The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1870-11-05 00:00:00

Ete gitourtribge 04serber.

SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 5, 1870.

THE WAR.

It is a remarkable fact that France has over
and over again been told, during this lamentable
war, that there must be no more illusious, and
yet that she has been continually made the ic-
tire of some fresh deception, usually taking the
form of the suppression of important news.
The capitulation of Metz was known througheett
the United Kingdom on the evening of the 27th
nit, and yet M. Canibetta, a prominent, if not
the leading member of that section of the French
Government which is established, if that be the
word, nu Tours, issues a proclamation on the
23th, in which he speaks of this important fact
as a doubtful rumour. On the 20th, two (lays
after Metz had capitulated, It ,Sierle, says,' Paris
and Metz, against which all the efforts of the
enemy will be in vain, are still in a position to
mist ter long days," &c. Neither M. Gambetta
nor this once well-informed journal can be ac-
cused of wilful deception, but these extraordi-
nary statements are alluded to to show the lam-
entably disorganised state in which France now
finds herself. Bat M. Gambetta is, we think,
sorely to blame for beiag a party to a proclama•
tiou, when the surrender of Metz was known,
which desecves to be characterised as a delibe-
rate attempt to foster a fatal illusion. France
has already suffered mush from proclamations,
and this last affair is, perhaps, the most illusory
ef all. "Exalt your souls and resolutions,"
says the Tours Government to their country•
men, "to the height of the terrible perils which
are crushing us down." They speak of "a great
people who will not perish, and whose courage
rises even in the midst even of catastrophes...
But then comes an ominous sentence which
shows that it is not a question of a people per-
ishing. "Metz has capitulated." The view
that the Government takes, or professes to take,
of this capitulation 'thews how infatuated they
are, and that they seem desirous of leading
France into similar infatuation. They talk of
Marshal Bazaine having coramitted treason, hav-
ing been the agent of " the man of Sedan, and
the accomplice of the invader ;" the facts being
that Bazaine held out heroically as long 'as hu-
nom nature could endure, sod that then Metz
succumbed to starvation. Terrible as is this
collapse, the Tours Government try to divert the
national mind from the calamity. and urge them
to further sacrifice and miser)'. "We are pre-
pared," they proclaim, "to make the last sacri-
fices, and in face of enemies whom everything
favours, let us swear never to surrender so long
as an inch of our sacred territory shall remain
under our foot." This out-does, or rather out-
talks, M. Fevre's declaration about an inch of
their fortresses. Amidst other grandiloquent
outpourings of a similar sharaeter appears the
now hackneyed phrase, " No illusions ! " whereas
this whole proclamation may be described as " a
mockery, a delusion, and • snare." One of the
great delusions of the war has been that Metz
could hold out against an investment which sim-
ply meant slow starvation. The only chance
tn.( the I,eletiguered garrison bail was to make
a desperate sortie and endeavour to cut their way
throuol the Prussian lines. Why no effort of
the kind was made is one of the mysteries of
French disaster throughout the war. Bt there
ma 110 1-ealoll to suppose that there was any com-
pheity either with '• the man of Sedan" or with
•• iovader." Whatever view, however, may
be taken of the surrender of Metz, it is a terible
calamity for France, co far as the coutiuuauce of
the war ie concerned, and we can but hope it may
prove • real blessing by leading to an armistice
and ultimate peace.
As to any chance of France now triumphing
over an enemy "whom everything favours," we
believe that none exists. in the field her cause
is hopeless. When Metz, with 173,000 men,
three wershals, 60 generals, 6,000 officers, 400
places of artillery, and 100 nuitrailleuses, capit-
ulates, what probability is there that Paris can
hold out? Metz was and is the strongest for-
tress in France, but it succumbed to starvation,
as the bravest army in the world must do. Front
the moment that the "virgin fortress " capitu-
lated it wee felt that, even irrespective of bom-
bardment, Paris must sooner or later capitulate
,; •,. "1•.(1 surrender of the proudest stronghold
ranee gives Prussia enormous indirect ad-
vantage, as it sets free some 2110,000 men to
operat, in any other part of the country. But
tee direct and immediate advantage to the tier-
loans is immense. It places the coveted pro-
vinces of Alsace and Lorraine in their hands;
said it gives them, in connection with Strasburg,
power to hold these provinces—au advantage
they' will ,isatiredly make the most of in negoti-
atiog tin terms of peace. From uo quarter can
fact, reasonably aspect such help or