The Sun.
London, England, 1870-09-09 00:00:00

THE WAR.

THE NEW MINISTRY AT PARIS

PARIS, WEDNESDAY.

The Inclepenclance Beige publishes an interesting letter
from Namur, which contains some details of the visit of
the Prince Imperial to that city. It was half-past twelve
when the young fugitive landed at Namur. A cold col-
lation was prepared for him at the hotel, of which he ate
little. He appeared anxious and disquieted, and it was said
that h 3 had not slept since he left St. Cloud. He was
at that time ignorant of the captivity of his father and
the fall of the Empire, but the mysterious looks of those
about him were not by any means reassuring. The prince
was to have met the Emperor at Verviers, but dispatches
received at the last moment altered the arrangements
They were sent by the Emperor himself, and stated that
General Boyer,commissioned to conduct the Prince to Cas-
sel, had intimated the impossibility of his Majesty meet-
ing his son just at present. The Governor of Namur was
obliged to acquaint the Prince with the sad events which
had occurred, the captivity of his father, the fall
of the Empire, and the flight of the Empress. The young
prince, pale and overcome, heard the news without saying
a word. He remained for some time with his head bent
down, and then exclaimed. " All-this matters little if
France remains entire." The Prince then requested them
to leive him alone. He buried his face in his hands, and
the domestics of the place said afterwards that they
heard him crying for some time afterwards. When the

time for refreshments arrived the Prince was pale but
calm. On the point of departure he asked the Governor

of the Province how he could shew his sense of his kind.
ness, to which the latter replied, " Give me two lines of

'your writing." The young Prince wrote down accordingly
souvenir of affection and gratitude, Namur, September
sth, 1870, Louis Napoleon. He was dressed in black, his
appearance was interesting, but did not at all remind one
of the Bonapartes. He looked very delicate and hardly
seemed his age. The prince bowed to the crowd which had
assembled and saluted him in silence.
The Temps, of to-day, mentions that several papers
announce, as a fact, the death of Marshal MacMahon,
who was seriously wounded at Sedan. The catastrophe
of the first of September has not yet been fully
estimated. Louis Blanc has fulfilled his promise, and
written another letter to the Temps. He declares that
everyone must help the Government, and that the watch-
word of the present must be the remark of Marshal
MacMahon when he asked Bazaine to take the

chief command, "As for me, I know how to obey."
Jeannerod contributes to the Temps another of his in-
teresting letters on the war. He writes as prisoner with

the army and inhabitants of Sedan, but hopes to be re-
leased shortly and pass into Belgium. He says that the
Prussian artillery is magnificent, and that nothing could
stand against it.

The military correspondent of the Figaro says that the
defeat of the Ist of September was a literal rout. It was
indeed a sauve qui peat. The troops, driven on by 400,000
Prussians, came back into Sedan, almost crushing
each other. The next day, that evening indeed,
the town was given up. The officers uttered
one word, " Treason," and gave up their arms.
The position of Italy and her relations with Prussia are

engaging much attention. The Florence correspondei

of the Temps, who was formerly editor of the Inde,
pendance Italienne, mentions a rumour that Prussia

offered Corsica and Nice to Italy as a bribe for neutrality.
He believes that Italy avoided any such engagement,
though she remained strictly neutral. We are more

closely concerned at present in the fate

two other French provinces more immediately endangered
The Prussians are openly discussing their absorption into
Germany, and the Independance Belge announces the re-

ceipt by way of Mayence of the first number of the

" Official News for the general government of Alsace,"
published at Haguenau in French and German,

It contains a decree signed by King William, directing
that the arrondissements of Sarrebourg, Chateau Salins,

Sarreguemines, and Thionville shall be separated from
. _ _

Lorraine and joined to Alsace. Other directions follow,
proving that Prussia feels tolerably secure of her prize.

THE TWO SOVEREIGNS.

The Soir gives the following preposterous account of
the meeting of the Emperor and King William. The
article (which is at total variance with Dr.
Russell's admirable description in the Times of
the scene as it actually occurred) is headed
" The End of an Emperor." The King having re-
ceived the letter which Napoleon sent him, and with
which the public is well acquainted, said, "Let him come
himself, and he will be treated as an ordinary soldier,
though he does not deserve even that." Napoleon then
went to the farm where the King had taken
up his head-quarters. On descending from his
carriage Napoleon lighted his cigarette, and
entered alone into the low room where the King, in the
uniform of a General, helmet in hand, 'walked up, and
down hastily, having his hands crossed behind his back.
The Crown Prince and the great officers were gathered in
a group in a corner of the room. The Emperor was
downcast, and with his hat in his hand he saluted the
King, speaking in German. William replied not by a
word or a gesture. He took a few steps, then he stepped
up, upright and terrible, towards the Emperor, who
stood with bent head. " Sire," said Napoleon, in
German, ".I come to repeat rirct voce to
your Atajesty, that which I, had the honour of
transmitting to ,you by writing yesterday evening."
"It is well, Monsieur," said the King, whose face was

M. Jules Favre's diplomatic circular is the chief topic
of conversation to-day—that is to say, next to the pro-
gress of the advancing Prussian army, which is still the
all-absorbing interest. The general verdict on this mani-
festo is favourable. The Siecle is enthusiastic, and de-
clares that the French Republic could not have spoken in
more worthy, honourable, or resolute language. It espe-
cially applauds the declaration that France will not sur-
render an inch of her territory. The Liberte says that no
other word than admirable will justly describe the circular,
which of itself is worth an army. The Journal des Debats
more Calmly approves the firm and moderate language of
the Minister. The rise in the Bourse to-day seems to
indicate that the commercial world at any rate finds the
manifesto satisfactory. The Pat?* considers that the
tone of the circular ought to have a sensible influence on
foreign Powers. Lord Lyons, it was known,
had a long interview with M. Favre a day or
two since. Yesterday the rumour was current in Paris
that Lord Lyons and M. Nigra, the Ambassadors of
England and Italy, had left Paris for the head-quarters
of the King of Prussia. The Patrie, in mentioning
this report, says the Ambassadors have not actually
left, but intend to do so immediately.
M. de Metternich, the Austrian Ambassador, held
instructions, it is said, in view of a possible change of
Government in Paris. These instructions, according
to diplomatic usage, authorise him to maintain his rela-
tions with the newly established Government.
The general tone of the French press is very
marked. They are desirous of peace, but on
honourable terms, and the determination of the
Government not to yield an inch of territory is unani-
mously applauded. The responsibility of the situation at
this moment rests, it is asserted, with the King of Prus-
sia. He declared that he was only warring with
Napoleon, not with the French nation. Let him
now prove it. The rumours respecting possible peace
negotiations are so numerous and conflicting that it is
impossible even to enumerate them. One is that Lord
Lyons and M. Nigra (who figure prominently
in most of the stories) in conjunction with
Mr. Washburn, the Xxinist er of the United States, are
most sympathetically disposed towards France, and the
the new Minister of Foreign Affairs entered into commu-
nication with them directly be entered office, in conse-
quence of which M. Tachard, formerly deputy for the
Haut Rhin, has started for London on a confidential
mission. The Government has authorised the city of
Paris to raise an additional sum of five millions for war
expenses, provisionments, &c. There have been
some severe remarks made on the general desertion
of the Empress by her former friends and ad-
herents. As an honourable exception to this ingratitude
M. Leon Chevreau,the ex-generalsecretary of the Minister
of the Interior, has written to one of his colleagues
a letter from Brussels, in which he says that he and his
brother are the courtiers of misfortune, and will not
desert the Empress. They are no longer in France, but
if the motive of their departure were known
all would approve it. As they placed the
Empress in the train, she said, "You will rejoin
me, will you not ? When one is unfortunate one has not
many friends." They have therefore fulfilled her wishes.
Her hapless little son, whose introduction to war has
indeed proved a baptism of fire and tears, has awakened
much sympathy.