The Sun.
London, England, 1871-01-06 00:00:00

TI-TE WAR.

IMPRESSIONS AT LILLE.
LILLE, January 2.

It is believed here that Manteuffel has moved towards
Paris, leaving a small number of troops behind
him to conceal his movements. The mili-
tary intelligence contained in both Prussian
and French despatches seems to indicate Moltke's
intention to precipitate matters by risking all for all. It
is supposed that the Prussian generals, before beginning
the bombardment of the forts, took all precautionary
measures to repress the supreme effort of Paris
at bay. In this case Faidherbe would only have be-
fore him the cavalry, supported by some few thousand
foot soldiers, and the recruits obstructing. Amiens. Mean-
while, the Uhlans continue to ravage the country after
their fashion, and such is the miserable cowardice of
the villagers that the enemy is better treated
by them than the French soldiers, who are risking their
lives for the country. Dozens of letters from indignant
Mobiles denounce the wretched inhabitants of whole
villages, who have left them to starve of hunger or perish
from thirst and cold ; or, worse still, have given them
false directions, and led them into German ambuscades.
Such is the fruit of twenty years despotism and igno-
rance.

The Daily News correspondent at Paris says :—" There
is not half the drunkenness in Paris that there is in Lon-
don, and it is marked here because it is so unwonted. If
the London populace were in the condition of the Paris
populace—reduced to such straits--let us try to imagine
how they would behave, and especially how they would
soak themselves in beer and gin."

It is reported at Lyons that the Government are about
to authorise the creation of a new auxiliary corps, which
will be placed under the command of Colonel Frappoli, a
deputy of the Italian Parliament. The corps will com-
prise infantry, cavalry, artillery, engineers, a telegraphic
service, &c., and its effective strength will be about 12,000

men.
A letter from Paris in the Independance Beige states
that on the 26th instant the troops had been ordered back
into the forts in consequence of the intense cold of the
previous night, which, it was reported, had caused 600
cases of frostbite. The Official Journal had explained that
this step did not at all imply the suspension of military
operations, as these would be prosecuted until the final
victory. One of the Christian Brethren had been killed
while carrying off the wounded. General Trochu was
present at the funeral, while the absence of the Arch-
bishop of Paris had excited some comment.
A correspondent writes :—" We had three enormous
salmon the other day in Paris—at least they were called
salmon ; but I am not ichthyologist enough to say what
they were. The fish were large, as large as the largest
salmon, but mottled like trout, and the French name for
them is beccard. A few days ago, in the same first rate
restaurant in which I saw the supposed salmon, I was
offered lamb for dinner. The proprietor declared most
solemnly it was innocent lamb ; whereupon, with a trust
in human nature which is worthy of the Gavin.. of Eden,
I agreed to eat the innocent lamb. What do you think it
was; It was the opposite of lamb—it was wolf."
THE GERMAN PRESS ON PEACE.—A. journal of
Nuremberg has published a noticeable article on the
question of Peace. It considers that the German leaders
have made a great mistake in thinking that Paris would not
hold out so long, and that throughout the whole war there
has been a series of surprises. By persisting in the
belief that after the surrender of Napoleon th French
nation would agree to any terms, Bismarck and Moltke
threw away al the advantages they had gained,
and insisted on the cession of Alsace and
Lorraine as the price of peace. The Re-
public was, however, stronger than the Empire
and thus the German leaders were again at fault. It is
now believed that Paris can hold out until the end of
February with respect to provisions, and no military
means which can be employed for its reduction can be
carried out in less than three months. In order to
prevent the relief of Paris the armies of
Prince Frederick Charles and the Duke of Mecklenburg
are opposing the progress of the armies of the French
provinces, but they cannot overcome them or make them
prisoners, as they did the Imperial armies. There is,
therefore, a chance that Paris may obtain help before her
last stores are exhausted. it is not worth while for Ger-
many to undergo such heavy sacrifices for the sake of
carrying out to the full extent the programme
which was conceived by the German authorities at a time
when they were acting under a false impression regarding
the resources of the enemy. Neither the German people
nor the German army requires any more victories, but
what the German people want is peace, and that can
easily be obtained if it is sought for.