The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1870-11-19 00:00:00

re 3tourtritrge 012serber.

SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 19, 1870.

THE WAR AND THE EASTERN

QUESTION.

M. Gatubetta, whose grandiloquent bombast
has hitherto excited only pity and ridicule, has
coins excuse for his less extravagant language
with regard to the French victory at Orleans.
Addressing the army of Loire, he says, " Your
courage and your efforts have brought back vic-
tory; to you France owes her first consolation,
her first ray of hope." The battle appears to
have raged with great dash and bravery, and for
the first time since the outbreak of the war the
French gained a signal victory. A telegram to
l'he Times says," The German loss was at least
6,000; the conduct of Mobiles was very good;
the mural effect has been very great." Other
accounts place the German losses lower than
this amount, and others again niaks the losses
greater; while the Prussian official account says
that all the French attacks were repulsed with
great lons to UM it s,atillints, tot that the reireat
of the Germans did not take place until they
users over. But the fact that the Frensh recap-
tured Orleans is a great fact in the history of
the war, and is certain to have more or less ser-
ious results. It has already done much towards
reviving the drooping spirits of the French, and
to give them fresh courage and determination.
Whether this flash of victory will prove an tgliti
fil (MIS, to the further delusion of France, re-
mains to be seen. One effect has naturally been
to direct more earnest attention than ever to the
siege of Paris, and to render more serious and
pressing the question whether the French cap-
ital is to be bombarded or starved out. The
Brussels correspondent of the /hilly News, tele-
graphing on the lath, says that he has received
trustworthy information that Pails could not
hold out for more than three weeks; and it is
therefore intended to trust to hunger for the
surrender of the city, and that no bombardment
will take place- On the other hand, the Neu
Praseian Gazette says it is convinced that the
authorities will not show any false generosity,
but that the bombardment of Paris will shortly
commence. Such counter-assertions have been
common for some time. The King of Prussia,
Von Moltke, and Count Bismark have been urged
by a large portion of the press of Europe to
" spare Paris," and at the time we write it is
doubtful whether they will not accede to the ap-
peal, so far as bombardment is concerned ; but
if they spare Paris in one sense they will not in
another; if they spare the city they will have no
mercy on its defenders or its inhabitants till the
place surrenders. On the important subject of
the food supply of Paris there are many contra-
dictory statements, but the balance olprobabil-
ity is decidedly in favour of unhappy Paris be-
ing very scantily stipplied, and:it stands to rea-
son that every day—nay, every hour—renders
the position of the city worse- On the other
hand, the conditions of the investing army are
highly favourable to their starving-out the Paris-
ians if this is to be the policy. A letter from
Versailles says "The French themselves have
supplied them with what are much better than
canvass coverings—good comfortable houses.
From parlour to top storey every house in every
village along the lines of investment is filled
with troops. Provisions the soldiers have in
abundance. What they cannot find in the
enemy's country—and they search diLligently—
is brought to them from Germany.- The mili-
tary position of the besiegers is immensely
strong. The two armies investing the city are
those of the Crown Prince of Prussia and the
Crown Prince of Seem ; and any one who will
read the account given by a special correspond.
of The Times of the arrangements and operations
of troops cannot but come to the conclusion that
the investing force is • considerable one—for
attack, defense, or simply for the Fabian polio'
of waiting. On the whole, we see no warrant
for believing that the solitary French triumph
at Orleans will tarn the fortunes of the war, or
that hope of that result can be derived from any
other quarter. We believe that the cause of
France in war is hopeless, and that her defeat
and her suing for peace is but a question of
time.
While we are all anxiously awaiting important
news relative to • war that has reached • criti-
cal stage, very disquieting news arrives. It is
stated that Count Gorteehakoff has addressed a
circular to the Courts of England, Austria, Prus-
sia, and Turkey, suggeeting—it may be well not
to use • stronger word, pending the production
of the actual document—a revision of the treaties
of 1856; and it it is asserted also that diplomatic
representatives of Russia in the several capitals
of these countries have notified the Govern-
ments to which they are accredited that Russia
considers herself no longer bound by these treat.
lee. "Are we to suppose, " asks The Times,
" that the Czar now demands the right of re-
constructing the great fortress of the Crimea
and filling its harbour with ironclads ? Such a
demand would be simply a notification that Rus-
sia meditates a renewal of those designs on Tur-
key which Europe defeated in the last war, and
which she herself solemnly renounced when she
engaged with the other Great Powers to main-
tain the integrity and independence of the Ot-
toman Empire. If Russia can make out a case
for the revision of the treaty in an amicable way,
Europe will be ready to hear what she has to
ear The latter sentence doubtless expresses
the general feeling, and certainly it is ardently
to be hoped that this awkwardly revived Eastern
question may be answered" in an amicable way."
But the.time chosen by Russia for reviving this
question looks ominous and threatening. A
possible secret treaty between Russia and Prim-
ula ; Prussia flushed with success ; France bleed-
ing and prostrate; and Austria doubtful of being
able to maintain her position—these create a
somewhat alarming state of affairs ; and it will
require the utmost tact and judgment ea the
part of our loverninent to steer the good State
ship in troubled waters, and with rucks ahead.
The reply ol the English Cabitiet to the Rus-
sian circular has been published. In it Earl
Granville poinis out that the assumption 'that
Russia is entitled to renounce, without the COll-
- of the signitary Powers, any of the stipula•
Lions at the Treaty of Paris involves an assump-
tion that she is entitled to renounce them all.
Such a doctrine, it is urged, is calculated to des-
troy entirely the authority and efficacy of such
treaties. Therefore, without discussing the
merits of the question, her Majesty's Govern-
ment consider it impoasible to give arty sanction
• a their part to the course announced by Prince
Girtschakoff.