The Sun.
London, England, 1870-08-31 00:00:00

THE MILITARY POSITION.

If there actually was serious fighting at the passages of
the Meuse on Sunday it was provoked by the attempt
of the French to force their way across the river and
prosecute their design of liberating Bazaine. Official
reports from either side are wanting, and the fact
may possibly be in part explained by the comparative
difficulty of communication in the wild and remote region
to which the interest of the campaign has so abruptly
shifted. But possibly we may ascribe the silence of the
commanders also to the fact that the engagements have
been partial and level, and that both sides are mustering
their strength for a more conclusive conflict, which will
decide the question whether MacMahon will per-
severe in his attempt to succour his colleague, or
will be compelled to retreat through the defiles
that he has sl audaciously placed in his rear. We have
formerly pointed out the dangers to which the Marshal
was exposed from the attack of the Crown Prince on his
flank and rear while he was still held fast in the difficult
country west of the Meuse. It would seem that these
dangers grow more serious every hour. Of the triangle
which we set out by describing, two sides are
occupied by the Prussian troops—the base and
the eastern ; while the French, engaged far from
their base on the western side, are several days' march
farther from Paris than the invaders. We hear of
the latter at Mouson, Dun, and Stenay, and at
Verdun—where 10,000 made on Thursday a futile
demonstration against the fortress. On the base line
they occupy, or have passed Clermont—whence a
brilliant cavalry skirmish, ending in the overthrow
and almost the annihilation of a French regiment
of Chasseurs by a Saxon regiment, is reported ; at.
Ste. Menehould—where 800 Gardes Mobiles were cap-
tured the other day ; at Suippes by which the army of
the Crown Prince, turning to its right from the roads
direct to Paris, is ere now pouring into the triangle ; at
the camp and town of Chalons, through which their
cavalry and artillery are pouring by thousands; and
at Rheims, on the heights near which 14,000
of the invaders were encamped on Saturday last.
Still farther to the west no fewer than 100,000
Prussians are stated by the Paris telegrams to
have already massed themselves between Rheims and
Epernay, thus totally severing MacMahon's communica-
tions with Paris, except. by the long detour of Mezieres
and Laon. The cavalry skirmish we have mentioned
tool . place near Buzancy, and shews that the
Prussians are already closing in upon the flank
of the roads by which MacMahon entered the
defiles of the Argonne ; and the enemy is even said to
have reached Attigny, just abreast of Rethel. on the
road from Suippes to Maibres. Thus, of the Rheims-
Verdun-Bouillon triangle, MacMahon even now pos-
sesses but little more than one-half, towards the north
and east ; and every hour that he does not succeed in
forcing his way across the Nimuse to join Bazaine
will see him more narrowly hemmed in between
the Prussians advancing from the south, and the
Prussians holding him in check on the east. The
removal of the Emperor and the Prince Imperial to
Mezieres, within an hour's easy ride of Belgian soil, would
of itself be sufficient to prove how narrow are the limits
and how nearly isolated is the region in which MacMahon
operates—if we are not to interpret the step as a tacit
testimony of the risk of being cut off altogether which
the Marshal has incurred. And even if the result
of past or impending encounters on the Meuse
should be to force the defenders of that river back to-
wards Metz, MacMahon's trials will be by no means at
an end : for we cannot doubt that the Prussians will so
powerfully reinforce their army near that city, by recal-
ling the' troops which have gone forward a certain way to
join the Crown Prince, as to resist effectually any attempt
of the combined Marshals to overthrow the invading
hosts, as even fight their weir back towards Paris.
Tdegrapik