The Sun.
London, England, 1870-09-13 00:00:00

TILE PROGRESS OF THE PRUSSIANS.

At no point nearer to Paris than Sedan have
the Germans met with anything that can be called
resistance. Laon, we were informed the other day,
had refused a summons, shut its gates, and pre.
pared to resist ; but no real resistance was
offered. Official despatches received at Paris,
however, report an accident—which only a cha-

ritable and magnanimous enemy would class under that
_ _

category. The French commandant, General L'Hame,
after slamming the gates in the face of the Prussians,
thought better of the matter, and "surrendered the
citadel in order to save the town." The conquerors, un-
suspicious of mischief, entered the citadel on Saturday at
noon, and set at liberty the Mobile Guards who
garrisoned it. Half an hour after noon a magazine ex-
ploded, killing all the Prussian staff who had entered,
several hundreds of Prussian soldiers, and a number of
the Mobile. The occurrence was very awakward—so
very awkward, that one statement, put forward by
refugee inhabitants of the place, broadly implies that the
citadel was purposely blown up; while another telegram
tells us, with a sort of guilty sense of relief, that
the Prussians are using no violence in the town." The
fact says a great deal for their self-control ; almost any
other soldiery i 4 the world would have instantly taken
the blowing up of the citadel for a treacherous trick of
war, and would have exacted a terrible revenge from
the troops and from the inhabitants who might
be deemed participes criminis. That the Prus-
sians did nothing of the kind, testifies very strongly to
their moderation and their discipline, The fact remains,
that Laon is in Prussian hands, and therefore that no
obstacle in the way of fortresses outside Soissons hinders
the Prussian advance towards Paris. Soissons, as
we have already said, has most probably been
masked. With all the other roads from the
north and east open to the invaders, and with the com-
mand of the transverse routes which Laon affords, it
would hardly be worth while' to besiege or assault Sois-
sons, for all the time that the Prussian armies are likely to
have to spend between it and Paris. Meanwhile Paris pre-
pares resolutely for siege. The Court of Jriminal Justice
and the Court of Cassation will be transferred to Tours,
whither also the Diplomatic Body and the delegations of
the Government will proceed. Postal and telegraphic
communication is almost at an end in the Department
of the Seine, and it has even been announced that no
English mail would leave the capital after Friday night.
From our Correspondent I,se learn that the city
is perfectly tranquil, and that the streets are
crowded with the Gardes Mobiles who have come
in from the cciantry. The principal thought of the mo-
ment seems to be, that peace is attainable, under the
impulse given by the Emperor of Austria and the Tsar,
who have both interceded in favour of an armistice. There
are many reasons why the Prussian Monarch and
his advisers should hail a proposal for an armistice
that was based on a straightforward desire to make such a
peace as the fortune of war has made inevitable for France
But so much exasperatiOri against the beaten nation pre-
vails in the camps of the conquerors—so much hatred of
the victor prevails in the menaced capital—that it is not
possible to discern the common term on which they could
meet to agree on peace. At the present moment, however, all
the thoughts at Paris strongly tend that way ; and
though the belief that the peace may be had on the
French terms is too likely to prove only a delusion—
like so many other things which it has'pleased the French
to believe for the moment since the war began—the
fancy does certainly at this moment powerfully influence
minds at Paris.—Daily Telegraph.

The adulais cites, as a proof of the security and
confidence of the " Government of the Defence," that on
the previous day, up to midnight, no political arrest had

been made.