The Sun.
London, England, 1864-03-10 00:00:00

Louis Napoleon as a GE neral.

Anxious, ther;„ to do
:justice. to Louis Napoleon's
abilities, we must admit, atom deducting the ad-
vantages he poss?ssed in bett,er troops, butter wea-
pons, more experienced generals, and irresponsible
authority, that he showed remarkable talent for
conducting military operations. His movements
were far from rapid, but they were very complete.
His orderly and careful advance on the morning of
the 24th July, so different from the straggling
array of the Austrians, was a main cause of the
victory of Solferino. And, setting aside the po-
licy of the flank march to the Ticino, the
march itself, though not faultless, was reason-
ably well conducted, while the preliminary
feikat and movement across the Po were excel-
lently arranged. He showed, too, a right judg-
ment in directing the moss of his force against Sol-
ferino. All these feats were surprising in a man who
not only then first held a command, but who then
first saw war, and who began his military career
with directing two great armies. Nevertheless, we
think the march to Magenta fatal to his character
for generalship. We grant that at any phase of that
movement, except when his army was astride the
Ticino, he had a reasonable chance of assembling
sufficient forces upon any point that Giulay might
attack, to have a fair prospect of victory. But a
gambler who should wager a hundred to one on au
even chance would in, as likely to win as to lose ;
yet, if he did lose, his stake would be enormous com-
pared with his possible gain. And this was the case
with the fiaak march; it was showy, unexpected,
and therefore praised as brilliant ; but it was ex-
tremely perilous, and all the danger was run with-
out the prospect of a corresponding success. Nothing
bat the fighting of his troops, and the friendly aid
of that emissary from the Austrian Emperor to
Giulay, extricated hire from a position that might
easily have been absolutely fatal. Neither was he
forced into this dangerous course ; on the contrary,
by moving on Mortara he would gain all that the
flank march could possibly give him, and without
risking his communications. We believe, then that
the solo reason for incurring the danger was the
hope of evading a battle. This is a very grave de-
fect in the character of a commander, who, though
he should, of course, be properly careful of the lives
of his troops, should never hesitate to gain an ade..
quate advantage by fighting for it. But it is a
e minion thing to see generals, though regardless
of their personal safety, yet nervously alive to the
risk of engaging. Subsequent events seem to con•

firm this view of the Emperor's character. On the

tith Juno ho hesitated, though with superior num-
bers and in face of a beaten enemy, to renew the

contest, or to pursue. li© cqually failed to

"ollow the retiring foe from Solferino ; and, lastly,

when another great pitched battle was imminent,

he made his overtures for peace, forgetting alike

his own proclaimed intention and the interests of
his ally. Should he, then, take the field in another
war, we s'amild expect that his combinations would

be well calculated, hil movements methodical and

accurate; but we should doubt the resolution, not
of the man, but of the general, arid we should ex-
pect thnt, opposed to a skilful and resolute (Aver-

eery, prompt arid ready to fight, he might play fur

a high stake anti lase it.—Blacl.•wood.

ASSIZE INTELLIGENCE,

NORFOLK CIRCUIT.—NOItTnANIPTON, March 8.
Lord Chief Justice Cockburn and Mr. Justice Crompton
came from Leicester yesterday.
Theease that hes of late excited so much attention hag
gone off. It was a charge of wilful murder against William
Weekly Ball, n man 47 years of age, and described as a
but char.

Mr. Sergeant Tozer, Mr. Douglas Brown, and tho Ron.
G. C. Vernon appeared for the prosecution ; and Mr.
O'Malley, Q.C., Mr. Keane, Q.C., and Mr. Metcalfe fur
the prisoner.

In the year ISSO the deceased and supposed murdered
woman, Lydia Alley, was living at the village of Ring-
stead, in this county, where also resided the prisoner; For
some time en adulterous intercourse lied been carried on
between them, the prisoner being a married man, and in
July of the year above mentioned the woman was near her
confinement. On the 22d of the month she was last soon
alive at about 9 at night, in company with the prisoner.
They were heard talking in his orchard, the witnesses who
beard the talk saying that she was refusing to charge any
eke else with being the father of the child. Shortly after
groans were heard proceeding from the direction where the
talking had been going on, but no one seems to have at-
tempted any interference, or to have attached importance to
the circumstance. As we have before said, from that mo-
ment she was never again seen alive. Search was made,
but in a few days a letter arrived in the village from a man
at Northampton, saying that he had seen her walking with
a man in that town a day or two after the 22d July. This
being made public had the effect of to some extent lulling
the suspicion of the villagers, and ultimately, although
there was a very strong feeling that there had been foul
play, the matter was at rest. In the meantime the prisoner
removed to Thrapston, established himself as a butcher,
and at the time of his arrest was carrying on a good and
thriving trade. So many years had now passed that ho
might well have imagined himself safe from any accusation
in reference to Lydia Atley; hut in the month of February
last some labourers were digging a piece of waste land by
the roadside, near the orchard before mentioned, and about
1S inches below the surface they came upon the skeleton of
a woman. It was lying face downwards. Tho bones were
collected, and on examining the jaw a tooth was missing
from the back of the mouth—a remarkable circumstance,
for but a few days before she disappeared a labourer, the
village dentist, had extracted ono at her request, No sign
of any child could be discovered. The man who wrote the
letter before mentioned now comes forward and says ho
wrote it at the request of tho prisoner, and the story as to
seeing the deceased in Northampton was utterly untrue.
It will be seen that tho case is still only one of great
suspicion for beyond the tooth no further iudentification of
the skeleton can be arrived at. It now appears that where
the bones were found gipsies have been in the habit of
burying, and, as if further to embarrass the case for the
in the same piece of ground, a
,uppoeed remains of the woman
were found, another skeleton, that of a man, was found,
fie)rwesfeeceuttiboenlo,
below
a owt
hSearteu
trhd aeys.
and yesterday two more were discovered. These are the
shortfacts of the case; and an investigation having taken
place before the magistrates, the prisoner was committed
for trial.

To-day a bill was Prepared for the consideration of the
grand jury, but before it was sent to them
Mr. Sergeant Tozer stated that he had consulted with
the solicitor for the prosecution and the counsel with him
in the case, and the result was that, seeing how incomplete
the case was at present against the prisoner, he should ask
that the recognisances of the witnesses be discharged and
no bill prepared. The effect of this would bo that, in the
event of any fresh evidence coming to light, the prisoner
could again be apprehended.
Mr. Justice Crompton thought the course proposed a safe
and wise one, and mad an order aecordingly.

ADVERTISEMENT.I—Avoid medicines• they always aggra-
vate chronic complaints, but Du Barry's Delicious Health.
Restoring Bevalenta Arabica Food, which eaves fifty times

perfect dig:cation, strong nerves, sound lungs.
its cost in other retnedies, invariably cures them, restoring
healthy liver,
pure blood, refreshing sleep, functional regularity, and energy
to the most disordered or enfeebled. %%' extract 4 iCIV out
jr 60,000 Cures t —Cure No. 58,216 of the Marchioness dc
linian, Purls, of a liver complaint, wasting away foe seven
years, debility, with a nervous palpitation all over, bad
digestion, constant sleeplessness, t he most intolerable nervous
agitation, and dreadfully low spirited.—guys No. 1,771. Lord
Stuart de Decks, Lord I.lyut. of iVaterford, of many years'
dyspepsia.—No. 49,832 "Fifty years' indescribable agony
from dyspepsia,
nervousness, asthma, cough, constipation,
illatulenzy, spasms, sickness, and vomiting.--Maria Jolly."
—Cure No. 46,270. Mr. James Roberts, of Frinfley, Surrey, of
thirty years' diseased lungs, spitting of blood, liver derange.
ment, and partial deafness.—Cure No. 47,121. Miss Elizabeth
spirits, and nervous fancies.—Cure No. 54,516. The Rev. JAR;
.Jacobs, of extreme nervousness, indigestion, gat hers. Ls, low
.1% Campbell, yakenhant, Norfolk, "of indigestion and torpf•
dify 01 the liver. which had restate.! all medical treatment."
In tins, 1 lb.. 2s. gd. ; 21b., 4s. 8d ; 51h., its. ; 421 b., 225. ; ;41bi0l.—Barry Lin !tarry and Co., No. 77, Regent-street, London;
also Fortnum and Mason ; and all Grocers and Chemists Li
very town of the United liin;;dom.