The Sun.
London, England, 1871-02-17 00:00:00

THE GERMAN ENTRY INTO PARIS.

From Paris, February 15, the Daily News correspon-
dent sends the following believe it quite possible
for a conflict to arise between these Reds 'and the
Prussians, should the latter carry out the inten-
tion they are said to have expressed of making
a triumphal march through Paris. It is rumoured
that, in this event, the houses along the line of
march are to be evacuated by the inhabitants.
and occupied by the Prussian soldiery. It is difficult to
credit this report. Ido not believe the people would quit
their dwellings. They would fear pillage. Moreover,
they would not submit to this last of insults.
The question of the entry of the Prussians is
being very seriously discussed, and very gene-
rally, and excites great ferment. The 20th
or the 21st was the day originally fixed for
this ceremony to take place, but as the armistice is re-
newed, and a clause of the convention sets forth that,
" pending the armistice, the Prussian troops shall not
enter Paris," the inference is that if they do so at all, it
will not be until the term of the final extension is
reached ; but by that time peace will be concluded, or
we shall all become prisoners to the Prussians, who can
then come in when and how they please. It is reported
that they had renounced at one time the intention of
parading the streets of Paris ; but came to the opposite
determination after learning that Gambetta had twitted
them with entertaining misgivings as to the possible
result. The Berlin papers took up the question,
and now it is affirmed that Count Moltke will not yield
upon this point. We shall not have to wait long for
the result. The referencee to France in the Queen's
Speech have produced a favourable impression
here, without, however, removing the soreness of
feeling caused by what is said to have been " the cold
indifference of England to the misfortunes of France."
French editors appear to consider it was the duty of Great
Britain to interfere to prevent the war. They do not see,
or they affect not to see, that by this course she must not
only have become involved in it, but must have embroiled
the whole of Europe.

THE ELECTIONS AND PRISONERS OF WAR.
The Paris correspondent of the Times, writing on Feb-
ruary 15, observes :—A somewhat singular point will
arise in the cases of Changarnier, Ducrot, Trochu, and
other officers who have been elected in the provinces,
but who are at this moment prisoners of war. It is not
likely that the Germans would permit Ducrot to
take his seat in the Chamber, prior to being shot
for having broken his parole at Pont-h-Mousson.
Moreover, Rochefort has let out the secret, or one
of the secrets, of his abandonment of the late Govern-
ment. He could not stand hearing M. Jules Favre
persist in calling M. Thiers " l'illustre horn.= d'etat." He
became so exasperated by the appreciation which his
colleagues seemed to have of the merits of poor M. Thiers
that he was on the point more than once of demand-
ing his immediate arrest ; but, feeling that they were
too infatuated to consent to this, he and M. Edmund
Adam retired in disgust. It may be imagined after this
what his feelings must be to see M. Theirs returned for
20 departments. After such a political disaster his only
consolation is, to use his own choice language, that
" the electoral urns have not vomited forth any obscene
candidates of Imperialism." The unanimity with
which the country has decided that Thiers is the
only man to whom its destinies can be confided is calcu-
lated to fill others besides Rochefort with doubt and dis-
may. A persistent advocate of war, his only objection to
it eight months ago was that the moment was ill-chosen,
and however remarkable may be his talent for conver-
sation and his power of historical illustration, those
who know him intimately must feel that, with
the best intentions to serve his country, he possesses
neither the nerve or the judgment which will fit him for
the leader of a nation in their last extremity. Yet so
destitute is France of men that out of 86 departments he
has been named in no fewer than 20. So ready are the
people, in their despair, if they can only find a man, to
throw themselves into his arms. The country hates re-
sponsibility and shrinks from it at any sacrifice of its
liberties ; hence it is likely that the Chamber, sharing this
sentiment, will appoint Commissioners, and perhaps the
Commission in its turn may endeavour to fix the duty on
a man, who, if he is wise, will throw the burden back
on the country, which ought, in fact, to have made known
before now whether it is for peace or war. The utter
want of moral courage which this reticence exhibits in
iolitics may, perhaps, account for the absence of the
physical quality is war. According to M. Vrignault, four
Bonapartist candidates have been elected, in spite of M.
Rochefort's statement to the contrary. The entry of the
German armies still continues to agitate the minds of
people who believe 'that it will be impossible, if
such an event happens, to prevent bloodshed. Unfor-
tunately, the tone taken by some of the paters
is calculated to increase rather than diminish
this probability. The Germans say, " Unless we
march through Paris the Parisians will deny that we ever
took it." Already, La France of yesterday says :—" The
Prussians have no right to march through Paris ; the
Prussian has not taken Paris—it is famine. The Prussian
army parading through Paris, before which it has
militarily failed, will be a vexation which will dishonour
Germany more in the eyes of Europe than it will humiliate
France." It is this perpetual crowing of the Gallic
cock at inopportune moments which has invited disas-
ter, and represses the sympathy of those who
might otherwise, perhaps, come forward as its champion.