The Sun.
London, England, 1870-10-14 00:00:00

LETTERS FROM PARIS.

A courier, with two thousand letters from Paris,
was captured the other day by the Germans. A
letter from the camp says that most of these
missives, which were chiefly from soldiers to their rela-
tives, were distinguished by their remarkable uniformity.
The high-flown style of the Paris press was imitated with
considerable care. It was nauseating to read the abuse
of the Emperor. He was styled thief, traitor, deceiver,
wholesale murderer. Death and the most excruciating
torments were invoked upon him, and the writers spoke
of tearing him to pieces in effigy, as they could no longer
get at him in person. There were not many utterances of
despondency. Ladies and educated people expressed
fears of a civil war in Paris, but there was tolerably
unanimous hatred of the enemy, and few doubted the
defensibility of the city. The strength of the garrison
was stated by many at 200,000, by most at 400,000, and
by a few at 600,000 or 800,000. Of course these and other
particulars were not trustworthy, many of the letters
being evidently written in the expectation of their
falling into the enemy's hands. One, indeed, after
scolding the Germans unmercifully, naively added that
if those wretched Prussians read it they would s,e
what was thought of them at Paris. A few of the letters
breathed a noble spirit—patriotic grief, self-sacrifice,
despair. One writer, a wounded soldier, commented bit-
terly on the want of principle and veracity of the Paris
press as justifying the harsh treatment now passed on the
French by foreigners. He was ashamed, he said, when
he read the papers of the 6th, 7th, and Bth of September,
which praised up to the skies the very men whom they
denounced a few weeks previously, and vice
versa. " And what will be the upshot of the
whole sorrowful story? Sooner or later, by surrender or
storming, Paris will fall into the hands of the enemy.
The propertied people will hail the 500,000 Prussians as
so many policemen, as restorers of peace and order, as
liberators from the proletariate yoke. For decency's sake
they will look melancholy, and the blondes among their
wives and daughters will perhaps wear mourning ; but in
their private rooms they will count up what they have
saved from the shipwreck, and thank God that, at least,
what remains is secure. The mob will creep back into
their gloomy cellars, and anxiously await the time when
they will again be allowed to see the sunlight. I, in des-
peration, shall make common cause with the patriots, and
either die in the breach or retire after the defeat to Algiers
Cochin China, or some other French colony. Finis
Polonix !"

Dysentery prevails at Versailles. It is caused by the
cold, now great at night, eating fruit, and drinking
peculiar water. There is an average of 1,000 inmates in
the hospital.
" Our outposts," says a letter from the correspondent
of a German paper, " are getting more and more tired of
the constant state of inactivity on our part. It is not
pleasant to hold a rifle in your hand and to see the
chassepot rifles firing away right under your very nose
without returning the fire. Bat everything will remain
in statu quo until the bombardment commences, unless
the beleagured people come to their proper senses in the
meantime."

A German letter from Choissy, one of the suburbs of
Paris, states that from many of the shops boards are hung
out, bearing announcements in chalk which are frequently
of a negative character. A baker, for instance, issued the
warning "no bread to be had here," a tobacconist "who-
ever expects to find cigars here is mistaken." There
are, however, inscriptions of a different character, such
as "here families can make coffee, and "dancing and
skittles."

The Continental Correspondence notices the alarming,
scarcity of meat which the German requisitions have pro-
duced in the district round Paris. The French pretty
well cleared the country before they were blockaded in

the capital. The Germans have finished the work. They
have eaten up the tame rabbits, the swans from the orna-
mental waters (this fare did not agree very well with
those who partook of it) and finally a good many dogs.
Nothing is now to be "requisitioned." Eighty men sent
out the other day found only three loaves for their bat-
talion.

Most of the correspondents of the German papers speak
of the extreme des llation which reigns round the French
capital. One writer, who made an excursion to Meaux,
says :—" Not a soul was to be seen on the long, straight
roads ; the green fields which extend on all sides were
empty as far as the eye could reach ; the villages were
deserted, doors and windows and stables stood open, and,
except a famished cat sunning itself on the window sill, I
saw no living being. It was as though we had traversed
a bewitched country. The perfect stillness which pre-
vailed was truly unearthly."
The Constitutionnel makes some extracts from a letter
from Paris, received by the last balloon : "The spirit which
animates the City of Paris is excellent. There is union
among the majority of the people, and the transformation
which has taken place since your departure is a striking
one. The National Guard has displayed wonderful de-
cision and courage ; it has animated the Line and the
Mobiles. The town is impregnable, and will only sur-
render in the event of famine, so that you see we can
hold out for a long time. Private industry has worked
marvels, and has supplied many deficiencies. We have
manufactured cannons and mitrailleuses to a great extent,
nothing is wanting in the way of coals or metal, and
the willingness which has been displayed is wonderful.
Since the return of Favre there has been no talk of peace.

'e are organising ap army which will proceed to attack
,he Prussians in a short time if they do not come to us.
Let us aim at securing them between two fires, ours and
yours. At Paris there is not the least sign of failing, and
there is courage everywhere."

AFFAIRS AT TOURS.

ARRIVAL OF GAMBETTA AND GARIBALDI.

Tours has been thrown into great excitement by the
nearly simultaneous arrival of Garibaldi and Gambetta•
The two notabilities came by very different routes, but
reached the town in the course of the same morning.
Garibaldi arrived at 4 a.m., when there was no one to
receive him at the railway station but a lieutenant of the
line, the Government not knowing exactly when he would
arrive. The lieutenant wished to escort the general, but
he replied that he was not in the habit of
being escorted. They would probably, he said, soon
meet again on the battle-field fighting for the
deliverance of the Republican territory. Meanwhile, MM.
Gent and Isambert hastened in all speed to the station,
and accompanied Garibaldi to the Prefecture, where he
was received by the members of the Government. Some
minutes later the battalion of the Free-shooters of Tours,
hearing the news, hurried into the garden of the Prefec-
ture, where, notwithstanding the early hour, a crowd had
assembled, and cries of " Vive Garibaldi !" " Vive la
Republic !" resounded on all sides, which were redoubled
when Garibaldi appeared at the window between
Crdmieux and Glais-Bizoin. He wished to come
down, but his excessive fatigue prevented him.
The two Ministers, however, descended, and
passed the Free-shooters in review, after which they re-
joined Garibaldi, to whom, at the request of the Free-
shooters, M. Glais-Bizoin gave the accolade in the name
of the battalion. Garibaldi and Cremieux addressed some
inspiriting words to the crowd, who broke up amid cheers
and cries of " Vive la 116publique !" Gambetta was ex-
pected early in the morning, but being obliged to stop at
Mans, where he passed the night, he did not arrive until
midday. Without losing a moment the members of the
Government met in Council at half-past twelve, and dis-
cussed the question of adjourning the elections. Towards
half-past two, while the members of the Government
were still in council, an immense crowd of citizens came
into the court of the Prefecture calling for Gambetta, and
Garibaldi. Gambetta speedily appeared on one of the I
balconies. His stein grave face was marked by resolute 1
energy. The popular excitement displayed itself in unani-

1 mous acclamations. When silence was restored M. Gam-
betta spoke. In a few words, uttered in a firm voice, tb'
Minister of the Interior thanked the people for their
cordial reception. " But, gentlemen," he continued,
" however great the satisfaction I feel, this is not the time
for demonstrations. Workers and fighters, I bring you
the instructions and the resolutions of the Government
of Paris. Not being able to speak to all I have written
placards which you will be able to read in au
hour's time, and which will tell you the object
of my mission. And now, gentlemen, once more
I say, let us work immediately, for we have
not a moment to lose. Let each one be at his post. Let
us part in crying Vive la Republic.' " The Minister of
the Interior returned immediately to the Council. Gari-
baldi afterwards received the National Guard of Tours,
and addressed a few words to them. The crowd left the
court of the Prefecture after hearing an address from M.
Glais-Bizoin, who told them the time for the elections
had not yet come, and that all the efforts of the country
must be directed to the one grand object of National
Defence.

The Siecle highly approves of the language employed by
M. Gambetta. " What we expected from him," says the
Sitcle, "he has brought us, an incomparable power of
work, and those qualities which are the merit of youth,
energy, movement, life. He will communicate vital
warmth to a body which was growing colder and colder.
He will give an energetic impetus to the machinery which
was slackening its movements and threatening to come to
a standstill. The convocation of the Constituent was
like the abdication of the Government at Tours, and
all the nation seemed to pause in consequence. The
adjournment of the constituent until after the enfran-
chisement of the soil restores matters to their proper
state. It is the resurrection of central power, and every-
thing will be resumed. What matter the delays, the
hesitations, the changes in this unlucky affair of the elec-
tions, first ordered and then countermanded. The country
has already forgotten all this. For the first time for a
long while it has only one object, and it has
confidence. And when it considers the state of
affairs, and remembers that the rainy season is
beginning ; that its fresh armies, forming in different
parts of the country are increasing in importance ; that
the general feeling of patriotism is augmenting, instead of
diminishing; above all, when it sees men fall from the sky
to speak such noble words, and urge it to its deliverance,
then it says to itself, "I am saved." The Siècle highly
approves the postponement of the elections, quoting the
words that in presence of the enemy men must not debate,
but fight.