The Sun.
London, England, 1871-01-16 00:00:00

THE GREAT BATTLE AT LE MANS.

The special correspondent of the Telegraph sends the
following from the Head-quarters Second Army of the
Loire, January 11 (Midnight):—At a quarter past five in
the afternoon terminated the second battle before Le
Mans, the result of which is fraught with the
deepest impottandei riot merely` to the army of
General Chanzy, but to the heroic population of
Paris, which that army was designed to liberate
from the iron grip of the besieging and the covering armies
of the invader. All around the east side of Le Mans ex-
tends a range of lofty woody heights. At the extreme
right of French line was the village of Brette, with a
large forest stretching awey to the south and east ; and in
this quarter, where the 16th Corps was posted, a desperate
struggle took place under my eyes. The bone of contention
was the wood near Brette, the possession of which was
evidently esteemed of vital consequence by both parties.
I arrived in time to witness the advance of a large body
of French troops across the open plain, half a mile broad,
to attack thd German forces which held the forest. Not
fewer than 20,000 then, f dhotrld sal, took part in this
operation ; an the moveniefit WAS- i'fiadd at the
double-quick, c ered by a powerful fire from the
French artillery, which appeared gradually to overmaster,
though it did not extinguish, the fire of the Prussian guns.
The assault was most courageously made, but the Prus-
sians opposed a solid and bitter resistance. Again and
again the dark masses of assailants approached
the Prussian line, and I could . see the flashes
from the enemy's guns , against the :gloomy back-
ground of the forest, within which the enemy was
strongly posted. The Prussian resistance was in vain,
however; for General jaureguiberry succeeded, though
after a stiff struggle, in dislodging them froni the coveted
position. My standpoint was near the Village of Chafige,
about four miles east by south from Le Mans, and exactly
in the centre of the French line of battle, which was held
by the 17th corps. The Germans now began a lively and
uncomfortable cannonade from the valley below. Shells
fell around my post in rather perturbing frequency ;
but no attack of infantry was made in this quarter—the
battle in the centre being
.merely an artillery duel. It
was now three o'clock ; and, shifting my position, I joined
the staff of the Commander-in-Chief, by whom I stood
for a considerable time. The General, I may say, is one
of the handsomest men I have ever seen ; and his
personal adirautages were enhanced by his piquant
and picturesque coduirte—the invariable red trou-
sers of the French army, high Jack-boots, and
jaunty kepi. At ten minutes to four we saw a', treaty
mass of the enemy approach in column, with a numerous
artillery, immediately in front of the Chateau des Arches
—a pretty country seat lying just below the hill on which
we were posted. It would seem that the Germans had no
suspicion of the real strength of the French in the centro,
or of the weight of their artillery. While I was stand-
ing by the General, he gave oiderS that the batteries
should open ; and immediately a vigorous fire
began from the French field pieces, maimed to a large
extent by the artillery of the Marine. The Prussian grins
responded, but after the first round they produced little
effect upon the artillery or the infantry on the height.
As the enemy's columns drew nearer, the French
infantay was ordered to advance to the crest
of the hill, and on the terraced road below
fifty mitrailleuses at once began to play upon
the enemy. A shower of shot and shell and bullet
—for the Prussians had now opened a heavy musketry
fire—grew warm all round my position. When darkness
put an end to the contest, shortly after five o'clock, the
French centre still maintained its ground ; and in my
hearing General Chanzy gave orders that it should
be still further strengthened by bringing up six
additional batteries of artillery, which, IS I re-
turned to Le Mans, I met upon the road. Cliatiziy
I may say—and I had a good opportunity of observation
—acted throughout the day with great coolness and strong
sense ; perfectly master of himself and of all the ever-
shifting circumstances of a most critical occasion. I should
have said that on the extreme left of the French position
at Champagne—which of necessity came less under
my personal observation—the Germans advanced
through a deep and narrow valley between the
forests and the river Huisne ; and in this quarter
alone, as 1 believe, on the extensive battle-fields which
stretched for about twelve miles from south-west to
north-east, the Fren2ch had to give ground, retiring about
two miles. When night fell, about a quarter-past five,
the combat ceased all at once, as if by common consent ;
leaving the French still in possession of the heights,
while the Prussians lay in the woods and the low
country beneath. On the French side the loss in the
battle was comparatively slight, but the Prussians,exposed
as they were in the valley to the fire of the French guns
on the heights, lost much more heavily in proportion.
Their casualties cannot be put at less than three thousand
or four thousand men. For the day the enemy certainly
cannot be said to have gained any positive advantle.
The battle was fought for the possession of Le Mans ; and
Le Mans still remains in the hands of the French, whose
line now runs nearly parallel with the railway to Paris, on
the left bank of the Huisnei and facing to the south-east.
But the battle is merely suspended. To-morrow it must
recommence.

COUNT BISMARCK ON THE ALLEGED
GERMAN CRUELTIES.

Count Bismarck has addressed a despatch to the North
German representatives abroad, in reply to the charges
brought by Count de Chaudordy against the German
mode of carrying on the war. He says : A document
signed by Count Chaudordy, and which teems with
accusations against the German commanders and troops,
is said to have been transmitted to the neutral
Powers in the name of the Government of the National
Defence. I do not know, and should almost doubt
whether that has been really done, as the document is
evidently intended for the French public, and for the re-
quirements of that section of the foreign press which is
inimical to us. Even if truth is most grossly and most
perseveringly distorted, the fact cannot be denied
that it is the French who have imparted a character to
this war which must daily deepen and widen. On
twenty-one different occasions—as shewn in Appen-
dix A—in which the supposition of accident or mistake
on the part of the French troops is precluded,
Parlementaires who carried a white flag, and
were accompanied .by a trumpeter sounding
his bugle, have been fired upon. The French have gra
dually made themselves so well acquainted with the
Geneva Convention that they know how to derive the
greatest advantages from it ; but with respect
to the fulfilment of the obligations which it
imposes there has been no commensurate im-
provement. Whilst we are anxiously upholding even
impracticable stipulations of the Convention at the
cost of great inconvenience and military detriment, the
French on their part have, up to the present time, con-
tinued their attacks on dressing stations and ambulances,
the ill-treatment and robbing of surgeons, delegates,
hospital servants, and attendants, and the murder of
wounded, and, when surgeons have fallen into the
hands of the enemy's troops, they have fre-
quently been ill-treated and imprisoned, or at least
robbed of their property, and taken by most fatiguing
roads to the Swiss or Italian frontiers. In the face of
such glaring violations of the Geneva Convention, the
German Governments will have to consider in how far
they will in future be bound by it as regards France.
It cannot be a matter of surprise that autho-
rities who have so little respect for laws and
conventions are still less scrupulous in casting aside the
present customs of nations, and fall back upon a line of
action resorted to during long past periods of civilisation ;
nor that they should sanction actions which at all times
and by all peoples who had any notions of honour what-
ever were deenied eminently disgraceful. The
way the French prisoners, wounded and sick, are
treated, of whom we have an unparalled number
to provide for in Germany, has been attested
by those who have come from neutral States in order to
attend to the sick and wounded, and who have publicly
and spontaneously given evidence on the subject in their
own names ; whilst the German prisoners in France,
although not a tithe of the number, have in many
instances been treated with inhuman severity and
neglect. A renuncation not only of the military
point of honour, but of common probity, is evidenced on
the part of the present rulers with respect to the breach
of parole by French officers, commented upon in my
despatch of the 14th December. During the last few
days we have obtained proof that the present Minister at
War expressly sanctions this faithlessness, encourages it,
and promises to reward it by payment in cash.
such a Government requires for its very ex-
istence constantly to incite the passions and embitter
the feelings of the. two nations now at war, because it
requires the continuance of the war ineorder to retain its
dominion over its fellow citizens. The Government of
the National Defence rouses the passions of the people
without making any effort to restrain them within the
bounds of civilisation and international law. It does not
wish for peace ' • for, by its language and .attitude, it
deprives itself of the power to make peace accepted, even
if it is so desired, in face of the feeling which it has
created among the masses. It has unchained forces which
it knows not how to dominate orto keep within the
limits of international law and European military usage.
If, in view of this state of things, we are, forced
to exercise the rights of war with a severity which
we regret, and which appertains neither to the
German national character nor to our traditions, as is
proved by the wars of 1864 and 1866, the responsibility
thereof falls upon those persons who, without eall or
justification, have undertaken and forced upon the French
people the continuance of the Napoleonic war against
Germany, while casting aside the traditions of European
warfare.

OUR COTEMPORARIES—This Morning

MONETARY REPORTS,-SATURDAY.

In the Stock Exchanges to-day a fair average business
has been transacted, and the bulk of the alterations have

again been favourable. Railway stocks have been steady.
Metropolitan, Brighton, South-Eastern, Great Northern
A, Midland, and North-Western have further improved;

but North-Eastern have been slightly easier. Foreign bonds
also have been in request, and an advance has been apparent
in Peruvian, Egyptian, and Turkish. Consols have been
steady, at 921, 920 for delivery, and the account. Re-
duced and New Three Per Cents., 921, 921. Bank stock,
235, 2371; Exchequer Bills, 10s., 15s. ; India 5 per Cents.
110,1101; and India Bonds, 225., 275. prem. In colonial
Government securities the transactions have b een restricted,
but prices have ruled firm.
The railway market has been characterised by firmness,
and the movements have, with only few exceptions, been
favourable. Metropolitan has risen 1.; Brighton k ; South
Eastern, 1; Great Northern A, 1 ; Midland, 1 ; and North
Western, A ; but North Eastern, and Great Eastern have
been 1 and lower respectively. After official hours,
Metropolitan was quoted at 65, 651 ; Caledonian, 88, 881 ;
Brighton, 42/, 431 ; South Eastern, 761, 762 ; Great
Northern, 125, 126 ; ditto A, 1361, 1362 ; Great Eas-
tern, 411, 41g ; North Eastern, 1471, 1472 ; Midland,
1301, 130 ; North Western, 130, 1301 ; and Great
Western, 721, 731.
Very few transactions have taken place in Indian rail-
way stocks. East Indian, 1092 ; Great Indian Peninsula,
1061, 1062 ; Madras, 1038, 4031 ; Oude and Rohilkund,
1011 ; and Scinde, 1011. Canadian shares have been
steady ; Great Westerns, 151, 1. In foreign shares the
business doing has been only moderate. Great Luxem-
bourg, ni , San Paulo, 212, I ; and Lombards, 151.
The foreign bond market has been in a steady state, and
prices shew a further improvement. Peruvian (1865)
have advanced 1; Egyptian (1868), 1 ; ditto, 9 per
cent., 1 ; Turkish Six per Cent. (1865), ; ditto (1869),
1. After official hours Brazilian 1865 were quoted
at 93, 931 ; Peruvian (1865), 90, 901 ; Egyptian (1868), 79,
79}; ditto Nine per Cents, 96, 97 ; Italian (1861), 54g;
54k ; Spanish, 291, 30 ; Turkish (1865) 59/, 592 ; ditto
Five per Cents, 42/, 42 ex div.; ditto (1869), 511, 51 ;
Mexican, 132, 14 ; United States, Five-Twenty (1882)
Bonds, 901, 901 ; ditto (1885), 89k, 891; French Scrip,
21, 2 dis. ; and German, 11, 12 prem.
Bank shares have been steady. Imperial Ottomans
have sold at 11k,1; London Joint Stock, 351,36 ; London
and Westminster, 64, 611.
For telegraph shares the demand has been quiet.
British Indian Extension, 6g : British Indian Submarine,
7 ; Falmouth, Gibraltar, and Malta, 81, 9 ; French
Cables, 1313; Hooper's, 61; Silver's Indiarubber, 461, 471;
and Construction, 29g.
In miscellaneous securities the business doing has been
to a moderate extent. General Credit and Discount, 71,1;
Royal Mail Steam, 55 ; and Universal Marine, 112.
There has been a good supply of money in the discount
market. The demand has been to a moderate extent, and
three months' paper has been negotiated at 21, 21 per
cent. •