The Sun.
London, England, 1870-08-31 00:00:00

THE SIEGE OF STI .SBURG.

it appears to me that if the besiegers intend to ap-
proach the town in the regulor slow, orthodox way, there
is but little chance of its falling into their hands, except
by honourable capitulation, after peace shall have been
declared. I do not, therefore, think that such a
protracted method will be adopted. The Baden troops
have every reason to be anxious to take the
town by storm. Up to the present they have been
unfortunate, and have not had much opportunity for die.
tinguishing themselves in the field. It is, therefore, natural
that they should wish to carry this undertaking to a
speedy and successful issue. The national honour is at
stake ; besides, they must have a strong claim to put in
for a share in the good things that may be going when
the war shall be over and peace declared. As is
usual in such cases there are not wanting those who say
that Strasburg might easily have been captured at
the time that the rails and telegraph wires were taken
up and cut close to the station. It is very possible
that they may be right ; fewer lives are lost in a vigorous
effort, if successful, than in the long protracted operations
of a regular siege. It is certain that the French were but
badly prepared for resistance on the day in question, for
the gates were literally slammed in the face of the men
who came up to summon the town to surrender. I
have even heard it stated that Lieutenant-General Werder,
the Minister at War at Carlsruhe, was recalled
because he failed to seize upon the favourable
opportUnity offered him of taking the place by a coup de
main. This is merely a malicious fabrication, General
Werder having been obliged to resign his command owing
to a severe attack of gout, which rendered it quite im-
possible for him to conduct active operations in the
field. Day is the time for rest in the lines before
Strasburg. At night men gird up their loins, and
prepare for work; then pioneers and fatigue
parties go forth to their labours under the friendly
cover of the darkness ; and then, too, in their turn the
French gunners peer into the night, and open their
heaviest fire on every speck of light that indicates the pre-
Beare of the foe, and on every spot where they think it
rely that working may be going an. The view of the be-
reagnered town at nigh+ from the eafd of the Lion d'Or,
at Brumath, was beautiful—beautiful, but awful. A
great conflagration lit up the lurid shy in the direction
Of Ruprechtsau, and the trembling townsfolk whispered
among themselves that the " Minister " was in flames;
they were wrong, for in the morning the tall cathedral
spire still pointed grandly to the sky. At midnight the
fire was raging terribly, and the whole shy was lighted up
with the brightness of the flames. An hospital was op-
posite to him, and what I heard was the pitiful
moaning wrung from human beings in the ex-
tremity of their pain and woe. The poor fellows
were probably Turcos. The Eastern, more patient than
the Western nations, do not relieve their sufferings by
loud cries ; neither do they suffer pain in silence, as some
white men do. In their agony these swarthy warriors
of France give utterance only to a low plaintive wail, in-
expressibly sad and heartrending to hear.—Correspondent
fo the Telegraph.

A Shanghai telegram states that Mr. Wade, the
British Minister, has visited Tientsin, the scene of the
late atrocities upon French subjects.

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