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

THE IMPERIAL PAPERS.

The following despatches have been published from the
Imperial collection, which affords a curious comment on
the Count de Palikao's assertion that Napoleon did not
retain the command. At the very time the Count was
making that official declaration he sent the following
despatch :

" The Minister of War to His Majesty the Emperor, at

the Camp of Chalons.
" PARIS, August 21, (10 o'clock.)
" There are two courses to take ; either promptly to
relieve Bazaine, whose position is most critical, by moving
full speed towards Montm4dy ; or to march against the
Crown Prince of Prussia, whose army is numerous, and
who is to enter Paris, where he will be proclaimed
Emperor of Germany. In the latter case I could send
the 13th corps d'armde, General Vinoy and 27,000 men, to
occupy Fertd sous Jouarre, where he will be the pivot of
a movement, turning from MacMahon's army, which
would march vigorously on the Prussian army's flank,
either taking the route of Vitry, Champonbert, and
Montmirail, or else moving towards Wassy, Montidrender,
and Brienne."

In reply to this the Emperor, who was no longer corn
mander, wrote as follows :
"The Emperor to the Minister of War.
" Courcelles, August 22 (4 o'clock.)
" Received your despatch. We leave to-morrow for
Montmddy. To deceive the enemy put in the paper that
we leave with 150,000 men for St. Dizien. I accept
Wimpffen in place of De Failly. Maissiat cannot remain;
appoint Lacretelle in his place. Suppress the decrees
that Rouher has given you, but carry out the directions
for the appeal to former soldiers."

Among M. Rouher's papers was a decree in his hand
writing, signed by the Emperor.

"Draft of Decree,
" Napoleon, by the grace of God and the national will,
Emperor of the French, decrees :

"Marshal MacMahon, Duke of Magenta, is appointed
General-in-Chief of all the military forces composing the
army of Chalons, and of all those which are united under
the walls of Paris or in the capital. Our Minister of
War is charged with the execution of the present decree.
Given at Reims, August 21st, 1870.

"NApoiEoN."

The Germans are in no great hurry to commence opera-
tions with the army which is to march on Lyons, if
General von Falkenstein is to command the force. He is
still in Hanover, officiating as governor of the Baltic
provinces.
The French at Metz seem determined to weary their
adversaries by continual attacks. The period of inac-
tivity has given place to incessant sorties. Batteries, of
whose existence the Germans were unaware, have been
opened, and very vigorous firing goes on. There is cer-
tainly no foundation for the idea that the French in Metz
are short of ammunition.
The Stettin shipowners have made a strange request.
Suffering much from the blockade, they call upon Count
Bismarck to issue a declaration to the effect that German
merchantmen may venture to sea, regardless of the war,
and rest assured that if taken or interfered with in any
way France will have to pay to the last penny the damage
she may choose to inflict.
Negotiations for the admission of the South German
States into the Northern Confederacy will be shortly
opened at the Royal Headquarters. As yet the Bavarian
Government is unwilling to place its army and diplomacy
under Federal authorities in time of peace.
The Duke of Saxe-Coburg, in a letter to his Duchess,
admits that without siege guns Paris cannot be taken.
"We must therefore confine ourselves to investing,
ntrenching ourselves, and repelling sorties."
Among other revelations found in the Imperial papers
is one that the Emperorbribedporters and postmen to open
letters. His main object, says a correspondent, seems to
have been to get hold of the letters of his Ministers to
their mistresses.
M. Louis Blanc has issued an address to the people of
England. It is principally devoted to proving that the
rapid spread of German supremacy is a real danger
to Europe, and that England is deeply interested in ar-
resting it.

A report in the Journal Officiel states that all the
Mobiles have Chassepots, and that 280,000 muskets of
different kinds, chiefly " tabatiere," have been distributed
among the Gardes Nationales, and 20,000 to the Francs-
tireurs. There are still 10,000 on hand.
Count Bismarck has blamed in private conversation the
lukewarmness of the German press in reference to the an-
nexation of Alsace and Lorraine. Some of the papers
certainly give no cause for such a complaint. The Nord-
deutsche Allgemeine Zeitung is conspicuous for the insolence
and brutality with which it enforces the transfer of the
two provinces.
£400,000 which had been concealed, have been found
by the Germans in the Bank of France.
The report of the death of Count von Moltke is satin
factorily disposed of: Correspondence in the German
papers of a later date than that on which the death
was supposed to have taken place, reports an excursion
by King William in the company of the great strategist.
The London Figaro publishes a letter from M. Pietri,
the Emperor's Secretary, denying that La Situation has
any connection with the late ruler of France, and calling
upon it to show whence it obtained the apocryphal mani-
festo.

The environs of Metz are being devasted in order to
prevent the French from capturing any provisions in their
sorties.

In a communication made to the Staats-Anzeiger from
the head-quarters of the Third Army, we are told that
Moulin la Tour, the entrenchment from which the French
were driven on the 19th September, is now being altered
by the German troops to suit their purposes, and that
the shots fired by the three southern forts of Paris do not
in the least disturb the progress of the works. Prepara-
tions are being made for bringing up a large quantity of
heavy artillery.
Amongst the financial items found in the Tuileries'
correspondence are pensions set down to those devoted
servants, M. de Cassagnac and Baron Jdrome
David. The cost of the Prince Imperial's baptism
amounted to 898,000 f. The cousins, male and female
of the Emperor, received 1,310,975 f. per annum ; the
Due de Persigny received in two months, 60,000 f.; Prince
Jablonowyski, Countess Gajan, Madame Claude Vignon,
Le G6neral Morris, and many other ladies and gentlemen
who never did the State any service, are down for various

sums. Among other items is one of 1,200 f. to General de

Failly for sugar plums. The Duchess of Mouchy, whose
name continually appears, received 2,000,000 f. as a mar-
riage portion. The son of the American Bonaparte had
a pension of 30,000 f.; Madame Ratazzi of 24,000 f.;
her sister, Madame Turr, the same ; Marquis Pepoli,
25,000 f.

The Paris official paper publishes numerous extracts

from the Prdfets in reply to a letter addressed to them at
the commencement of July by the Minister of the Inte-
rior, asking them to report upon the feeling of the country
with respect to war. These extracts shew that in the
opm • ion of the Prtfets the nation was prepared to support
the policy of the Government, but was not enthusiastic
for war.
The Precurseur of Antwerp has received a communica-
tion with respect to the mysterious death of the Prussian
officer at Rheims. It was stated that the berline of the
King of Prussia had arrived at Rheims perforated with
balls, and containing a corpse. The Prussians who had
charge of it were forbidden to say who it was. This
berline did not generally contain anyone but the King,
the Crown Prince, Count Bismarck, or General von
Moltke. A journal of Noyau says that they have heard
of the death of Von Moltke, who died at Rheims in con-
sequence of a dangerous illness, but that the death might
as well have been occasioned by a wound he had received.
It is more than doubtful, however, whether the mysterious
death was that of the great general.

Herr Strauss, the celebrated German writer, continues
his philosophic arguments on the war with his French
friend, M. Renan. As a South German he agrees with M.
Renan in a desire that Prussia should be absorbed by
Germany, instead of Germany being Prussianized, but he
confesses that as politicians the Prussians far excel the
South Germans. In the future German State Prussia
will supply the bone and muscle, while South Germany
will fill this out and round it with flesh and blood. He
denies that the cession of Alsace and Lorraine would be
the ruin of France, remarking that it does not become
Frenchmen to represent German provinces as necessary
to their national life. The Germans would be the greatest

fools if they did not, as conquerors, take back what is
necessary to their security.

THE NEW ARMY.—The Echo de la Dordogne
states that the Gardes Mobiles of that department have
gone to Tours to form part of the 15th corps, which is
under the command of General de la Motterouge.
" This corps is being rapidly organised under the personal
supervision of the Minister of War. It is to be
composed of three fine divisions of infantry and two of
cavalry, with a considerable force of artillery, and the
whole forms an army of 60,000 men, which will include,
besides the soldiers of the depot, the numerous enrolled
volunteers, and a still larger number of men escaped from
Sedan. Being joined by regiments of Gardes Mobiles em-
bodied in its ranks, although retaining their special
organization, and with freeshooters to act as skirmishers,
supported by another regular corps forming at Lyons, the
15th corps must inspire confidence in an energetic defence,
and demonstrate the possibility of a speedy march to the
relief of the capital."
THE USE OF BALLOONS.—A somewhat remark-.
able proposal has been made in the Cologne Gazette with
respect to balloons :—" Now that Paris is completely in-
vested the employment of balloons for the purpose of dis-
persing over Paris proclamations or other necessary infor-
mation—particularly accurate information as to the posi-
tion of affairs and the whole course of events since the
declaration -of the war—is resorted to. These balloons
can be manufactured in a few hours and at very small
expense, and can consequently be employed at all times,
and in great number. They are made of a framework of
Spanish reeds or whalebones, drawn together at both
poles, and thousands of loose printed cards being depo-
sited inside, they are driven by the wind and fall down
in all parts of the city as soon as an explosion occurs.
which shatters the ribs drawn together at the poles. It
would be desirable if members of the Geneva Convention
and of the international societies for the relief of the
wounded would by means of such communications dissemi-
nate information which would weaken, if not remove, the
blind prejudices of the Frenchpopulation. The statements
of well-accredited correspondents, such as the Duke of
Manchester, Sir Tollemache Sinclair, and others would
also have a beneficial effect on the people if made known
in this way. The balloons from Metz have carried a
weight of 181 b. Those proposed need not carry one pound
of paper, for thousands of copies of a circular printed on
both sides need not weigh so much as this. To prevent
the papers lying inside the balloon catching fire
through the explosion of the upper part of the balloon,
a thin sheet of zinc should be placed over them,
and a chemical coating might be given to the paper
employed."