and, during thirteen years, more than a hundre thousand men were employed in its construction. The grand design of Bishop Wernher was carried on by successors and by architects of world- w id e re p u tation. The entire work was completed in 1439, from generation to generation thousand and thousands of hands h a d con tributed to its progress during 424 years. In the Revolu tion of 1789 it was threatened with destruction. - 4 member of the Jacobin Club insisted on the steeple being demolished ; but another member, who desired to spare it, adroitly suggested that $ bonnet rouge should be fixed on it, and by this, means he gained his point. There is no histories,' phase, from the barbarian era to the proudest day of the French monarchy, and thence to the present epoch, v,rhiell does not find itself represented in this cathedral. Th e history of art is also represented there through a long sue; cession of centuries. The Minster of Strasburg is looked upon by the Alsatians as the Swiss regard the Alps, or the Russians look upon Moscow. On their return from a journey they see from a distance the aerial spire, and hail it with delight as associated with their early recol lections, and connected with the glories of their country. [ADVERTISEMENT.]—HoIIoway's Ointment and Pills.-- Constant Success.—No diseases are more trying to the temper, and more exhausting t o th e con di t i on t h an the pains in the muscles and joints, caused by exposure t ° wet or cold. Wherever the seat of suffering, it w ill only be necessary to foment the affected part with watt water, drythoroughly, an d i mme di a t e l y ru b i n H o ll o way inestimable Ointment to obtain ease. Gout, rheumatianl' neuralgia, and tic-doloreux are soon relieved, and mately cured by the use of this unequalled unguent, an by Holloway's purifying and operative Pills. 'Under this judicious treatment the affected parts soon cease to ache) and shortly regain their natural feelings and appearance: These remedies are invaluable for curing spinal affections and nervous diseases. been breached in two places. After I had passed through the gate the spectacle of destruction which I witnessed was one I shall not soon forget, On the right as far as I could see the whole quarter was a pile of rubbish. There were few marks of fire. Cannon shot and shell had re duced house after house into its original ele ments. When the space between Temple Bar and Carey-street on which the new Law Courts are to be erected was being cleared of houses the appear ance presented was not dissimilar, but there was this difference, that in the case of the houses removed from that sight there were signs of regularity in the midst of the destruction, the walls were systematically removed, whereas in Strasburg the ruined houses were literally piles of rubbish, and unless I had known that houses had once covered the spot, I should not have supposed that the rubbish had ever taken the form of shapely dwellings. In front of nearly every shop window were sloping planks arranged with a view to ward off the falling shot. All the openings made to admit air and light into the cellars were covered over with a mass of earth and straw. In some cases the straw had evi dently been taken. from the most offensive, though not the least useful, part of the farmyard. The deprivation of light and air, and the presence of noisome smells, which those who occupied the cellars must have had to endure must have been not only a severe trial, but also most detrimental to health. One house standing at a corner was propped up lest it should topple over. A cannon ball had swept a large piece out of the corner, and had cut through one of the beams which supported the two upper floors. On reaching the Place Kleber, one of the largest and finest open spaces in Strasburg, the signs of destruction were most striking. The handsome building which filled the north-eastern side of the square, and in which was a valuable museum of ancient and modern works of art, is now represented by empty walls. Nearly every house has been pierced with shot or shell. The hotel in which I write this, the well-known Matson Rouge has been struck more than once. Being one of the first civilians who arrived here, I succeeded in getting one of the few rooms which the German officers had not taken possession of. Wishing to breakfast, I called for the bill of fare. It was as long and elaborate as usual. I came to the conclusion that although the city had been severely injured by the bombardment, yet that the inhabitants had been able to procure not only the necessaries, but also the luxuries of life. But I was soon undeceived. The bill of fare was a relic of pre siege days. I could get beef or ham or pate de foie gras. Towards the end of the siege, when provisions became very scarce, pate de foie gras was one of the most common articles of food. Large stores of it intended for exportation had accumu lated. Coffee and wine could be had in abundance, but milk was unprocurable, and butter could not be purchased under five francs the pound. I had not been many hours in Strasburg before a change took place in all these respects. Carts laden with vegetables entered the city. Butter was again placed on the table. It was announced that milk would be obtainable on the morrow. I lost no time in visiting all the points of in terest, and the Cathedral among the first. To all external appearance it is uninjured. The spire is as attractive a spectacle as ever, but the spire has been struck n more places than one. The cross on its summit appears to have been touched by a projectile. It leans to the one side. Some of the ornamental work has been carried away, and in one of the side towers a portion of the stone stair has been destroyed. The outer roof of the nave has been burned ; the windows have here and there been pierced with balls, but the famous clock has escaped destruction, and the Cathedral is on the whole in excellent condition. To this place the German soldiers hastened as soon as they got here. They ascended the tower, they explored the interior. The officers were as eager as the men not only to see the renowned Cathedral, but also to learn the truth as to the damage done to it. All with whom I conversed expressed their satisfaction at the comparative unimportance of the injury inflicted. They would have lamented the destruction of the Cathedral quite as sincerely as the Strasburgers themselves. It is the belief of the latter that the destruc tion of the Cathedral was one of the designs of the besiegers. More than one German artillery officer assured me that orders were daily given not only to spare the city, but also carefully to avoid firing in such a way as would either damage or endanger the Cathe dral. Other public buildings, however, hays not escaped. The Prefecture, the theatre, and the church, whereof the world-renowned library formed a part, are now represented by bare walls. I have de scribed the appearance of the quarter which I saw when I entered the city, but this is not a more lamentable spectacle than that pre sented by the quarter adjoining the Porte des Pierres. Indeed, the demonstration of what can be effected when full scope is given to human industry of destruction is obtainable by anyone who visits Strasburg at this moment. The spectacle is the saddest I have ever beheld. I have no desire ever again to be present at a siege, or to be an eye-witness of its results. The statement that General Uhrich was compelled to capitulate by the pressure of his troops and the inhabi tants, is contradicted. One account says that the garrison on marching out of the town, tried to throw away their knapsacks, and vented their rage at the capitulation, ex claiming " Nous sommes vendus," "Uhrich est un coquin." They broke and flung away their swords. General Uhrich issued a proclamation, stating that, as the enemy had effected two breaches and he could no longer hold the citadel, being also threatened with a storm within 24 hours, he was compelled to surrender. This, he added, would save the town from a great misfortune, and he urged that nobody should shew hostility towards the German troops. The Carlsruhe Gazette says that many of the inhabitants regarded the capitulation as a shameful treachery. Francs- Tireurs wanted to pull down the white flag from the Minster, and several shots were fired at it. Happily, the mob had no leaders. Some of the streets are heaps of ruins, but the bombardment made less havoc than might have been expected. Thousands of the inhabitants had lived for weeks in wooden huts along the canal, the houses being unsafe. The German troops marched into the town quietly, through a silent multitude, and made a good and, to some extent, imposing impression. Fraternisation has begun in the public-houses. A feeling of thankfulness that the siege is over will soon prevail. General Mer tens is appointed commandant. It is rumoured that on the 29th several shots were fired by Francs-Tireurs, that a German soldier was murdered, and that a proclamation has been issued, forbidding more than two persons to stand together in the streets. A traveller who passed over the ground round about the siege, writes :—" I found Kehl itself in a neat and orderly condition, and unlike a town engaged in exchanging the rude compliments of war. It was, however, nearly de serted by its inhabitants, inns, shops, and houses havin g their shutters fastened and bolts drawn. Here and there some house was in use as an office or for some military purpose. A good many houses had been burnt, and a good many more bore traces of the danger of living within fortified places. The church, too, had shared in the rough fortunes of its humbler neighbours, and though not seriously injured it had been struck in many places by splinters of shell. From Kehl I returned to Appen weier, through Kork. It was a beautiful evening and my path led me pleasantly enough, if not through summer belts of wheat and wine.' yet through a country of rich and varied produce. The present moment is one of the gladdest and busiest of the many glad and busy seasons which belong to the southern plains of the Rhine, Many of the good things which the soil yields are now coming into store. As I passed through the fields I found the men busy in cutting and bringing in the second hay harvest, the women were beating out the flax, the children were helping to relieve the trees of their ripe burdens of apples, and pears, and walnuts. Every where around me were plenty and happiness. As I watched the cheerful labour of the people I could not help thinking of, the storm of invasion which had once threatened this district, and of the terrible picture of want and suffering which I had seen in those parts of France which have been traversed and fought over by the two armies." DIFFICULTIES OF THE SIEGE. An interesting description of a difficult operation con nected with the siege is given by a German correspon dent :—" At midnight on the 25th September I again accompanied Captain von Scheven, who was pushing his columns forward upon the open glacis, as a firm footing was required there before crossing the moat to storm the place. The French seemed to be aware that in spite of all their endeavours we were continuing our operations, and the bullets whistled around us from every direction, as they knew tolerably well where our men would gather together and commence their advance. The word of com mand, 'Forward,' was whispered, and all the men had to sally forth from behind the last sheltering breastwork into the open space, where the bullets were flying about on every side. ' Forward 'is the whispered command of Captain von Scheven. .He lead s hi s men, an d t h ey follow him, each man with his sapper's basket, his spade, and rifle, with hearts no doubt beating loudly, for there is hardly one of them who has not left a wife and children at home, but the ,order is • Forward.' Basket after basket is placed in position by the captain himself, and the men creep down behind them and commence to dig ; the captain alone advances quietly amidst this hail of I.lullet further, and places the THE VERY STRANGE STORY. The Times publishes the truth about the "strange story" narrated in the Pall Mall Gasette. It is this : The General B. in question happens to be the same who is mentioned in a telegram from Tours of the Ist October as having made a splendid sortie on the 29th ult., and driven the Prussian,s as far back as Briey. There is no indiscretion in saying that his name is General Bourbaki. It is true that this General has been mystified by some person who, being apparently ardently devoted to the Imperial family, thought to render a great service to the Empress by finding means to bring the General through the Prussian lines to her Majesty at Camden-place, near Chisleburst. But it is likewise true that the Prussian authorities have been victims as well of the same mystification, and, moved through a chivalrous feeling for the unhappy lady, did not refuse the General's passage. The General having how ever, cleared up the misunderstanding in a letter written on the 29th ult. to an influential quarter, the contents of which have been forwarded by telegraph to the Head quarters of the King of Prussia, his Majesty has already, on the Ist inst., given orders to the Prince Frederick Charles, Commander-in-Chief of the besieging armies before Met; to give every facility for the General resum ing his command of the Guards, and thus restoring to the army of Metz the advantage of his valuable services. General Bourbaki, who has yesterday, through the same channel, received this gratifying intelligence, will, in con: tradiction to the hazardous conclusion arrived at by the reporter of the "Very Strange Story," pass unhindered through the Prussian lines to fight them again with his well-known gallantry and intelligence. THE SECOND CITY OF FRANCE, Ever since the Republic was proclaimed at Paris the name of Lyons, says the Times has been a name of doubt ful omen. Lyons, it was said, had abolished the Empire even before Paris took that decisive step, and, having anticipated the capital in this particular, was resolved to keep ahead of it in developing the Revolution. The rest of France might be disposed to disown the leader ship of Paris in setting np the Republic, but Lyons disowned its leadership because the Re public it had set up was too tame and mode rate. There was much in the previous history of the great manufacturing city of the South to give these reports pro bability, and some facts were stated which went far to substantiate them. Although Lyons was in 1793 so little inflamed with revolutionary ardour that it rebelled against the convention, and withstood for a long time the forces sent fsom Paris to subdue it, it has ever since been a focus of revolutionary movement. The extreme theorists have found honour there. The weavers of the Croix Rousse have bestowed their support on Jacobins, Socialists, and Communists of all kinds—any and every body who proposed to take a clean brush and begin again. Only last year they elected Raspail by more than 16,000 votes against less than 6,000 given to M. Jules Favre, though M. Favre is a native of the city. And now when the Revolution came a red flag is hoisted in the town. A ss.lf-appointed Committee of Public Safety contested the right to exercise authority with the Prefect nominated by the self-appointed' Govern ment of National Defence of Paris. The letter of a correspondent in the Times describes the facts and im pressions of his first days at Lyons, and though there is evidently much in the - condition of the place that must excite watchfulness, and even anxiety, the result is on the whole reassuring. The elements of disorder are there in great abundance. But the people of Lyons, and—what is of greater importance—the volunteer battalions of the Croix Rousse itself, see that at present their paramount duty is that of providing for the national defence, and in the presence of this exigency all differences of opinion as to the future organisation of the country must be sunk. Once and again there have been appeals to their revolu tionary sympathies. So only lately " General" Cluseret, in conjunction with a party of the Reds; made a bold attempt to constitute themselves the supreme authority in the city by suppressing the Prefect and his supporters. By two in the afternoon the square in front of the Hotel de Ville—the Place des Terreaux—presented a remarkable spectacle. The hospitable Hotel de Ville accommodated in separate but adjacent balconies, like the hustings at an election, MM. Cluseret and Saigne, and the Prefect, M. Challemel-Lacour, with his military aide, General Mazure. Some companios of the Na tional Guard, that had been hastily got together, kept the entrances of the Town Hall, and as the rappel continued to be beaten fresh companies poured into the place. M. Saigne from his balcony was urging the mob to break into the Hotel de Ville, to arrest General Mazure and instal " General " Cluseret in his place, and to depose the Prefect ; while the Prefect from his balcony seems to have ordered the National Guards to step inside and arrest "General" Cluseret, at the very moment that the " General " appeared by the side of M. Saigne to declare his readiness to accept the military command of the city. Out of France the situa tion could never have been paralleled. Such a method of taking a show of hands and proceeding to instal the favourite reads like a page out of Mr. Car lyle's history, and for a moment it seemed that M. Saigne and his " General" would be victorious. The mob trying to force their way in began to press upon the National Guard that had assembled, which could not make up their minds what to do, when 3,000 of the Gub;rd of the Croix Rousse quarter marched round the corner and pro nounce 3 for the Prefect. The St. Antoine of Lyons had put in its appearance in, favour of the authorities in possession. Whether an order was or was not given . for the arrest of MM. Saigne and Cluseret it certainly was not executed. The programme of M. Saigne and his allie., professed to abolish everything. The State itself, with its tri bunals, its administrative machinery, its taxes, and its pur suit of debtors—all were to go. Nothing was•to be left but the territorial divisions of departments and communes, and the communes were to elect delegates to form De partmental Committees of Public Safety, and the Depart-. mental Committees were to elect delegates forming the Revolutionary Conventiori for the safety of France, which should meet at Lyons to rescue the country. This was of course a distinct alternative offered to Lyons in opposition to the leadership of Paris. It has been rejected, and rejected by the prompt action of the most democratic section of Lyons. The de duction is plain that Lyons is ready to abide by the Republic as it is, and will follow M. Challemel-Lacour with perfect willingness so long as he proves himself capable of heading its energies in defence of the country. The risk of the future depends on his capacity. Whether• he has learnt as an exile, as a critic of the fine arts, and as a director of the Revue Moderne hcrw to govern a great . municipality seething with the agitations of a groat crisis COUNT BISMARCK AN]) M. FAVRt. The following circular has been addressed by Count Bismarck to the North German Embassies and Lega. tions " Fbrri4res, Sept. 27. " The report of M. Jules Favre, presented to his col leagues after our interview on the 21st September, causes me to address to your Excellency a communication which will give you a correct idea of what pasied between us. Upon the whole, I' cannot but admit that M. Favre has endeavoured to convey an accurate account of the transaction. If he has not fully succeeded in so doing, his errors are sufficiently explained by the length of our interviews and the circumstances under which they were held. With regard to the drift of his entire argument, I ought, however, to observe that the primary topic of our conversations was not the conclusion of peace, but of an armistice, which was to precede it. As to our terms of peace, I expressly declared to M. Favre that I should state the frontier we should claim only after the principle of cession of territory had been publicly conceded by France. In connexion with this the formation of a new Moselle district, with the arrondissements of Saarbriick, Château Salins, Saargemund, Metz, and Thionville was alluded to by me as an arrangement in cluded in our intentions, but I have not renounced the right of making such further demands as may be calcu lated to indemnify us for the sacrifices which a con tinuance of the war will entail. M. Favre called Stras burg the key of the house, leaving it doubtful which house he meant. I replied that Strasburg was the key of our house, and we therefore objected to leave it in foreign hands. Our first conversation, in Chateau Haute Maison, near Montry, was confined to an ab stract inquiry into the general characteristics of the past and present ages. M. Favre's only pertinent remark on this occcasion was, that they would pay any sum, " tout l'ament que nous avons," but declined any cession of territory. Upon my declaring such cession to be indispen sable, he said in that case it would be useless to open negotiations for peace; and he argued on the supposition that to cede territory would humiliate, nay, dishonour France. I failed to convince him that terms such as France had obtained from Italy and demanded from Germany, without even the excuse of pre vious war terms which France would have un doubtedly imposed upon us had we been defeated, and in which nearly every war had resulted down to the latest times—could have nothing dishonouring in them selves to a country vanquished after a gallant struggle, and that the honour of France was of no other quality or nature than the honour of all other countries. M. Favre likewise declined to see that, as a question of honour, the present restoration of Strasburg would be on a par with the former restoration of Landau and Saarelouis, and that the honour of France was just as little bound up with the unlawful conquests of Louis XIV. as it had been with those of the First Republic or the First Empire. Our conversations took a more practical turn at Fel-- fibres, where they referred to the question of an armistice. Such having been their exclusive themi at that place disproves the assertion that I refused an armis • tice under any conditions. M. Favre doing me, on this and other occasions, the honour of making me express my own personal n.o_tions—for instance, `il faudrait un armis tice et je u'en veux a aucun prix,' and such like—compels me to rectify his allegations. I never, in conversations of this kind, speak of myself as according or denying anything, but only communicate the intentions and demands of the Government whose business I have to transact. In this conversation we both were of opinion that an armistice might be concluded, to give the French nation an opportunity of electing a Representative Assembly, which alone would be in a position so far to strengthen the title to power possessed by the existing Government as to render it possible for us to conclude with them a peace valid in accordance with the rules of international law. I observed that to an army in the midst of a victorious career an armistice is always in jurious ; that in the present instance, more particularly, it would give France time to reorganise her troops and to make defensive preparations, and that therefore I could not accord an armistice without some military equivalent being conceded to us. I mentioned as such the surrender of the fortresses obstructing our communications with Germany; because, if by an armistice we were to be detained in France longer than was absolutely necessary, we must insist upon increased means of bringing up provisions. I referred to Strasburg, Toul, and some less important places. Concerning Strasburg, I urged that the crowning of the glacis having been accomplished, the conquest of that place might be shortly anticipated, and that we therefore thought ourselves entitled to demand that that garrison should surrender as prisoners of war. The garrisons of the other places would be allowed free retreat. Paris was another difficulty. Having com pletely enclosed this city, we could permit it renewed intercourse with the rest of France only if the _importa tion of fresh provisions thereby rendered possible. did-not weaken our own military position And_ retard the date at which we might hope to starve out •ttle: place. Having consulted the military authorities and taken his Majesty's commands, I therefore ultimately submitted the follow ing alternative :--` Either the fortified place of Pal is is to be given into our hands by the surrender of! comiihnding portion of the works, in which case are ready to allow Paris renewed intercourse with the country, and to permit the provisioning of the town ; or, the fortified place of Paris not being given into our hands, we shall keep it invested during the armistice, which lat ter would otherwise result in Paris being able to oppose us at its expiry, reinforced by fresh supplies, and strengthened by new defences.' M. Favre peremptorily declined handing over any portion of the works of Paris, and also refused the surrender of the Strasburg garrison as prisoners of war. He, however, promised to take the opinion of his colleagues at Paris respecting the other alternative under which the military status quo before Paris was to be main tained. Accordingly, the programme which M. Favre brought tO Paris as the result of Our cohversations, and u `;'° "'f. ,2- _ - _ ?•-• BIRTHS. ----- --- On the Ist inst., at Cornhill, the wife of John Collingvvo° 4 ' Esq., of a son and heir. On the 2d inst., at 29, Chesham•street, the wife of J°" Skinner, Esq., of a daughter. MARRIAGES. On the 30th ult., at Hightae, Dumfriesshire, John Morrison, Esq., C.E., Carlisle, to Mary, the eldau daughter of Major• General Yorke, R.E., Skairfield. On the 29th ult., at South Kensington, William Bown3 3ll ' Esq., of Mount Ephraim, Tunbridge-wells, to PhiliPP Jane, only daughter of the late Nicholas Julyan, of Penzance, Cornwall. DEATHS. On the 2d inst., at Ramsgate, Lieut.-Colonel Cavan, of 3 1 Park-crescent, London. On the 30th ult., at The Lodge, Victoria-park, Georg e Merrett, C.E., aged 66. London : Printed by GIDEON ACLAND BOYCE, of No. 112, Strand, Printer, and Published by hinl ae THE SUN Office, No. 112 Strand, in the Precinct of t h Savoy, in the County of Middlesex. Wednesday, October 5, 1870. -~--~ - s ~IR~ "The S( "31Gge c "Po: 41jYtary liarve War Ma and the ALI 11l 11 1RTy 1 tele grax EN ,ENT7 B,uPer 1104D7 'acid s l ady Nvi ahcl the 4 / 1 3 , cal ITR arid GI 14 a veutin, 8 , SCI sCI se' _____ s CI Sci . lianuf j3i Price: ‘1 ce 248, Agra th e , 1101 b the 7 . 1 85. laad $. 6 Roll 6 lued e( ell 84 • ......t...: