The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1871-01-07 00:00:00

Our (i'llbon elorrtspoittni.
ore aeon it right to stet" that we de dot at AII tidies
fitentity eursol,,.,a with Our earrespeidient's opiniods.l

It ia &gond dispute that this cruel, disastrous, and
sanguinary war has now entered on a most critical
stag., which may be, for all we know, only the prelimi-
nary to a few graud movements which will finish this
keg protracted struggle. No item of war news
cently attracted more attention than the capture and ,
upaticn of Mont Avron by the Prussiatie, for it is ,
felt that thiv gives them an immense advantage. It
is all very well for it to be stated in official quartere"
in Bordeaux that the Germans will be unable to main-
tain themselves on the plateau of Mont Avrou, which
lien under the fire of the forts t f it any and Noisy.
:loch official delivioos 1.1 tbest have beeu common in
France since the commencement of the war, and the
oection of the Gin ernment at Bordeaux, doub,lees
think it feet to buoy up the French with hope, while
the French themselves seem rather to like being thus
buoyed up, thoueh they are to often di.appointed.
Many uf um, on reading about Mont Avron being
covered by the fire of two other forts, may have asked
ourselves,—what if these two forte be also cmitnred and
occupied by the Pre4sians and then what will be the
fate of Paris herself? At the time of writing it would
seem that important events are on the eve of occurrence,
and if the fate of the French capital is to decide the
fortunes of war, it seems probable that the war will
not be much longer carried on. But "there is much
virtue in an if."

That pulaiii opinion with regard to the war has for I
some time past been undergoing a change, and that
there is now stronger sympathy with France mad a
stronger feeling against Prussia than ever, can scarcely
be denied, but this is no reason why England should
carry these feelings to such an extent that we should '
actually "go to war for an idea." And yet this is what
some enthusiasts positively advocate. In a re.
monstrance addressed to the Premier, on his
declining to receive a deputation on the auhject of the
war, the persons signing it urge the British Government
to "call upon that of Pruseie to make peace
on reasonable terms, not involving the seizure
of French territory," end If this fails, England, it is
said, should "join France in her resistance, and de-
clare war against Penesia (!) to aid France in resuming
that position among the Western Pdwers to which she
is rightly entitled." People of course have a right to
entertain such opinions as these, and even to advocate
them, but Mr. Gladstone wid generally be regarded as
having acted properly in declining to receive &depute,
tion intending to support each opinions. It is the
Setter course for Government entirely to refrain from
receiving people who come to maintain such warlike
notions as these. For the same Truism the Lord Mayor
of London (an official of whom the French have as
exaggerated opinion) does well to refuse the Guildhall
as a place of meeting for the advocacy of similar views.
To express these views in a pnlilic meeting of an on.
official character—ouch a meeting is about to be held—
is quite another affair, though of course it is not likely
to have much effect on the victorious Prussians.
How strangely are we reminded of the siege of
Paris even by the advertisements in The Times. 'lire
so-called "agony column (I don't like the phrase,
for it seems to mock genuine grief and anguish) has
swollen to • c drone and a half. This long string of
ehort advertisements forms so many "household
narratives ;" there it in each appeal a history. The
burden of each -tory is generally pleaelng intelligence,
but one may question whether it will ever be told to
the person for whom it was intended. One feature is
well nigh common to them all —some each eareest
request an this : Priere 1 gui /ire ces bgnes de lui faire
&emir, See. ; or, as we should say. wheever may read
these lines are earnest:y requeeted to inform ereand.eo.
The circumstances of the ads ertisers, of course,
vary. The mysteri-ms quiconque who nosy read these
appeals is in one case prayed to inform Monsieur 4.
that his wife and children are well, but very um ley in
not hearing from him; in another the aforesaid
guicongue it besought to tall NI ol4ieur B. that his wife
is heureusement accouchee Wan pros garcon; in yet
another the sad nears to be told is that Madame C.
in dead; or that th brothers of Mellle. D. are pri-
Bonen of war. Carefilly to read down these numerous
advertisements will he found as interesting as, or more
so, than the letter of a War Correspondent. We see
what hap-hazard work is the attempt at correspondence
to and from beleagured Paris. In one case a French
lady advertises that she has received no letters from
her husband. What must be her thoughts? Is he one
of those who were killed in that sortie? I.n another
case a wife, who may be a widow for all she knows,
says she has sent eight telegrams and has received no
answer. but how much more fortunate are others!
One has received six letters by ballom ; sno her has
actually "received Viirteen balloon letters." As a
contrast to this, a Frenchman in London has written
"more than twenty letters" to his wife in Paris, and
cannot tell whether she has received one of them, or
indeed whether she is alive. The worelirg of some of
these appeals to quiconque lira, dro. is often very
touching. He is requested to say—esperons ; tendresses
pour toes. "What can we do for you? Do you want
money ?" ask mothers and daughters of the husband
and father whosuay never see the appeal. The uncer-
tainty of those appals in fact gives to them all an
element of romance. Of course The Times cannot be
regularly admitted into Paris as before the war. Now
and then a copy may be smuggled in by some zealous
and daring person; or a copy may be inclosed in a
packet addressed to seine diplomatic or consular official,
it not being the etiroiette of war to open such parcels,
or this part of The Tinaes may be photographed and
sent by pigeon-poets Each advertisement is an arrow
shot at a venture, but the arrow mast often bit the
mark.
It is painful, but not at all surprising, to find that
there is very great distress in London. Wealth and

its receipt—say, with paper, &c., 6d. altogether. Or
supposing one perron wants to send £2 ss. to another,
there is 6.1. foe the order. This heavy tax is a burden
on the public who woldil largely avail themselves of a
cheap money-order system. I should suggest & money.
order uader £l, a penny; under £2, ; between £2
and £lO, 3d., and the post-office might refuse, as at
present, to send large sums. There is no doubt that
this rsduction would ultimately pay, and, at any rate,
it would be a great public convenience.