The Sun.
London, England, 1870-10-29 00:00:00

I'HE SUN, LONDON, SATURDAY, OCTQBER 29, 1870.

OPERA COMIQUE. Grand' Entrance, 299
Strand. Messrs. LicsiaN, STEELE, and NORTON, Lessees.
Opening Night this SATURDAY 29th.

even a foregone conclusion such as this is an
astounding event. The ruin of the French military
forces is absolutely without precedent. It is more
than a revenge of Jena, for in 1806 the Prussian
forces were comparatively not great, and one battle
comprised all the very serious fighting of the cam-
paign. In 1870 more than a dozen engage-
ments of great magnitude have been fought,
the operations have covered a vast area,
the bodies of men employed were enormously great.
Yet, in three months' fighting, the French have not
won a single important action, whilst a quarter of a
million of their soldiers are prisoners, and the
remainder so completely swept away that only a
few demoralised battalions remain of the Regular
troops.

BAZAINE, like all the other Imperial generals,
displayed little capacity for the greater operations of
war in the movements which led to his strange im-
prisonment. When Woerth and Spicheren gave the
Germans the initiatory advantage of the war, BAZAINE
fell back upon Metz with about 130,000 men—
the remainder being dispersed at Woerth or concen-
trated at Chalons. The Marshal did not choose to
give battle to the enormous hosts of Prince FREDE-
RICK CHARLES and STEINMETZ, and yet he seemed
loth to quit the neighbourhood of the fortress. He
lingered there so long, in fact, that the German
leaders altered their design. They had proposed to
unite all three forces and move forward, driving the
French towards Paris ; but Von MOLTKE now saw
an opportunity of employing the First and Second
in enmeshing BAZAINE. On the 14th of August,
a portion of the French army, which
remained on the east of I:,fetz, was driven
into the fortress, and in the meantime the
Germans pushed across the Moselle to the south-
ward, the plan being to wind round in a semicircle
at a respectful distance from Metz, and intercept
BAZAINE'S columns as they proceeded upon the great
road leading due west from the stronghold to
Verdun. The Marshal devined this project, but
not until too late. His best plan was
to assail the extended German line as it
was winding awkwardly round the fortress. Such a
bold attack might have been successful, and could not
have ended more ruinously than the course actually
adopted. But BAZAINE contented himself with an
attempt to run away. He marched straight for ward on
lie road to Verdun. On the 16th a small German force
just managed to complete the semicircle and strike at
the head of the French columns, • keeping them in
check until greater forces came up. The battle of
Mars-la-Tour shews how excellent was the chance of
of gaining an advantage by an assault on
the straggling German army. Though the
the invaders greatly outnumbered the French,
they were weaker at the point of contact, and suf-
fered tremendous losses. Indeed, it is now ascertained
that BAZAINE, by making one more effort to push
forward, could have won that desperate fight. There
was, however, good reason for not making one more
effort. The French ammunition was exhausted.
It remained only to fall back. By the next day the
Germans had come up, and occupied the whole
space barring the way to Verdun. On the 18th the
greatest battle of the war was fought. At Grave-
lotto the French held a fine position, but the
Germans had now greatly the advantage in numbers,
and by storming the hostile situation at all
points, they gained another costly triumph.
After that day came the waiting game. Entrench-
ments were erected all round Metz, and the Germans
made themselves as comfortable as possible. They
could not take Metz, but neither could BAZAINE get
out. It was simply a question of how long the food
inside the place would serve to feed the garrison, the
army, and the population. It proves to have been
seventy days. This period was occupied in many a gal-
lant bat vain sortie, and at length the time expired,and
starvation brought about the surrender of the first
fortress in the world, without the necessity for firing
a single siege gun at its works.
The military effects of such an event are obvious.
The German troops around Paris are by no means too
numerous for their work, and they will now receive
the needed. increase. So large is the army under
Prince FREDERICK CHARLES that reinforcements
can be sent to Paris, and yet leave a strong
body to penetrate into the interior, and destroy
the • elements of resistance there forming.
If there ever was the slightest gleam of hope for the
French, it was in gaining some success by a
new army, whilst Metz and Paris yet held out. It
is now too late for any enterprise of this
kind. As to the political censequences of the
surrender, it of course immediately suggests itself
to every English mind that the French Government
must now perceive the utter hopelessness of continuz
ing the contest. But the proof that no chance of
success remains is but a shade stronger than it was at
any time since Sedan. The Government have failed
to appreciate the situation hitherto, and there is
but too much reason to fear that their obstinacy
will not cease. It is to be hoped that the result may
be different, but the disposition now shewn at Tours
is not promising.

TOPICS OF THE DAY.

WANTED(A DIPLOMATIST.

So difficult is it to get a suitable Am erican repre-
sentative at this court that in many quarters it is
thought likely that Mr. Motley will be asked to re-
main. The London correspondent of the Scotsman
says he was removed only because the President was
desirous to shew the world that Mr. Sumner's influ-
ence was not what it had been. "Mr. Motley, in
fact, was struck at, not so much because he had per-
sonally given offence, as because he
happened to be Mr. Sumner's friend.
That Mr. Motley's action on the Alabama question
had nothing to do with his recal is certain,
from the fact that his action was nil. He was ro-
strained from moving in the matter by his instruc-
tions, and, as far as our Government was concerned,
scrupulously abided by them, though I fancy he gave
his own Government to understand that the matter
was by no means so difficult of settlement as they
chose to pretend." It will be rather odd, indeed, if
Mr. Motley remains after having been " struck at "
to spite Mr. Sumner. He will be a strange being if
he puts up with such treatment.