The Sun.
London, England, 1870-12-20 00:00:00

RESIGNATION OF MR. BRIGHT.

We are authorised to state that Mr. Bright has re-
signed. The wish of Mr. Gladstone and of his other
colleagues, warmly expressed from time to time, has alone
withheld the late President of the Board of Trade, up to
the present date, from a step which in his judgment .was
and is still necessary for the complete recovery of his
health. It is, on all political grounds, whether of foreign
or domestic policy, a matter of sincere regret to Mr.
Bright to sever the official tie between himself and the
Administration.

THE SIEGE OF PARIS.

The special correspondent of the Daily News at the

Headquarters of the Crown Prince- of Prussia,
Versailles, sends the following, under date De.
cember 15 :—The cold weather gives way to mild,
rainy weather, and the snow disappears, and there
is mud upon the coats of those who have slept
on outpost duty. The weary siege, oc investment,
or whatever we may choose to call it, drags on
with an ever-lengthening chain for the French.
How they do it we cannot say ; but certain it is
that they manage to keep up their spirits, and to persuade
themselves that they are going to win some kind of
ultimate success. It is sad to see a nation struggling
on in face of such great disasters, wgen the loss
of its regular army has brought it to the
point of bending old men and boys, fathers of
families, and men of social rank, to fight the
very prime of its opponent's 'fighting class. Defeat has.
brought France into the position towards Germany
which Germany once held towards France, in regard to
one quality of her troops. In the first start there were
the well-taught and thoughtful young Germans pitted
against swarthy Zouaves, half-savage Turcos, and profes-
sional soldiers of the Emperor's Guards. Then came the
French defeats; the Zouaves and Turcos who were not
killed were dragged away to prison ; the profes-
sional Guardsmen were starved into surrender ;
and France fiercely refused to acknowledge " ac-
complished facts." Peasants and . artisans, old
Legitimists and red-hot Republicans, rushed into the
hopeless struggle. We began to see the fine young
soldier of Germany, in the prime of life, dashing down
the frantic resistance of the French "bread winners."
We began to see men of ancient family, haters of
Napoleon, and friends of the white flag with golden
lilies, fighting side by side with admirers of Henri de
Rochefort. It was a wild rally in support of the
National cause, and it brought an army to Orleans
which might be counted by hundreds of thousands.
You have seen how that army was worsted by the Ger-
mans, and you will feel how deep must the suffering be to
France when such a force shall be fcllowed up and de.
stroy ed. The French cannot afford to risk their whole
manhood on the chance of turning the crimson tide
which bears them away. They are resisting an enemy
who occupies a third of their territory, and who, when
he fires a volley among them now, is slaying men who
can ill be spared. No wonder that rumours of peace, of
submission on any terms should be rife among the
invaders. It is clearly seen by the practical German
mind that France ought to submit, that Alsace and
Lorraine should be yielded up to save the sinking
,ship. These things are seen by the Germans, and
only the desperate impulse of French Republicanism
enables the war to be continued. Count Bismarck's
policy is now pretty clear. He must take Paris; occupy
the rest of France, and reoganise the French Government
with the help of au assembly elected after all further
fighting has been given up as hopeless. To haggle about
terms with Paris unsurrendered would not suit the stern
simplicity of the German programme.