The Sun.
London, England, 1870-08-10 00:00:00

MENACING ASPECT OF AFFAIRS IN
FRANCE.

We receive, says the Pall Mall Gazette, from Paris,
assurances that the French Empire is in danger of imme-
diate collapse. This apprehension is based upon a belief

0, 1870.

that the Emperor is to all intents and purposes beaten al-
ready, and that within a very brief period the
Germans will be on their way to Paris.
It is thought—we only now repeat what we
hear—that even if the Germans should be delayed, the
Empire cannot live. The Government has been under
the necessity of arming the Parisian population as national
guards. Now the great mass of tbat population, though un-
doubtedly very patriotic, hates the Empire, and is republi-
can at heart; which promises as much for the overthrow of
the Emperor as the discomfiture of his enemies. We are
informed that 'some leading political men of France,
of the Orleanist and Republican parties, have been dis-
cussing among themselves the propriety of pro-
posing to the Chamber to establish a Provisional
Government, on the ground that the Empire,
having provoked war without having the means of
sustaining it, has scandalously betrayed its duty to the
nation. Even if this should not be done, it is thought
probable that Generals Changarnier, Trochu, and others
of the Orleanist party will be appointed to important
' military commands; and no surprise will be felt if that
proves to be the beginning of a new order of things. Several
eminent personages in France who have been in close alli-
ance with the Empire have left, or are preparing to
leave, the Country, and their example will be followed
by others. Some friends of the Emperor have already
prepared for the flight of the Empress and her son.
The following is a passage from the Paris letter referred
to above :—The Ministers of foreign Powers under the
present disheartening circumstances naturally meet and
discuss the state of affairs, and I believe it is
no secret that they are generally of opinion
that the dynasty of Napoleon is likely to
come to a sudden ending. In case of another
defeat it is expected that we shall have a second abdica-
tion of Fontainebleau, aid that this unfortunate capital
will•pass under the government of a Committee of
Public Safety. General Trochu, who has been summoned
to Metz at the last hour may of course
retrieve the fortunes of a master who has been
almost afraid to employ him ; but discouragement
is everywhere visible, the members of the Cabinet have
lost their heads ; and so dispirited are we as to believe,
many of us, that Paris will hardly have time to get ready
before the Prussians come down on us. The consterna-
tion of yesterday afternoon deepened as evening fell into
turbulence, and the troops had to be called out to protect
M. 011ivier's residence in the Place Vendome. I myself
had a narrow escape, with a number of other peaceable
citizens, of being galloped over by the Municipal Guard.
M. 011ivier appears to me to have the knack of irritating
brute force, which, with a little palaver, might be turned to
account. The cry for arms should not have brought the
police and city guard about the ears of an excited people
anxious to march against the Prussian trespassers.