The Sun.
London, England, 1870-11-04 00:00:00

FXIE SUN, LONDON, FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 4, 1870,

THE WAIL

THE SIEGE OF PARIS.
(BY BALLOON MAIL.)
PARIS, OCTOBER 20TH.

We have had a literary martyr in the shape of M.
Portalis, the editor of the Mite, who has been arrested
on the charge "of having published news calculated to
provoke disobedience to the law, and civil war." M.
Portalis has written a letter from the Conciergerie
complaining that ho is confined in a cell in the
same place where Troppmann was, between two
assassins. His arrest has caused a good deal
of excitement, several journals demanding his release, and
some public meetings being called together on his behalf.
People want to know why tha Republican Government
imprison men arbitarily, like their Imperial predecessors.
One offence of M. Portalis was that he had accused the
Government of keeping back news which had reached
them from the provinces.

Cannonading is kept up from the forts, and this morn-
ing the guns of Mont Valerien destroyed the works of the
enemy at Rueil, which he had re-established. The village
of Nanterre suffered heavily from this movement.

During the night a reconnaissance was made in the
direction of Clamart Wood. Shots were exchanged, but
little mischief was done on either side. Speaking of the
damage done by the perpetual firing, it is gratifying to
lovers of the fine arts to know that many of the
artistic works in the famous palace of Saint
Cloud were not destroyed, as the paintings, the
tapestry and the thirty-eight vases in rock crystal had
been removed to Paris before the siege, a fact, no doubt,
remembered by the French when they fired it.
A day or two ago M. de Dampierre, the Commandant
of the Gardes Mobiles de l'Aube, who was killed
in the fight at Chatillon, was buried, and the Church
of the Madeleine was crowded for the service. General
Trochu and several members of the Government were
present, as were the members of the Jockey Club, and of
the Cercle des Sportsmen, of which M. de Dampierre was
vice-president. His name has some historical interest in
connection with the present war. His grandfather, who
was a general of the First Republic, was killed by the
Prussians in 1792. In the next generation the
traditionary warfare between the Dampierres and the
Prussians was still carried on, for the father of the late
ommandant took p art in the last Prussian campaign of
the Empire, and received a ball which incapacitated him
for further service, though it evidently did not do his
health much injury, as he is still living, being upwards of
90 years of age.
OCTOBER 21.

The Portalis affair is still the subject of general com-
ment. Twenty-one Paris journals demand that the
editor of the Veritd shall be immediately released.
Only one (La France), protests against his
liberation, and the three others are indifferent.
A complication has arisen in the matter. An American
citizen named Wikoff has written to the Verite claiming
the authorship of the news which caused M. Portalis's
arrest. Everyone is asking what course the Government
will take with respect to him. Another individual against
whom the authorities have good ground for complaint,
Gustave Florens, is still at large. The Government, how-
ever, charge him with offences which, under the Code
Militaire, are punishable with death.
The use of the electric light on the Parisian forts has
been attended with great success, and the best proof
of its practical value is that it has been
adopted by the Prussians for carrying on their observa-
tions during the night.
A despatch from M. Gambetta was received to-day
announcing the arrival of M. Thiers in two days. The
affairs in the provinces, he says, look better. The
delegation at Tours believe that the defence of
Paris and the military preparations in the departments,
disconcert the enemy. The sympathy of Europe increases.
The war must be carried on with tenacity. M. Gambetta
says he has sent numerous emissaries, and it is not the
fault of the legation at Tours if news be not received
more frequently. Gambetta's report has given fresh
courage to the Parisians.
There was heavy cannonading last evening.
Crowds at Passy, the Batignolles, and on the Champs
Elysees watched the forts of Mont Valdrien
and Issy which appeared enveloped in flame
and smoke. At Issy an assault was ex.
pected. There was fighting between L'llay and Che-
ville, and near Barrieux. The forts of Auteuil thundered.
The Bavarians made a sortie from Bagneux, and attempted
to gain the barricade in front of the French out-
posts. They lost five men and retired. Calm succeeded
to the storm, and at midnight the forts extinguished their
last fire. The Prussians were observed to be massing
troops in force. To-day their intentions have been the
subject of a thousand conjectures.

OCTOBER 22.
You have, of course, heard all about the sortie, of some
magnitude, which was made yesterday. In that case you
know more about it than we do. About 10,000 men, with
over 70 guns were sent out from Mont Valtrien, and did a
deal of fighting. They made some progress, hi oke
through the German outposts, and took posses.
sion of some works ; but were then assailed by the
concentration of a superior force, and had to retire, with
the loss of two guns and a good many men. It is n)t
easy to divine the use of these endeavours. They leave
the Germans just where they found them. They inflict
some loss, but then they suffer at least as much. As to
"airing" the men, which is probably the chief object, the
discouragement caused by aimless fights and invariable
retreats is likely to do at least as much harm as the expe-
rience will do good. Moreover, at the rate of 10,000 men
at a time, it will require a long period to " air " the whole
of the vast heterogeneous force crowded within these walls.
It is undeniable, however, that the troops behaved very well
and inspired everybody with great hope. It is now time
to commence operations on a large scale. If Trochu means
businees he will try a sortie with 100,000 men, instead of
a tenth of that number. If he is not equal to an endeavour
of this kind the game is up. We all believe that the
Germans can never get in here by force. But famine
sooner or later will do the work if the Germans are not
beaten before the walls.

This food question is making our rulers pull long faces.
They " seriously discuss it," but they do not, so
far as we know, succeed in inventing a machine
for manufacturing oxen and sheep, and we are
eating the existing stock up at an alarming rate. It
is proposed to reduce the portion of beef allowed to
each inhabitant. Several mayors, wishing to be rather
in advance than in arrear of the necessities of the time,
intend to begin restricting their distribution of beef at
once to three days a week, giving an extra allowance of
horseflesh on the other four days, so that the hippopha-
gists will be able to put their various receipts into ample
practice. Yesterday good butter cost fifteen francs a
pound, so housekeeping is getting expensive.

The Garde Mobile have been praised for their good
behaviourgenerally, but, unfortunately, the Garde Mobile
of Paris is the exception to the rule. They plunder, waste,
and destroy whenever they have the opportunity, even
when the destruction is useless to them. In the Bois de
Boulogne they have wantonly destroyed the pleasure-
boats, besides eating the ducks and swans in the lakes, as
well as some animals in the Jardin d'Acclimitation,
though it may be supposed hunger had something
to do with the latter achievements. They are
often individually brave enough. One of them
named Leone° Sellier, has been decorated by General
Trochu for having carried off a Bavarian sentry, and shot
successively three Prussians.

The departure of balloons without the permission of the
Government is forbidden.

Several persons who went outside the lines near Belle-
ville to collect vegetables, were wounded, in consequence
of some of the national guard having fired on the enemy,
who returned their fire. At Noisy, Nanterre, and Cler-
mont, the foragers met some Bavarian soldiers, bound on
the same errand, who did not molest them. Mr. Wash-
bourne, the American Minister, is stilt ill, having had a
relapse, but no danger is apprehended.
The Si&le announces that the National Guards have
this day discovered some moulds for cannon and howitzers
buried in the ground in the Polygons at Vincennes at a
depth of some five feet.
The editor of La Verite was liberated this evening. A
spy dressed as a National Guard was arrested to-day. A
vivandiere called the attention of the men to him. He
was arrested ;he produced a forged pass. It has been
discovered that he has gone every day to one of the houses
of the old barrierc, where the coachman of an English lady
living in the Bus des Ecuries-D'Artois called on him with
letters supposed to be for the enemy.
Marauding in the neighbourhood of Paris has become a
trade. Women, men, and children flock out of the gates
in large numbers to gather vegetables botweeu the lines.
Twenty-one were wounded to-day, most of them mor-
tally. Several are dead.
Several cases of smallpox are reported.

OCTOBER 25.

We have had various sensations, more or less pleasaht.
A manufactory of shells not far from the Porte des Pois•