The Sun.
London, England, 1870-09-13 00:00:00

THE FRENCH PRESS ON LAON.

The Journal des Debate refuses to credit the assertion
which has been put forward by various journals to the
effect that the general in command at Laon blew up the
citadel after having surrendered it to the enemy. It
cannot suppose such a thing possible, because it would be
an act condemned by all the rules of war. It appears that
some French soldiers have perished in the catastrophe,
and as the custom is for the forces of the enemy not to
enter fortress that has been given up until it has been
evacuated by Ore hesieged). it would seem as if the
Governor of Laon bad -simply opened the gates of the
citadel, without having made any engagement, verbal
or otherwise to surrender it to the enemy, so that he had
full liberty of action. In any case, says the Debats:
whether the blowing up of the citadel was a legal act of
war, or whether we must admit that a French general, in
a state of patriotio despair, outraged rules that he ought
to have respected, the tragic event which has caused so
profound a sensation in Paris shews that the passions
which this implacable war has aroused are increasing day
by day. The majority of the Parisians trouble themselves
very little about the moral or legal character of
the act, but give unqualified praise to tae
intrepid soldiers who have buried themselves beneath.
the ruins of the fortress which had been confided to
them.

The Temps says that many reports are circulated
as to the cause of the explosion of the citadel of Laon.
The most reliable is that which attributes it to an act of
heroic despair 01% the part of General Ternin„ the com-
mander of the place. In awaiting the confirmation of
this story, it may be 'remarked that there is in it nothing
inconsistent with the course pursued by the commanders
and governors of the French strongholds, and with the
example they have given of their unalterable resolution
and civic devotion. Strasbourg, Phalsbourg, Toul, Ver-
dun, Montmedy, Thiont ille, will all fill a glorious page
in the sad story of the present reverses.
The Siecle declares that the garrison of Laon has set an
heroic example in blowing itself up in the fortress along
with the enemy.
The Soir says that the sublime' act of the defender of
the citadel of Laon, who, according to the news just
arrived, has blown up the fortress under his charge,
with himself and the staff of the enemy's army, has created
a universal admiration in Paris, at the same time that
the feeling is mixed with horror and fright. This soldier,
an unknovin hero until yesterday, will be for ever inscribed
in the golden book of his country. The name of Com-
mander Ternin will have from henceforth a place in
French history. France has always welcomed enthusias-
tically all that is great and noble. Do great things, said,
one of his guests to Napoleon 111., and the advice was not
bad. Napoleon being conquered, would have done a
great thing if he had acted as the humble and admirable
Commander of Laon. The latter will appear greater
than he does in history. Napoleon preferred to act quite
contrary. France does not forgive her chiefs for acting
with faltering and cowardice, and he who provoked the
capitulation of Sedan, at the same time signed the defini-
tive extinction of his family and his race, for he humi-
liated France. When Francis 1., after having
precipitated himself, his lance in rest, in the midst of
the enemy, was made prisoner at Pavia, France expe-
rienced an immense grief, but also felt immense admira-
tion for the courage of the King. He could say at anY -
rate, " All is lost except honour," and France, while she
lamented her defeat, reserved for him and his race the '
reparations of the future. It will never be here again. a
question of having the Bonapartes.
The Liberte mentions that the precise details of the
affair at Laon are wanting, but two names are cited, those
of General Ternin de Hame and those of Commandant
Henry de Chazelles. They had their lives secured, but
honour was dearer to them than life ; they could not
hold out any longer, and therefore they are dead. Our
history has instances of such devotion, which, as children,
we remember to have read in kindling with enthusiasm
they appeared as legends to us now the French of 1870
are making, in their turn, legends for the future.

The Patric says that, like General Ulrich at Strasbourg,
General Ternin at Laon has just rendered his name illus-
trious for ever. The Government dispatch states that
this brave general officer has been wounded in the head,
but still survives. Dead or living, the recollection of his
heroic devotion will place him beside Bisson and other sol-
diers who havesacrificed their lives for their country. Gene
al 'Armin d'Harad is 64 years of ago, He was sent to the
resew corps in 1868. He asked to be allowed to resume
service immediately the war with Prussia was declared.
He was entrusted with the command of the department of
the Aisne in place of Count Brayer. General Jermin, a
brilliantpupil of the cavalry schoolof Saumur, and performed
the functions of instructor of hussars with indefatigable
zeal for some time. He was made general of brigade in
180, during the holding of the camp at Chalons. He
commanded the sub-division of the Haut Rhin and that
of Aisne, from which he returned some weeks ago to ren-
der immortal the defence of the town of Laon and his
own memory

The newspapers are on their part preparing for the
literary pert of the siege- One of theta suggests that as
papas is likely to tie Anne, men should fee their wits to
work to discover r soluble printing ink which
could be easily removed by an application of
acids. By this means the same sheet of paper
night, if returned to the office, do duty several times.
The Siecle informs its subscribers that in the
expectation of the communications between Paris
and the departments being interrupted by the
enemy, its directors are taking measures to ensure
its regular delivery to its provincial subscribers. What
those measures are it does not explain. Perhaps King
William would like to know. The Siecle remonstrates
with those who complain that the journals main-
tain their price, notwithstanding the abolition of the
stamp duty, and says that there are many great expenses THE TOWN OF RHEIMS.
journals have been
entailed by the war, and the price of The Stetatsanzeiger, a German paper, thus describes the
paper has risen so
town of Rheims :—" The town of Rheims, into which his
much that several. obliged to sus- Pend publication. Certainly the Siecle is cheap at Majesty the King made his entrance on the sth 'of this
mouth, is situated upon the Vesle, which flows into the
office of public censor. Its fourth page is headed,
any price, for it has undertaken gratuitously the
Aisne, and the Marne and Aisne Canal, and is built upon in tremendous letters, by the words " Conseil, a plain, surrounded by vineyards. The town is
anx Citoyens." The notice which follows tells usthe point of centralisation of five railways, two
-of which lead either through Epernay op that dozing the whole epoch of national defence Soissons towards Paris, whilst the three others,
the Siècle will publish in this manner concise warnings coming from the directions of Laon, Bethel, and

Verdun-Chalons, all meting together in one single
station at the north-west of the. town. Rheims is about
160 kilometres from Paris by the northern route through
Soissons, and 172ki1ometres from the capital tici Epernay.
Rheims contains 60,600 inhabitants, and is the chief town
of the arrondissement, and is the seat of a large 'lumbar
of spiritual and temporal authorities, amongst whon;t is the
archbishop, who controls the sees a Soissons, Chalons,
Beauvais, and Amiens. Rheims is the town where the
French monarchs were formerly crowned, and is one of
the most ancient and historical cities of France. The
ancient ramparts still exist upon the south side, but to-
wards the north all the old fortifications have been re-
moved to enlarge the town by handsome villas and pro-
menades, stretching out towards the railway stations.
There are several theological colleges—a medical and
pharmaceutical, a large library, college, civil and commer-
cial tribunals, a chamber of commerce, assurance offices,
and a bank with a note circulation of over 65,000,000 f.
The town containsmost important cloth, woollen and cash-
mere manufactories, wax bleaching works, wax candle
manufactories, several breweries, biscuit manufactories,
cutlery works, colour mills, tanyards, and an enormous
commerce in many other products, amongst them a yearly
trade of 25,000,0001 r. in champagne. The magnificent
Gothic cathedral, dating from the 1212 ; the church of
St. Remy, rebuilt in 1041; the town hall ; the palace of
the archbishop ; the Place du Roi, ornamented with its
monument to Louis XV. and old Roman gate ; and a
triumphal arch known as the Porte de Mars, are of the
greatest historical interest."

A. LETTER FROM MARSHAL MACMAHON.
The Minister of War has received the following letter
from Marshal MacMahon ;

" POURRU-AUX-Bois, September 8, 1870.
M. le Ministre,—l have the honour to inform you
that I have obtained permission from the Prussian mili-
tary authorities to be removed to a little village called
Pourru-aux-Bois, situated some leagues from Sedan, in the
direction of Belgium. Being prisoner of war. I cannot,
according to the terms of the convention, resunn active
service during this campaign ; but as, like most of the
officers, I wish after the catastrophe which has befallen
the army to share the fate of my soldiers, I shall request,
as soon as my wound allows my removal—which will be,
according to the doctors, in five or six weeks—that the
Prussian authorities will confine me in some place in Ger-
many. Accept, M. le Ministre, the assurance of my
highest consideration.

" The Marshal of France,
Du Arial&}lox."

GENERAL WIMPFFEN ON THE PRUSSIAN
AND FRENCH ARMIES.
General Wimpffen, who was nominally commander-in-
chief of the French army at Sedan after MacMahon was
disabled, is said by a member of his staff to have thus
given his opinion on the relative merits of the two armies.
He attributed the disasters of the French in a great
measure to the inferiority of their firearms. It Is to be
noticed, he said, that if our artillery had been in con-
dition to fight the Prussians iu this campaign,
we might not perhaps have had these reverses ; but when
our projectiles explode at from 2,000 to 2,400 metres theirs
go 1,000 metres further. It follows that their artillery-
men, who are composed and skilful, can correct their aim,
and can easily shatter our material. In truth I saw in
the wood of the Garonne three pieces of artillery placed
in position by the general's orders, which were obliged to
be spiked because the impotence of their fire was apparent,
and it was not less evident that they would be speedily
destroyed by the Prussian artillery, which they were
powerless to hurt. The Prussians having recognised the su-
periority of their artillery over ours, a fact we did not rightly
estimate before the war, though it might have been easily
perceived by a Minister who was a distinguished artillery
• officer, inundated their armies with formidable batteries.
They never engage their infantry without having first
crushed their adversaries under a hail of projectiles.
Their artillerymen never do as most of ours do and fire
hurriedly or lightly. They never fire at venture at an un-
certain point, but aim at A definite and well-
understood mark. The German army is better
disciplined than ours. It . obeys better, exe-
cutes its manceuvres with more order and unity, and seldom
exceeds the lines pointed out. It marches in such a
manner that it is not easily surprised, but can easily
surprise a careless adversary like ourselves. How do
they manage the important subject of proiisions, said
the General. I do not know, but it is certain their admin-
istration knows how to provide for all wants. This part
of the service with us leaves much to be desired even
when regular distributions are made. Our troops are
obliged to send numerous corvees to a great distance to
obtain their provisions at a central point, and as the
number of men to be provided for is considerable
there is always delay and sometimes disorder. Could not
the intendance have the same means of transport to carry
the rations at least from the central point to each corps
d'arm6e ? Notwithstanding these faults and these criti-
cisms, the General believed that France might regain.the
advantage over the Prussian armies by avoiding great
battles, by placing field and siege pieces in position on the
ramparts of Paris, and in placing detached forts a little
in the real so as to delay the bombardment of the
capital. Small bodies of troops might harass the
enemy's flanks, though they could not enter into
a regulareombat. They might pass between the enemy's
lines, blow up the bridges, and destroy the railways, carry
off the horses and vehicles before the Prussian columns ;
in a word, abandon the system of war on a large scale for
that on a small scale, and act without pause and without
mercy. Such are the opinions of a General of considerable
military experience and ability.