The Sun.
London, England, 1870-08-17 00:00:00

. ...
..., --.
t, ...
c-7,,-(f ,
,' •,:..,:._ , ,t,
, .n„. ~ . , 4,1, 11111111‘- - '
,t, . ,„
1,,),. - QUI *MA,. ...• ...LIM) • .
C,', Y.,','',;, 4-0' f';:. NCO S:4111::, -•)'ff. .' _r__44l\l9k,-..,.--`,, ••::. 1.; • . .
.
. .
-• ' -,s.r'4':# --,',..:"' '-.-:-,',--: - IV; ''''• • ''''l•"' '':-..., tV, ;:-A-,' - • '-- '--4,
• ' ~,,A, ,
~__ ' 1•,•---,---i,
~ „.,.., . ~... . , ~
‘.i.:
-0-, . ..-
4 "k- zi...,..!lVii' 4;1; (-0; ./t•'317,4 - rjArir----„,-J'_ ~ ' \ '''- .- -
of-
. -
N1.1...1i G .fEDITII. _AA' •
. ...
K T 1 P. T T
I THE IMPERIAL
,MERCANTILE . CREDIT 1 DUBLIN ELECTION.
•

that was going on all over Fraiice as well as in every de:
tachment of the army of the Rhine. It was, for instance,
natural that the Prussians should ohtain information- from
some of the peasants of Alsace and the German part
of Lorraine, and the first measure to be taken should
have been to prevent all communication on the frontier.
Instead of this, I am assured by several officers belonging
to the defeated corps that, up to the very moment of the Wis-
sembourg affair, women and children living in the various
villages adjacent to the Palatinate and the Rhenish iitcvinees
went daily across the frontier, pursuing their nsual trade in
rural produce. It seems it was'a girl of thirteen years of
age who gave for a thaler all the information concerning
the division of the late General Donay. This want of
information in the Freneh headquarters is one of
the chief reasons why the Ist and 2nd army
corps wore taken, by surprisechand so defeated as they
Were. Further, the want ot anininnition and provisions
in the lines is qnite inexplicable. The troops had been
sent to the frontier without being duly provided for, and
even without the'means for transport having been orraz
nised ; and so you see that two pontoon trains—two
purely offensive military bodies—are left in the
bands of the Prussians at Saarbruck, while the French
troops are in want of the most elementary things for
defensive purposes. At the battle of 'Woerth on almost
the whole of MacMahon's lines there was a want of
ammunition as early as two o'clock in the afternoon.
The mitrailleurs could not be brought into action for the
same reason ; and the cuirassiers made their now glorious
charges with the view only of rendering possible the retreat
of infantry and artillery, deprived of all means of defence.
And what is the explanation of such a fact? The ex-
planation is that MacMahon had his stores at Strasburg„
and that his communications with that fortress were cut
off. Well, precisely the .same thing might have, hap-
pened with the main body of the army had the
-Prussians been audacious enough to attack it, not at
Forbach, but somewhere higher up towards Merzig or
Saarlouis. In case of success they would have turned the
French front northwards, driven back the lines towards
Chateau Salins, and cut off the communications
with Metz, which is the basis of operation
of that army as Strasburg was of MacMahon's.
Is it intelligible that a line of defence some
hundred miles jang fr!arp Sierek--to _Strasburg should
have only two points for bfiiintualling, the troops; and two
such points from which the army could be easily cut off;
and for communication with which a couple of days were
wanted? Certainly not, and it can never be explained
unless we really admit some treason, or, what is much
more reasonable, an utter disregard of defensive considera-
tion, for the simple reason that a plan of offensive action
had alone been contemplated at head-quarters.

A Dublin correspondent telegraphs :—The nomination
for Dublin yesterday was very stormy. Bands played
national airs outside the court. Sir Dominic Corrigan
tas proposed as an Irishman devoted to his c ountry.
The proposer" and seconder were hardly heard for the
noise mid his ding„ Alderman Plunket said Sir D. Corrigan
only saw things from a Whig point of view; they would
open his eyes and let hlin see a Parliament in College-
green. It had been said that Ireland cannot exist as a
separate nation, but the contrary would be moved, Sir
D. Corrigan declared that if Mr. King Harman was
returned, he would be an enemy of reform in Ireland.
Mn King Harman said he would support, a native Par-
liament, and observed that if he was elected, other con-
stituencies in the country would follow the example.
The shew of hariciti Art.f.; in favour of Mr. Harman. The
polling will take place on Thnts(l4y,