The Sun.
London, England, 1870-08-11 00:00:00

STRATEGY OF THE CAMPAIGN-.

Up to our latest advices, the Emperor appears resolved
to give battle under the walls of Metz. The proprietors
of the land within range of the guns, not only of the
enceinte; but of the detached sorts which form the outer
line of defence, have been ordered to cut down all trees,
hedges, and obstructions, even to destroy all buildings.
But the despatch which announces this; though dated Mon-
day night, says that three days were allowed for the
work of demolition. We should have thought this too
long a time to be given. The Prussian despatches of the
same date announce the occupation of St. Avoid by
their forces, and that their patrols extend to within be-
tween nine and ten English miles of Metz. Already a
reconnoitring party of Prussian Lancers had advanced so
far as to be driven back by French Hussars. Our French
correspondent tells us the Prussians have left Sierck and
Bouzonville. Unless the Prussians have strong need to
delay, the battle must be imminent.—Standard.
It is not yet clear whether the Prussians will seek to
turn the line of the Moselle, or Will risk their fortunes on
a pitched battle in front of Metz. In the line of the river
Nied, with its two branches meeting a few miles west of
Metz, and the well-marked heights en its western
bank, the French have a strong position, which
the Prussians might think twice before assault-
ing, if it were seriously disputed by Bazaine's
forces ; while. in the event of a defeat, the fortress
and its outworks are ready to receive the beaten army,
and excellent roads in the rear lead to the line of the
Meuse. with the support of the bastions of Verdun. It
is possible that the Prussians might find it an easier and
less costly enterprise to use their great numerical prepon-
derance in outflanking the French line of defence on the
Moselle, by passing to the northward and swooping
down towards Chalons, while the troops of Bazaine
were held in front of Metz by the central army;
and the Crown Prince operated on the right flank of
M`Mahon and Canrobert at Nancy—threatening to roll
up their forces on the left, and thus to cut them off
entirely from Lyons and the south, as they are now cut off
from the Rhine. But such a plan of campaign
would be exposed to the dangers which, in 1814,
the greatly superior invaders of France encountered
from the blows of Napoleon, placed in the centre
of their converging armies and able to throw his
whole forces on the one or the other as opportunity
offered. Besides the Prussians have to fight against time;
not only because the organisation of their army
system prescribes as speedy as possible a prose-
cution of the campaign, but because the enemy
will put new men in line every day that
passes. The event of Tuesday at Paris the
prompt substitution of a warlike and vigorous
Ministry for the ambiguous and discredited Cabinet
of M. 011ivier—sufficiently proves that the French
people are resolved to make any sacrifice rather than
tamely succumb to the arms of Prussia. The•• measures
adopted yesterday—calling out 300,000 men of the soldiers
no longer liable for service who belong to the classes of
1858-63, and levying all citizens who have borne arms—
cannot tell on the numbers or composition of the
French army for many days to come. But Trochu's
troops from Cherbourg, Douay's Corps from Bel-
fort, and the reserves drawn from Lyons, may in a very
few clays be in line on the Moselle, bringing 80,000 or
100,000 excellent soldiers to the aid of the Emperor's
beaten army ; and the Prussian chiefs, weighing the
chances of the campaign, may reasonably prefer, with
their vastly superior forces, to brusquer 200,000 men now,
rather than outmanoeuvre 300,000 a week or ten days
hence.— Telegraph.

REJOICINGS AT BERLIN.—The Berlin correspon
dent of the Standard describes the reception of the news
of the Worth and Forbach victories in the Prussian
capital :—The joy in every eye and the exultation on
every tongue beggar description. One could scarce move
along for happy people ; everybody knew everybody in
that delightful moment, and all reserve was scattered to the
winds. The densest and most enthusiastic portion of the
crowd was, as usual, round the statue of the Great
Frederick and in front of the Royal Palace. Every
patriotic song that could he thought of was sung by
thousands of exhilarated voices before the walls which
screened from view the venerable Queen. All
the wihdows of the Palace, however, were thrown open,
and the rooms were brilliantly illuminated. Would not
the Konigin Auguste come forth? She did so once ; she
did so twice ; but the crowd would have had her perpe-
tually before them. Royalty has no privileges on such oc-
casions, and the patriotism of her husband's people would
not allow her that sleep after excitement which no
doubt she needed. Every conditorei—that happy cross
between a café and a confectioner's—was crowded with
liberal truants. When we are beaten we go home with
our purse between our legs, and never a penny slips
through our bitterly tightened fingers. But when we win,
then how prodigal we grow. Thalers flow like wine, and
silver groschen melt like the ice now in these sweltering
days so perpetually in request. How they drank, and ate,
and smoked, and laughed, and cheered last night, the
good men and women who congregated to talk of
victory? As I walked finally home I leaned
for a moment against the walls of the University. Before
me was the Palace, glittering with light, and between
me and it a vast concourse chanting hymns of victory.
Over their heads could be seen the moving bayonet of a
solitary sentry who walked backwards and forwards on
the Palace terrace. Soaring into the clear night air, and
lifted above all the clamour, was the equestrian statue of
the real founder of this mighty and military nation. Is
it on the eve of seeing events even more glorious and
gratifying than he enabled it to achieve ? I have firm con-
fidence in the triumph of Germany.
The Telegraph notices a very active and buoyant ap-
pearance in the stock market, the leading securities being
in demand at greatly enhanced prices. The impression
is very general that notwithstanding the excitement in
Paris there will be an abrupt termination of hostilities at
an early date ' • and; active buying on behalf of large
foreign houses both here and in Paris has taken place,
leading to an improvement which has been dis-
tributed fairly over all classes of stocks and
shares. One circumstance which aided the upward ten-
dency, particularly in Consols, was the knowledge that
large sums are now being remitted from Paris for the pur-
pose of safe investment in England, the realisation of
securities and their conversion into specie at the Bank of
France proceeding very rapidly now that apprehensions
are entertained of a siege of the capital or a hostile occu-
pation, or of a third issue, more dreaded than either of
these.
THE REPRESENTATION OF DUBLIN.—A meeting
of Captain King Harman's supporters was held on 'Tues-
day evening at the Rotunda, Dublin. Alderman Plunkett
presided. Captain Harman addressed the meeting, and
expressed himself strongly in favour of home rule. He
was an advocate of the national system of education, but
would allow those who preferred denominational education
to have it. The Rev. Mr. Galbraith, Professor, Trinity
College, moved a resolution approving of Captain Har-
man's candidature. The motion was seconded by Mr.
Begg, wine merchant, a Roman Catholic, and adopted.
Martin Carey, an ex-Fenian prisoner, attempted in vain
to address the meeting.
HE PARTS HIS HAIR IN THE MIDDLE.—At last
we know the real cause of the removal of Mr. Motley,
and we feel relieved to be assured that he is not with-
drawn for having written his own instructions. It seems
he parts his hair in the middle ; and old Zach Chandler,
who went all the way to London to make this discovery,
bad no sooner become aware of this astounding weak-
ness on the part of our Minister than he rushed
to Washington from London brimful of good old
Michigan indignation, and demanded the head whose
covering was thus divided in defiance of every Americati
sentiment of manhood and propriety. What could the
President say ? Could he hope to make anybody believe
that a man who parted his hair in the middle
could correctly represent the American people in
an argument on the Alabama claims? Did not
this very fashion of parting the hair at once and for ever
acknowledge the supremacy of England in matters great
and little, and by inference yield the point in dispute.
No man could soberly argue against this view, and the ,
President gave way, and Motley's head falls to theKowess
of old Zach. But if a man who parts his hair in the
middle is prejudiced toward English thought, is not
one who parts his hair in any other way prejudiced
against them ? And will not England make this objec-
tion ? Then we shall have to send a bald-headed man,
and Ben Butler will come in the foreground as probably
the baldest-headed man in the republican party.—New
' York Herald.

OUR COTEMPORARIES—This Morning,