The Sun.
London, England, 1871-02-04 00:00:00

THE FUTURE OF THE CAMPAIGN.

Commenting on the occupation of the French forts,
the special correspondent of the Daily News at the head-
quarters of the Crown Prince of Prussia, writing on
January 31, remarks :—Of course you wish to know
how all this will end. Prophetic vision is the least
which the public seems to expect of those who " assist"
at such spectacles as the bombardment and
surrender of Paris. Will the French bow to
inevitable fate ; yield with a good grace what
needs must be yielded ; deliberate in their National
Assembly as becomes men who have not held a
trump through the whole rubber ; sign away
Alsace and Ldrraine, and pay the 'expenses of the war ?
Will the French be rash and headstrong, too brave or too
obstinate to admit that they are beaten ? Will they let
Paris complete its surrender; soldiers of Vinoy go as
prisoners to Germany, and the rest of France resume the
unequal struggle ? We must wait and see. I can only tell
you' what is thought probable at headquarters; can
only sketch the future as seems probable to those who
march with the victorious troops. There may be a fund
of energy pent up in the Southern departments; a tough-
ness of resistance in Lille and the little corner of the
North which yet remains ; and a patient endurance in the
peasants of the debateable ground, that it will take Ger-
many half a year to overcome. But this is not the opinion
of the German armies. It is thought that France has had
enough, and that her recent defeats have completely
discouraged her. What with the hold on Paris which
Count Bismarck has obtained,and the leisure for reflection
afforded by the armistice, there seems to be every chance
of peace. Ido not for a moment believe that starving or
burning the capital can be used as means of coercion.
Such rumours seem to me but the idle talk of the
camp. Paris has, in fact, surrendered by the surrender
of her forts, and can only pass from the present state
of modified hostile domination to a state of complete
submission as a consequence of further warfare. The
French desire that their capital, should not be occupied
by German troops. They would sacrifice much to avoid
a triumphal entry into Paris of the conquerors
for, apart from other reasons, there would be danger
of collision with the excited mob. The Germans,
though they dearly long to march to Paris, long
still more dearly to return home victorious. Very little
marching through, or no marching through at all, might
content them if they saw their way to a liberal payment
of war expenses, and a lasting peace. They would will-
ingly forego the luxury of occupying Paris for the sake of
the speedy settlement of their claims against France. By
sacrificing a part they may save the whole country from
ruin. Enough has been done to vindicate their honour,
and even if brother Frenchmen must be yielded over to
foreign rule, if the Republic must be postponed to some
more Republican epoch, there will be comfort in securing
rest and breathing time for France. Let us consider for a
moment the chances which a further struggle would pre-
sent. In the east, Belfort would have to capitulate, and
Lyons would be besieged. In the Centre, the Germans
would pass on towards Bordeaux. In the West they
would threaten Brest and Cherbourg ; and in the North
they would soon commence the reduction of Lille. It is a
dreary prospect. France has no friends on whom she can
count ; for every one sees that Germany is an " almighty
fact," and the most that foreign sympathisers are likely
to do for the " Grand Nation " on a lee shore is
to give charity to the shipwrecked sailors who escaped.
No human power would or could interfere, you may bet
ten to one between the French and their indignant enemy.
The Germans would lose all patience at finding themselves
delayed through the summer months, and would ask harder
terms by next July than they ask at present. Do you
want to know what they do really ask? I can
only tell you that everyone says, and that the best-
informed people believe, that they must have Alsace and

the greater part of Lorraine ; a hundred million or so for
their war expenses ; some of the French ships ; and a
Monarchical Government in France, to give security
for the future. Do you think that the terms
are hard ? It is true that they are hard ; but, alas for
France ! she has slid into a position where she can scarcely
haggle about terms. It may be the greatest blessing to
her that this ccmpromise of allowing Paris to yield, yet
not quite to disappear from the political scene for three
weeks, should give time to the whole nation to reflect
upon what it has lost.

Messrs. Rothschild Brothers have advanced
200,000,000 francs towards the war contribution. The
elections were to take place on Sunday.
There has been a decided improvement in the con-
dition of the Rev. T. T. Carter, of Clewer.

The Central Chamber of Agriculture is about to
open its campaign for this year. At its first meeting
next week the council will consider the question of the
uniformity of weights and measures, the malt tax, and
the legal provisions for maintaining highways.
NEW COUNTY COURT JUDGE.—The Lord Chan-
cellor has conferred the appointment of the County Court
Judgeship, vacant by the death of Mr. Christopher
Temple, Q.C., on Mr. John Osborne, Q.C. Mr. Osborne
was called to the Bar in June, 1835, and has enjoyed
a considerable practice in the Courts of Equity. The
district over which Mr. Osborne will preside embraces
Oldham, Rochdale, Salford,- Saddleworth. and Todinor-
den. It may be noticed that the Lord Chancellor has
distributed the patronage of the County Court Judgeships
with an even hand between the Equity and Common Law
Bars. Nothing can be more just or politic than this
scheme of distribution, so long as the appointments are
given to barristers familiar with contentious proceedings.
—Law Journal

A STRAY BALLOON.—The Rev. A. R. Alexander,
vicar of Churt, near Farnham, found on a hill near that
village, on Monday last, a little crimson and white oiled
silk balloon, with two letters tied to its mouth, one of
which was addressed in English, French, and German, as
follows :—"To the finder of the ' Last Hope' Balloon."
One of the letters read as follows :—" Noisy le Sec, mid-
night, January 26, 1871.—T0 the finder.—Please oblige
an Englishman compelled by untoward fates to remain
in this village with no means of communication with
those outside. We expect now shortly the fall of Paris ;
but, as it is important the letter attached to this balloon
should somehow reach America, the finder will have my
eternal gratitude if he will kindly post it, and return the
balloon to my agents, Parker and Co., 10, Cheapside, by
whom all expenses will be paid. Trusting the finder will
do this at once, I remain for the present here—(Signed)
F.A." The other letter read :—" Noisy-le-Sec, midnight.
I write in haste, as I am off to the ramparts. The city
is all in a state of confusion. The cry of all is for peace.
Jules Favre is hastening to Versailles, there to make the
necessary arrangements for peace, and wait another oppor-
tuni_ty to pay those brutal Prussians out and their horrid
old King. I send this by a little balloon belonging to a
friend of mine, and I trust it will get to England safely.
—(Signed) Conde de Grannula."