The Sun.
London, England, 1870-10-21 00:00:00

A GERMAN BLUNDER.

A correspondent of the Pall Mall Gazette, writing from
Lille, notices the greatly improved spirit in defence
shewn by the population of Northern France. This the
writer attributes in great measure to the harsh proclama-
tions of the German leaders—one of whom has threatened
that for every Prussian killed by the inhabitants or Free-
shooters, four Frenchmen, innocent or guilty, will suffer.
The inhabitants being brought to the conclusion that their
chance of being shot was the same whether they fought
or remained passive, resolved that they might as
well fight, and thereby gain the approbation of their
fellow-citizens:—" It would seem that this conclusion has
been arrived at over a rather large extent of French soil
within the last few days ; for both departmental authori-
ties and individual Republicans who were enraged at
what they considered the cowardice of the rural popula-
tion are now much more content with them. And
while the more romantic of them attribute the
improvement in the attitude of the villagers to the con-
tagion of a general élan, those who wish to shew their
knowledge of human nature say it is simply the
result of the last decree cf the German
authorities in these neighbourhoods ; and certainly
it would seem that the less tact these gentlemen shew
in the administration of the occupied provinces, the
more chance is there of the main body around Paris hav-
ing its communications with Germany harassed, and its
provision trains captured or destroyed. In towns like
Lille, Roubaix, Valenciennes, inhabited chiefly by mer-
chants and manufacturers, a change of a very similar
character has taken place. A few days ago these
towns were not quite willing even to give
the money asked by the Committee of De-
fence ; now you hear them speaking of the
necessity of downright fighting. Many a stout,
steady citizen of Lille—forcibly reminding one of
the English porter ' Wanted,' with the fear of the Lord,
and able to carry 2 cwt.—is preparing himself not only
for the defence of his native city, but to march ou
beyond it."

The statement that Prince Frederick Charles had
recovered seems to be erroneous. Not only is he still
unwell, but he has been obliged to leave head-quarters for
change of air.

The French Government have appointed as prefect of
the Var M. Marc. Dufraisse, one of the members of the
Mountain in 1848. At that time he made a violent
speech justifying the execution of Louis XVI. He was
replied to by M. Berryer in a powerful speech, which was
applauded throughout France.

The Zukunft is an "advanced" Prussian paper. Regard-
less of the warning furnished by Dr. Jacoby's arrest, it
publishes a list of 100 persens protesting against the an-
nexation of Alsace and Lorraine, and against the illegal
restrictions upon right of free speech which now prevail
through military force in a great part of Germany.
Some railway trains containing Germans have been up-
set in the eat of France. In consequence the French
authorities have been required to appoint hostages, who
will accompany every train in the front carriage. In case
of destruction of the line and accident to a train these
persons will forfeit their lives. Nothing is said as to the
mode in which persons are to be chosen to perform the
agreeable duty of hostages.

The Journal de Vire says that fourteen Prussian spies
have been caught at Mezidou, who were marking the
farms with red chalk. When questioned they admitted
they were Prussians, and papers found on them explained
the red chalk marks. They indicated the wealth of the
inhabitants, the number of soldiers they could accommo-
date at need, and the amount of the requisitions tha7
might be exacted. All the spies wore French military
uniforms. Eleven were shot, the other three escaped.
Whilst staying at Trouville-sur-Mer, M. Thiers con-
stantly dwelt on the war, and said that independently of
his public utterances, he had become increasingly con-
vinced that the French people had been shamefully
betrayed as to the state of their army. He asserted his
belief again and again that the Government had not more
than 200,000 regular troops of the line that they could
bring to face the enemy, instead of some 500.000 as stated
in the official journals, and that looking at the in-
sufficiency of the forces alone, it was a war of utter
madness.

A writer in the Daily Hews attributes the constant
defeats of the French to the neglect by their commanders
of the " idiosyncrasy of their race." The French are
formed for attack, and yet they were kept constantly on
the defensive. Once only- -at Alars-la-Tour—were they
allowed to attack, and they well nigh won on that occa-
sion. "I don't care to say, now that the affair is past and
gone, how near the Prussians, in my opinion, came to
losing that battle of the 10th of August7vou Moltke

must have drawn a long breath of relief when the morning
came and he found his enemy had known his own fortune
so little as to fall back on the plateau of the ravine beyond
Gravelotte."
The Manchester Examiner has a telegram from Berlin
stating that Metz has capitulated ; but no confirmation of
this news has been received.
It is said that 1,133,341 arms have been distributed
among the National Guards, including 280,738 rifles for
the Paris guard.
The Brussels Moniteur publishes some fresh documents
relative to the transport of the wounded German°
through Belgium, refuting the charges made by some
of the German papers as to the alleged ill-treatment,
and says :—" Sufficient light has now been thrown upon
this grievance, and we may consider the question as
settled."
A bargain has been concluded between the Minister of
Public Works and the great manufactory of Grevelle-
The house of Cail undertakes to construct as rapidly as
possible 50 mitrailleuses of a new kind, firing 120 balls a
minute; 50 field pieces of fourteen centimetres, breech'
loaders, having a range of from 7,000 to 8,000 metres;
35 cannons of 25 centimetres, weighing 150 kilogrammes,
which are destined to rival Krupp's famous siege guns•
M. Cail declares himself ready to second the efforts of the
Government in every possible way, and professes hi
willingness to give up all private orders to meet the re'
quirements of the National Defence.
GOLDWIN SMITH ON THE WAIL-A meeting
of the Labour Representation League was held on Wed'
nesday evening, at which a letter from Mr. Goldwin
Smith was read. His satisfaction at the establishment
of a Republic in France is tempered by the conviction
that in no country in Europe is the Republican element
so weak. Mr. Smith is of opinion that German is noW
securing her unity and her independence ; political pro-
gress will soon follow. He heartily wishes England had
been strong enough to put her veto on the war; but she
will do nothing great until her Government becomes
thoroughly national. In treating of the German terms
of peace, Mr. Smith remarks that if France chooses
to make war, she must accept its chances, like any other
nation.

TIIIONVILLE.— The Prefect of the Nord Depart-
Inent sends to the papers a report on the state of this
fortress :—" The fortress of Thionville, into which I Nos
unable to enter, in consequence of a complete, though
very recent investment, is provided with abundance
(Jf provision and ammunition; its revictualling
was never intErruptecl. The garrison, which was
not numerous before our disasters, has been gradually hi'
creased by the debris of our armies, especially escaped,
prisoners. It now numbers more than 8,000 men of nh
arms, not including a brave body of Franc-tireurs. BY;
the end of last month these had captured a convoy of
provisions consisting of 78 carts, and which was destine,'
for the Prussian army under Metz. On Monday last, the
10th of October, the investing army attempted to estah-
lish batteries on a hill commanding Thionville, but wascompelled to desist on account of the well sustained and
directed lire from the ramparts. A vigorous sortie Was
made by the garrison, when 300 prisoners were taker;
The French losses amount only to a few killed and
wounded."

A WONDERFUL TALE.—The days of Amazons are
not over if we are to believe the wonderful tale told 11,
the Salut Public, a Lyons paper, respecting the women 05
Rambervilliers, a small town in the Vosges. Sixty"
six Uhlans, according to this account, mad,'
their appearance at Rambervilliers to demand
supplies, announcing that they had behind theni
an army of 20,000 men. We may presume that the
heroines of the town did not believe this story, but
at any rate they were prepared for action.
One thousand women, armed with sticks, spades'
scythes, and anything else they could lay their
hands on, presented themselves before the enenLY,
and dared him to advance. It is a worthy we'
elusion to the story that the Uhlans, who are not usualll_,
remarkable for cowardice, should have been terrified and
taken flight. Perhaps they doubted what sort of beings
they had to contend against. The Sitcle, in holding up
these somewhat mythical ladies as an example, points the
moral to the women of France, and tells them that if they
choose, the enemy might be easily routed.
GENERAL BOURBAE AND THE TOURS GOVERN'
MENT.—We have reason for believing that Gen. Bourbaio
resolutely declined to accept the command of the beats."
and demoralised Army of the Loire ; and that hU
appointment to the command of the Army of the
North—an army yet to be made—was the result of all
enforced afterthought on the part of the French
Provisional Government. The sojourn of the Delegation
at Tours will not so far as we understand. be
longer protracted. Should the issue of the b 4148
that will probably be fought, south of the Loire, withal?
day or two, be adverse to the cause of France, it is
probable that Bordeaux may be called on to provide ae",
commodation for the Ministers " detached on special
service," and for the members of the Corps Diplomatiqiis
now at Tours. It is reported that there has been Boole
discussion as to whether Bordeaux or Clermont.
Ferrand should be the next seat of the Delegation ;
but Bordeaux, by our latest information, won the
preference in the opinions of those most directly le'
terested.— Telegraph.

LORRAINE AS IT Is.--" Two children whom we
found at Chenby," writes Ferdinand Gregorovius, the
German poet and historian, from the neighbourhood of
Metz, " spoke good French which they had learned a
school. A little girl shewed me her school-books or
prizes which she had gained for application. She VI
able to talk of the causes of the war. When I remarked
that we, the enemies of France, were here in the count*?
against our will, she said, ' I know that the Emperor Na'
poleon, and not you, declared war.' Francs-tireurs do nOll
shew themselves, and there are only isolated cases
of fanaticism. On the 3d, three drunken peasants)
who had fired on a dragoon officer, were arrested, and pro'
bably shot, and a schoolmaster, with some companions,
who surprised and killed by night a sleeping patrol, have
been hanged. At Laquenexy a musketeer is posted by a
cistern in order to prevent the water being poisoned, 011
has several times been attempted. Many of the inhabl.
tants, in spite of their fear and hatred, are beginning to
return in order to their fields. When I saw a solitary
team in the fields, or a plough, or a newly-tilled fartc.l,'
these primitive and oldest of all human employments,
seemed to me like an evangel of returning civilisation/
Stealthily, like criminals, like banished Cain, these Po°, r
people cultivate their own ground. The sky is lit up by
the warmest October sun, and the lark carols in the blue
air. If this faithful friend of the husbandman had eyes
and intelligence, as we have, it would certainly be mute'
As far as the eye can reach wild mustard covers the fields,
and its yellow colour imparts a soft mild tone to the Pic-
turesque fields, which gives them a charming grace. They
glitter with it like gold, but weeds are to-day the gold 0'
these fertile fields."