The Sun.
London, England, 1871-01-21 00:00:00

IRE SUS, LONDON SATURDAY, JANUARY 21, 1871.

MR. OTWAY ON THE WAR.
There is one passage of Mr. Otway's speech at Chatham
so important in its bearing upon the history of the war
that we make no apology for supplying a fuller version
than we gave yesterday :—He wished to correct a misap-
prehension and supply an omission which seemed in the
reported speech of Mr. Forster at Bradford. That right
hon. gentleman was so incapable of misrepresenting a
fact, and would be so sorry if people were misled by an
unintentional misrepresentation, that he would no doubt
thank him (Mr. Otway) for drawing attention to the
matter. According to the report, Mr. Forster sAid, "We
gave our advice to Prussia to remove the cause of war
by removing the Prince of Hohenzollern from the
candidature of the Crown of Spain. Prussia followed our
advice. We gave our advice to France not to declare war
against Prussia. I regret to say, and Frenchmen also I
suppose will regret, that France did not follow our
advice." This was hardly a correct representation of the
facts. In the first place, Prussia never withdrew the can-
didature of the Prince of Hohenzollern to the throne of
Spain. Prussia, when applied to, ignored the matter,
and said she had nothing to Ell with it. She declined
to have anything to do with the withdrawal,
and the Prince of Hohenzollern was not even
withdrawn by his own consent, but by his father,
unknown to him. The omission was, that Mr.
Forster unintentionally represented the Government of
Prussia as having listened to our advice in order to avoid
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France and Prussia might be avoided, communicated a
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memorandum to Count Bismarck, to be laid before the
King of Prussia, as their views on this matter. And
what was the answer of the Prussian Govern-
ment to the advice solemnly tendered by the
British Cabinet? Let the Parliamentary papers pub-
lished furnish the reply. Lord Granville in his despatch
said, "Count Bernstorff called upon me this morning to
inform me that he had received a telegram from Count
Bismarck, in which he expresses his regret that her
Majesty's Government should have made a proposal which
it was impossible for him to recommend to the King for
his Majesty's acceptance." So far, therefore, from Prus-
sia following the advice of the English Government,
Count Bismarck said he regretted it had been given, and
found it impossible even to lay it before the Bing. He
(Mr. Otway) did not say this by way of an argument
upon foreign policy, for he was determined not to
enter into that ; but simply to rectify an accidental error.
We had entered upon a crisis as grave as any through
which England had ever yet passed, and he was glad to
see that the working men of this country were beginning
to take interest in foreign policy. The spirit of the
country, he believed, was what it always was—it required
direction. It was painful and irritating to hear and see
the estimation in which we were held by foreign
nations—not in France only, but amongst the kindred
and thoughtful people of Germany. It was time
this impression should be removed. But that was
not to be done by violent acts or ill.considered words,
but by a firm and dignified foreign policy. In common
with the great majority of Englishmen, he detested war,
and thought that the Ministry which recklessly plunged
the country into unnecessary strife would deserve the
severest punishment which could possibly be meted out to
it. There was nothing so likely to cause war as chewing
signs of weakness ; courage was often the best defence,
and resistance to the first improper demand the safest
proceeding. Further than this he dare not venture
on this point. He was not one of those who would help
to snake war in a " light heart," but commercial men
would understand him when he said that credit was
as necessary in political as in mercantile matters. He
was unable to speak of the Conference now assembling,
but if his voice could now influence his noble friend who
presided over it, and if if could reach the council-chamber,
he would say, " You can achieve a great work, and
endeavour to stop the carnage which is desolating the
homes of France and Germany. If you succeed you will
have earned for your masters and yourselves the blessings
of all mankind. If you attempt it and fail you will at
least obtain the respect of men; but if you, the represen-
tatives of the great powers of Europe, assemble in con-
ference and separate without making any attempt
to this great end, you will add no credit to
your honoured names, and you will bring the profes-
sion which you adorn into well-merited contempt."
France had been told, in a phrase of cynical brutality,
which, he feared, would never be forgotten until the Rhine
and Seine had ceased to flow, that Paris should stew in
its own gravy. Was it not time that the voice
of the neutral Powers of Europe should be heard on this
matter ? It was idle to say that the voice of England,
Austria, and Italy would not be listened to, and he
maintained it was pusillanimous policy that would
prevent that voice being raised ; it would be a policy un-
worthy of this country and humanity. He doubted
whether our defences were entirely satisfactory. Our
great defence should be our navy, and no question
of expenditure should ever be allowed to interfere with
the possession of the finest fleet in the world. The days
of big fleets were over, but what we wanted was a vast
number of vessels of small draught, and a vast number of
swift ships to protect our commerce. He urged that the
forces of Marines, Engineers, and Artillery ought to be
extended, and was in favour of the abolition of
purchase in the army. In conclusion, he said it was
no light matter that had induced him to take the
painful step his resignation involved, but he hoped his
political connection with Chatham would long be pre-
served.

CHLOROFORM ROBBERIES.—HOW is it that only
people who are mysteriously robbed can be rendered
instantaneously insensible by chloroform or other anaes-
thetic vapours? Instantaneous means of producing anaes-
thesia by inhalation are unknown to men of science, and
we are all aware that to produce anaesthesia by any known
fluid evaporating from a hankerchief is a comparatively
slow process, and one which is still more impeded when we
have not the ready and intelligent co-operation of the sub-
ject except in children, whose loud cries lead to deeper in-
halation and more rapid insensibility. It is hard to sup-
pose that the thieves have compassed a secret beyond the
skill of men of science.—British Medical Journal.
EDUCATIONAL BOOKS,—The editor of the Pub-
lishers' Circular has been collecting information with a
view to issuing an index or catalogue, classified according
to subjects, of school, college, technical and general edu-
cational works in use in Great Britain, So many returns
have been already received from publishers, that it would
take eight or ten pages, closely printed in three columns,
to give the short titles of merely elementary publications
which teach the English language. Instead, therefore, of
a supplement to the periodical above named, it will be
necessary to make the catalogue a distinct volume; it will
not, as a general rule, include any work of which there
has been no new edition within the last three years.
ROUGH JUSTICE.—The committee elected to pre-
side over the diamond diggers at Pniel, on the Vaal, had a
puzzling case before them recently. A young lad picked
up a diamond of 12 carats at a spot between two cradles.
This piece of luck was not kept a secret by him or his
relatives. Coming to the ears of one of the adjacent
cradle owners, the diamond was claimed by him, on the
ground that it must have been carelessly thrown out of
his sieve. The father of the boy refused to give up the
stone, and the affair was referred to the committee, who
decided that the stone should be sold and the produce
divided between the three parties—the finder and the two
cradle owners. There seems to be no prison at the diggings.
In November, a German who had stolen money was put
in the stocks for twelve hours, and then drummed out of
the fields with " Thief " painted on his back, and informed
that if he returned he would be flogged and kept to hard
labour for a long term.
AN AFRICAN WAR.—A Bonny correspondent of
the Liverpool Courier gives some particulars of the pro-
gress of the war between Oko-Jumbo and Ja-ja. The latter
is _reported as shewing a great talent for Bismarcking
neighbouring niggers, and drawing them into the war on
his side. The Kings of Audomy and the King of Eboe,
with other iliggere of less consequence, have joined him.
At the latest dates the town of Obeta had been skilfully
captured by Ja-a—in fact, a sort of African Sedan has been
accomplished. The combined forces attacked Obeta, and,
under a fierce fire of canister and grapeshot, a large body
of men effected p, lodgment in the town. Then fresh men
being thrown in, the war canoes swept the rest of the
town, the open beach, and adjacent bush, thus driving
Oko-Jumbo's men out. This being accomplished, a body
of men were sent outside the town, under a heavy fire
from the war canoes, to cut all the bush down for a long
distance from the town. While doing so they captured
some prisoners, a large number of breech-loading rifles,
and a quantity of cartridges. Th e heavy guns at ()beta
had already been taken. All this was effected with
slight loss. In the meantime a large body of men had
landed about two miles in the rear of Obeta, and ad-
vancing in extended order through the bush cut off the
only line of retreat open theough the Ekreeka country
for the Bonny men. Completely snrrounded, the Bonny
men entrenched themselves in the bush. Since then Oko-
Jumbo's men have made repeated attempts to cut their
way through, but without success, and every day batches
of prisoners are brought to Opobo. Twenty were deca-
pitated, the heads being boiled till the flesh peels off, and
then hung up. to dry--a decided improvement on the
European mode of starving prisoners of war to death.
There seems to be no escape for the Bonny then. Ja-ja
is in possession of a number of Blakely guns, with whidh
his capital, Opobo, is strongly fortified.
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their numbers were nearly equal to those of our Franc-
-
tirur% but they were supported by two. guns and one
mitrailleuse. A brisk fire of musketry and artillery was
opened against the Mocquarts and the Francs-tireurs du
Nord, who immediately deployed en t , andreplied by
a murderous fire, admirably directed. At about half-past
one, in pursuance of the plan agreed on, Bellanger's com-
pany and the Franc-tireurs from Rouen, effected a double
turning movement right and left, to try and hem the
Prussians in. But just as the circle was about to be
completed, the Prussians were warned by their cavalry
scouts, and two of the enemy's guns were at once turned
on the Rouen corps, who were turning the Prussian right,
whilst the enemy's infantry held Bellanger's company
in check. It was at this moment that the brave
Lieutenant Bellanger received a bullet right through
the heart. Two other Havre men were killed by shell-
splinters that broke their spine. In spite of their artillery,
in spite of their cavalry, such was the vigour of the
French attack that the Prussians had to fall back in
disorder carrying their guns to the rear to pro-
'tect, we will not say their retreat, but their
fight. They were pursued by the Franc-tireurs
of
Rouen and the Nord until beyod the hamlet of
St. Eustache. Our losses, though painful, are only five
killed and ten wounded. As to the Prussians their losses
were very heavy. Our men in pursuing them had to
wade through real pools of blood, and found several
corpses. Moreover, it is a fact that the PrusSians requi-
sitioned five carriages, including a couple of two-horse
waggons, to transport their killed and wounded; there
18 every reason to believe that they lost officers, as in th e
middle of the action they hoisted the white flag over their
ambulance. The death of the brave Bellanger and our com-
rades was avenged. If we had had any cavalry it is probable
that not a single frussian would have escaped from the
iron circle within which the Franc-tireurs strove to enclose
them. We must also direct the solicitude of those whom
it may concern to the armament of the Nord and Rouen
companies, which are only provided with Mini 4 rifles,
excellent at long range, but the process of loading is too
slow when opposed to breechloaders. It is related to us
that several of the soldiers thus armed shed tears of rage
when they found out the impossibility of firing—their
muskets got foul, and they had not the necessary tools to
clean them out."

and there is not the slightest sign of wearing out in the
army. I repeat that men and horses are in first-rate con-
dition. They are so well fed that they would be positively
fat but for the daily exercise.

Preparations are being made in Prussia for the early re-
ception of 150,000 prisoners, evidently in anticipation of
the capitulation of Paris. At Posen, Glogau, and
Liegnitz, in particular, extensive preparations are in pro-
gress. The provincial towns will, it is said, be selected for
the accommodation of some of them, provided they offer
the requisite space and security.

A German correspondent says that the French troops
now engaged in fighting are well armed, for France gets
excellent guns from England, America, and Belgium, but
the troops are badly dressed and equipped, for they have
received no pay for the last two months, as the Republic
is compelled to reserve all its funds to pay for the arms
and ammunition that are obtained from foreign countries.
Their food is of a bad quality, and very scarce in

quantity.
General Coffinieres, the ex-Commandant of Metz, has
published a pamphlet, in which he justifies his con-
currence in the capitulation. He argues that the com-
mandant of a fortress must submit to the orders of a, -
general-in-chief who has fixed his head-quarters in it.
He confirms the statement that General Changarnier,
when sent by Marshal Bazaine to Prince Frederick Charles
to treat for a surrender, asked permission for the army to
retire to Africa.
The Natal Mercury says the adventures of the schooner
Margaretha at Port Louis (Mauritius) would form an
interesting chapter. While she was there, a French
cruiser from Bourbon called in, ostensibly to coal. Of
course, she was not supplied with coals, except a suffi-
cient quantity to take her back to Bourbon. Her
real object was to watch for the Margaretha, which,
although she had altered her flag from German to
British might still be in danger of being picked up by a
Frenchman. The French cruiser departed, but it was
known that she and another were lying off, waiting to
pounce upon the Margaretha. Captain Schafer was ad-
vised to go out in broad clay. He did so. Apparently
the Frenchman did not expect him to have the hardihood
to venture out at such a time. At any rate the schooner
evaded them, and with a fine breeze came spinning along
to Natal.
THE PARIS BARRICADES.—Henri Rochefort and
others were formed into a " Commission of Barricades,"
charged with the construction of a third interior line of
defence, which should prepare the ground for that line
of fighting so peculiarly Parisian—the defence of barri-
cades and the struggle from house to house. The
press at the time made great fun of this com-
mission : but the semi-official publications of the Prussian
staff leave no doubt that it was above all the certainty of
having to encounter a determined struggle at the barri-
cades which caused them to decide in favour of reduction
by famine. The Prussians knew very well that the
forts, and after them the enceinte, if defended by artil-
lery alone, must fall within a certain time ; but
then would come a stage of the struggle in
which new levies and even civilians would be a match for
veterans ; in which house after house, street after street,
would have to be conquered, and, considering the great
number of the defenders, with the certainty of an immense
loss of life. Whoever will refer to the papers on the sub-
ject in the Prussian Staats-Anzeiger will find this reason to
be stated as the decisive one against a regular siege. —Pa 1
Mall Gazette.

THE DEATH RATE IN PARIS.—The following is
the list of deaths in Paris during the three weeks ending
January 6th. It does not include the mortality in the
hospitals and ambulances :
Week from Week from Week from
18th to 24th 25th to 31st Ist to 6th
Smallpox 3BB ... 454 ... 329
Scarlet fever
Measles
Typhoid fever
Erysipelas
Bronchitis ...... .
Pneumonia
Diarrhoea 73 ... 98 ... 151
Dysentery
Cholera
Diphtheria
Croup
Peurperal affections 6 ... 3 ... 11
Other causes ..

Total of deaths 2728 ... 3280 ... 3680
ACTIVITY AT BORDEAUX.— A letter from Bor-
deaux, in the Presee, says :—" Immense warehouses are
being vacated here for the reception of the new arms
which are arriving. There is a distinct army equipment
commission, which in the last six weeks of the past year
supplied 430,000 new rifles, with 7,000,000 cartridges.
At the end of this month they will have furnished
in addition 270,000 breechloaders, and altogether 600
cannon, partly mitrailleuses. When It is remembered
that Lebceuf and Palikao were not able, even to the
last, to turn out more than 4,000 rifles in a month, and
when the then prices are compared with the present, one
must be truly astonished at such results. Not a day pusses
without an additional stone being laid to the firm foun-
dation of the war organisation, and the results of this
activity are constantly becoming more evident. The
project is at present being discussed of calling into the
army the 30,000 young merchant seamen just returned to
the west coast of France from the cod fishery, and forming
from them a staff of excellent subalterns. The Hanover
legion, 200 men strong, was formed in Algeria. The new
cavalry corps, organized at Limoges, is immediately to join
the Eastern Army. It is composed of excellent elements,
and forms ten squadrons."
THE ENGLISH IN PARIS.—The following extracts
are from a letter from Dr. Smyth to his wife, dated from
10, Avenue Marbceuf, Champs Elyges, Paris, Jan. 5 :--
" The weather is fearfully severe. Thank God we have
some wood for a month, but the distress for want of some
kind of fuel is truly awful. In fact, the absence of all food
and firing is beginning to tell a sad and mournful tale.
There were 404 deaths last week from smallpox, and much
over 3,000 deaths in the week ! Sickness meets one every-
where ; misery and sorrow is truly appalling. In Decem-
ber we paid £730 to the persons wanting assistance ; in
January we expect to pay £BOO. I pay in my little waY
about:2Bo a month to my poor. I fear that death will
soon make sad inroads among our people. Two, if Pc'
three, deaths to-day, and if no fuel is to lid had the condi;
tion will be most terrible. May God be pleased to help us'
We are, thank God, all well ! I have a bad cold and
pains in my hips from the cold and fatigue, but other
wise, lam very well, and go on with my work. If all be
well, I hope to visit about sixty families to-morrow, re-
presenting over two hundred and forty souls. I shall
give about £lO, and forty quarters of a pound Of
, tea, extract of meat, and chocolate. The bombarding °f
J.
the forts is awful. It has been going on for two days,
, no damage as yet."