The Sun.
London, England, 1870-09-20 00:00:00

THE SUN, LONDON, TUESDNY, SEPTEMBER 20, 870

resume their voyages to New York on the Ist of
October.

THE SIEGE OF METZ,

A I imes telegram, dated Saarbruck, yesterday,
says :—" A. sortie was expected last night, but after
three guns fired at midnight by the French, a
signal apparently was made countermanding the
sortie. We saw a small balloon sent up at midday,
which was supposed to contain letters., Deserters
keep coming in, who report a dreadful condition of the
inhabitants, The peasants fired at officers last night.
Peasants have cut the telegraph wires near Epernay,
and the town has been fined 200,000 fr. for the offence.

It is necessary to come here to telegraph, as the Go-
vernment have taken up the wires further down.

(REUTER'S TELEGRAMS.)
DISORDERS AT NICE.

NICE, SEPTEMBER 19.

Contrary to the despatches of some newspapers,
perfect tranquillity prevails at Nice and Mentone,
and throughout the whole department.
Visitors are beginning to arrive, and the season is
commencing favourably.

PREPARING BARRICADES.
PARIS, SEPTEMBER 18, EVENING.
The railway fo Havre was cut at noon to-day near
Conflans, by Prussian scouts.
All to-day's newspapers approve the contents of
the fresh circular from M. Jules Favre.
Telegrams from the departments state that every-
where the armaments are being pushed forward with
great activity

PARIS, SEPTEMBER 19.

The Government have decided to construct a com-
plete system of barricades, which would form a
second enceinte around Paris. M. Rochefort is
appointed President f the Commission entrusted
with the execution of the plan.

The Official Gazette publishes the protest of the
Institute of France against the eventual bombard-
ment of the libraries, monuments, and museums.
The Gaulois says that 400 Uhlans yesterday
occupied Versailles.
The regular postal service is suspended from to-
day. The Administration will organise a postal
service by messengers.
Numerous Prussian scouts were killed or captured
on Saturday and Sunday by the Gardes Mobiels and
Franc-tireurs in the environs of Paris.
It is believed that the Prussiaas will attack the
capital on the south-east, between Charenton and
Clamart, and will establish their head-quarters at
Versailles.

M. Gleize Grivellie has been appointed Procureur
of the Tribunal of Avignon, and M. Philuize Pro-
cureur of St. Brieuc.

The City of Paris will elect on the 28th instant a
municipal council of 80 members.

TOURS, SEPT. 10.
M. Thiers arrived here from London last night.

RESISTANCE AT ROME.

FLORENCE, SEPT. 18.
The Papal troops have resolved on fighting, not-
withstanding all remonstrances. They cannot make
a long resistance.
It is settled that Mazzini's trial is to take place.—
Daily News Telegram.

HOLLAND.
THE HAGUE, SEPT. 19.

The States
„General 'were opened to-day by the
King in person. His Majesty, in his speech from
the throne, said he appreciated the goodwill and
patriotism which the Dutch people have displayed
amid the grave events of the last month. The
people have shown a unanimous will to maintain
the independence of the country. The amicable
relations which previously existed with. foreign
Powers have in no way been disturbed by the war.
The King said that it was his decided intention to
persist in his neutrality. The general situation of the
country and the colonies was favourable, and the
financial condition was not unsatisfactory.

THE MISSION OF M. FAVRE,

BERLIN, SEPT. 19

M: Jules Favre having put the question vift
London to the Chancellor of the North German
Confederation whether Count Bismarck is ready to
receive him in the headquarters of the King, at
Meane, for the purpose of negotiating. Count Bis-
marck replied through the same channel in the affir-

mative.

THE BLOCKADE OF THE
NORTH SEA.

HAMBURG, SEPT. 19

The Senate has published a decree of General
Vogel von Falkenstein, in which he says that,
although the blockade of the North Sea by the French
fleet has been raised, yet the state of war continues as
regards the measures of security hitherto adopted,
namely, the absence of buoys and beacons, and the
maintenance of dangerous obstacles to which the
attention of navigators is hereby called:

(CENTRAL PRESS TELEGRAMS.)
BAPTIST CONFERENCE.

The Baptist Union Conference commenced its sittings
at Cambridge yesterday, between four and five hundred
delegates having arrived. The Rev. Charles Vince, of
Birmingham, preached an eloquent sermon to-night in St.
Andrew's-street Chapel, which was crowded to overflow-
ing. The Missionary Committee held its first sitting in
Zion Chapel. The delegates have received a very warm
welcome from all classes of the town and University ;
and the proceedings of the week are expected to be of
considerable political and religious importance.

SUDDEN DEATH OF A QUEEN'S COUNSEL.
Mr. Alexander Norman, a Queen's Counsel, residing at
Dublin, has been found dead on the road near Lynton,
Devon, a town he had been visiting. At the coroner's
inquest a verdict of " Died from Natural Causes " was re-
turned, the medical evidence leading to the belief that
death had arisen from disease of the heart.

SUPPOSED TRADE UNION OUTRAGE.
A supposed trade union outrage was committed at
Orgreave, near Rotherham, between seven o'clock on
Saturday evening, and eight o'clock on Sunday morning.
The brickyard belonging to the Fence Colliery Company
was entered during the night, and 24,000 bricks destroyed
by being trampled upon. Dervick, the man who con-
tracted to make the bricks, keeps aloof from the union ;
but says he has received no complaints from the members.
The police have examined the premises and discovered
traces indicating that three men must have been con-
cerned in the outrage. A clue has been found as to the
whereabouts of the supposed offenders.

Mrs. O'Donovan Rossa, wife of the Fenian convict im•
?risoned at Chatham, gave poetical readings at the Lec-
ture Hall, Chatham, last night. The programme was
!haracteristically selected. There was but a small au-
Hence and good order was preserved. The readings will be
:manned to-morrow evening.

From Dublin we learn by telegram that five men named
Yaffney, O'Hara, Graves, Kavanagh, and Fitzgerald were
remanded yesterday by the Kingstown magistrates for
oelongiug to a body of men who setupun the constabulary,
maltreated them, and deprived four of them of their
swords. One constable was stabbed with his own weapon.
Borne of the prisoners have been in prison for Fenianism,
and the crowd who sympathised with them sang Fenian
songs. Great crowds assembled in Sackville-street yester-
day before the establishment of Mr. Lesaby, who is
:strolling volunteers for the Irish Ambulance Corps for
the French service. One thousand applicants presented
themselves, but few of these will be found eligible.

THE LOSS OF THE CAPTAIN.

The arrangements for holding the court-martial on the
surviving officer and crew of the Captain not being corn.
plete, it is postponed for a few days. Probably it will
not be opened until the arrival of the turret-ship Monarch,
now cruising off Cape i?inisterre, in search of any relics
of the Captain or her crew,

MR. CLAY, M.P., AND MR. NORWOOD, M.P.,
ON PUBLIC AFFAIRS.

At a large meeting held last night at Hull, Mr. Clay,
M.P., in alluding to the last general election, said : The
Jountry had good reason to be pleased with the present
[louse of Commons and the Government. The legislation
)f last session had been important. The Irish Land and
Education Bills were both of great importance. Under
the first every Irish tenant could claim compensation on
being turned out of his farm, and if he wished could have
thirty-one years' lease. The Education Bill was
A compromise which would, he believed, com-
mence a new and blessed era in our history,
the blessing of which will be more recognized by the next
generation than by theypresent. The University Tests
Bill had been passed by the Commons, but thrown out
oy the Lords, and next year they would have to pass a
till which they would like less. The bill to legalise
narriage with deceased wife's sister shared the same fate
n the Lords, but only by a majority of 4, so that it
would no doubt pass next Session. The Trades' Union,
the Mines Regulation, and the Ballot would have to be
lealt with, and also the Truck system. On the question
)f the war Mr. Clay said he should not be satisfied that
our Government had done all it ought till it should appear
.mpossible Athey could have interfered in any way with a
:hance of stopping bloodshed and destruction. At the
Jame meeting Mr. Norwood, M.P., spoke. He regarded
she Education Bill as a compromise that would have to be
mended at an early day, so that education should be un-
sectarian, undenominational, and compulsory. He be-
ieved the Ballot would become law next session. As to
he war he considered that Government had done all they
:mild, and by their 'action in conjunction with other
neutral Powers had kept the war in its present narrow

dmits. He protested against England meddling with
;he quarrel at all, and urged that it was our duty to keep
s clear, distinct, a fair and honourable neutrality between
ooth the parties.

THE EMPEROR NAPOLEON.

The following letter has been addressed to the Standard
oy M. G. Pietri, the Emperor's private secretary :

" Wilhelmshohe, Sept. 15, 1870.

"Sir,-Since the occurrence of the sad events in
France the Emperor Napoleon has been the object of
She most violent attacks and of calumnies of all
winds, which he will only treat with contempt ; but if it
is right in him to remain silent under such circumstances,
:t is impossible that those persons who are attached to
aim should permit the daily publication of these reports
in French and foreign newspapers to pass without contra-
iiction.
"Among the most odious of them it is necessary to
?oint out one in an English journal which has not hesi-
mted to rank among the causes of the war an embarrass-
ment of the Civil List, and the necessity resulting
from it of borrowing yearly fifty millions from
she Budget of the Minister of War—loans, all
;races of which were made to disappear by
merging them in the expenses of a great war. So absurd
am imputation convicts the writer either of an ignorance
she most profound as to the laws which in France regulate
she finances of the State, or of extraordinary bad faith.
Kalversations are hardly possibly in France, for the audit,
:ng of the Civil List involves a strict examination,
ander the supervision of the Legislative Body and the

court of Accounts.
" Another journal asserts that it is known to all the,
;world that the Emperor Napoleon has invested at Am-
sterdam a sum of ten millions in Dutch railway shares.
[ positively contradict the assertion, and, what is more
[ affirm that the Emperor Napoleon has not a centime
'nvested in foreign funds.
" A German journal has represented the state of the
Emperor in quite a different light, for it alleges that so
iestitute was he of resources that the Prussian staff at
sedan had to advance him 2,000 thalers. This story is;
ike the rest, totally unfounded.
" I have limited myself to pointing to these assertions,
In entirely contrary to the truth, not in the hope of put-
ting an end to attacks upon a Sovereign who, under the
nisfortunes that have befallen him, ought to be safe from
ittack, but in order that all may know how very slender
;heir foundations are, and to how small an amount of faith
;hey. are entitled.
" I trust, Sir, you will give this letter insertion in your
,ournal, and in thanking you by anticipation, I beg you to
:eceive the assurance, Ste.,
" G. PIETA,
" Private Secretary to the Emperor Napoleon."

COUNT lIISNIAROK ON THE SITUATION
A correspondent of the Standard, writing from Rheims
on the 13th instant, gives some very interesting details of
an interview with Count Bismarck. ]e writes 2—l had
yesterday a long interview with Count Bismarck : and as
the dialogue, to which you may be sure I contributed as
little as I possibly could, was, on this occasion;
exclusively political, I hasten to lay it before
your readers -- preserving, as far as possible,
the very words that were uttered. If I suc-
ceed in reproducing something of their directness
and causticity I shall be fortunate. Be pleased to bear in
mind that the conversation eves concluded in English,
which Count Bismarck prefers to speak with English-
men, seeing that he speaks our tongue, if not with abso-
lute fluency, at least with force and a certain familiarity.
To my opening observation that we had not gone
as fast as, when I first had the pleasure of seeing him, he
had jocularly promised I henceforth should, his Excel-
lency replied that few people had any idea of the difficulty
of transporting an army of 300,000 men. " And remem-
ber," he said, " first they fronted the west; then they turned
and fronted the north ; then the north-east ; and after
Sedan, besides seeing after 100,000 prisoners, they had to
wheel right round, and march south-west again." " The
German troops march well," he added; " they have actually
made their thirty English miles in a day, with, of course, a
rest afterwards; but ten miles a day, Mntinuously, is the
most that can be counted on. I asked if he thought the
French would defend Paris. "We shall not attack
it," he answered. " What will you do then ?" I asked.
"We shall enter it without attacking it. We shall starve
it otit." I urged that it would require 1,200,000
men to invest Paris. He explained that it would
not be invested in that sense. But, he said, we shall
post our armies round it, according as is thought beet, and
we have 50,000 cavalry who will answer for the rest.
They will perpetually sweep and scour the parts not
actually occupied by our troops, and not a morsel of
food will be able to enter Paris. Why should
we attack, and undergo fresh sacrifices gratui-
touly ? There are fighting persons in Paris who
might give us trouble the first, and possibly
the second day, if we attacked. The third day, if we
leave them alone, they will be more troublesome to
Paris itself, food becoming scarce. We will begin with
the third day. Why run our heads against a
wall? He spoke with the utmost confidence of
this system. and I leave his views just as
they were stated. When I suggested that, whilst
Paris was being thus starved into submission time would
be given tor the formation of a new Feenth army south of
the Loire, he replied : " Not an army ; only numbers of
armed people. We took 1,500 of suet. near St. Menehould
with a single squadron of dragoons. It is possible that the
Frenchman may be made a good soldier in three months;
but we shall not give him three months, and in any case
the so-called army will be without officers deserving the
name. If they 'nab/ on fighag, well and good. They will
be slaughtered. But it is a pity." Touching upon the pros-
pects of peace, he inquired, " With whom ? Through
whom ? With the gentlemen of the pavement and their
representatives ? When I saw the Emperor," he went
on, " after his surrendering himself a prisoner, I asked
him if he was disposed to put forward any request for
peace. The Emperor replied that he was not in a posi-
tion to do eo, for he had left a regular
Government In Paris, with the Empresi
at
its head. It is plaine therefore, continued Comet Bismarck,
that, if Fra'nce possesses any Government' qt all, it is
BM the Government of the Empress aseltegent, er of the
Emperor." When I asked if the flight of the
saranEmpess
and' of the Prince Imperial might not be regarded
abdication, he said very positively, "he could not con-
etrue it. The Empress had been forced to go by the gen-
tlemen of the.pavement, as the Coke Legislatif had been
obliged to suspend its sittings ; but the aetign of the gen-
tlemen of the pavement was not legal. They could not
make a Government. The question was—Whom does
the fleet still obey? Whom dots the army shut up in
Metz still obey ? Perhaps Bazaine still recognises
the Emperor. If sp, and we choose to let him
go to Paris, he and his army would be worth con-
siderably more than the gentlemen of the pavement
and the so-called Government. We do not wish
to dictate to France her form of government ; we
have nothing to say to it. That is Iler affair." I
pointed out that it would be extremely difficult for the
French people at the present moment even to employ
the means necessary for ascertaining the national will.
" That is their look-out," replied his Excellency ; "we
know what we want, and that is enough for tee"
This observation led up to what Germany will
consider indispensable conditions of peace. Count
Bismarck disclaimed all desire of increase of ter-
ritory or population for mere increase sake, and it
was a nuisance to have German subjects who
speak French. " But," he continued, " the present is the
25th time in the space of a hundred years that France
has made war on Germany on some pretext or other.
Now, at least, our terrible disease of divided unity being
cured, we have contrived, by the help of the hand of God,
to beat her down: It is idle to hope to propitiate her. She
would never forgive es forbeating her, even if we offered the
easiest terms in the world, and forebore from asking ftir
the expenses of the war. She could not forgive you for
Waterloo, and it was only by accident that she
did not make war upon you on account of it.
She could not forgive Sadowa, though it was not
fought against her, and she will never forgive
Sedan. She must therefore be made harmless,
"We must have Strasburg, and we must have Metz,"
even if in the latter case we hold merely the
garrison, and whagever else is necessary to im-
prove our strategic position against attack from
her. We do not want the territory as territory,
but as a glacis between her and us. At the
commencement of this war, had the Emperor dis-
played energy, he might have attacked Southern Ger-
many before we could have done anything. Why he did
not do it we do not know to this day. He had an army
of 150,000 men, ready to be moved in a day. We cannot
do that—we are too poor. But France can afford it ;
and having missed doing the energetic and daring thing
once, she would know better next time, and would
do it if we do not take precautions, and make it impos-
sible by improving our frontier. Had the attack been
Made at once on South Germany we should have lost its
assistance, not because the South Germans are not well
disposed, but because they would have been crushed.
The late King of Wurtemburg said to me one day,
"You are always very frank with me ; I will be franir
with you. If the French were to pounce upon my people,
and I were eating a soldier's bread in your camp, PNV
should I feel? My people, oppressed with exactions, would
beg of me to come home and make terms with the con-
querors. The shirt is nearer to the skin than the coat, and I
should have to do it." These were the words of the late
King of Wurtemburg to me, and they describe the situ-
ation such as it must always remain if we do not make
ourselves strong against French attack on that side. That
is why we must have Strasburg and an improved frontier.
We will fight ten years sooner than not obtain this neces-
Nagy security."