The Sun.
London, England, 1870-10-04 00:00:00

LONDON, TUESDAY, OCTOBER 4, 1870.

" REVOLUTIONS are the seed-plots of genius," is
the epigrammatic dictum of one of the most philo-
sophic of our English historians. The phrase is as
exact as it is felicitous. It is applicable not only
here but elsewhere. Its justification is visible, not
only in the instance of the Commonwealth, and
later on in 1689, when the sceptre passed from the
Second JAMES to the Third WILLIAM, but is equally
apparent in the instance of those more astounding
political transformations which have far more
recently occurred among our Gallic neigh-
bours. The animating influence of epochs of profound
national excitement like these, becomes manifest, and
not the least conspicuously, in the calm atmosphere
and sequestered fields of art and literature. It was
curiously illustrative of this, that in the midst of the
passionate outbreak of the Parisians in the July of
1830, the young poet-dramatist-romancist, VrcTon.
HUGO, then in the flower of his age, and with his
genius at its very highest, shutting himself up in his
garret, with the contents of one bottle, swiftly
wrote off currente calamo his radiant historical
fiction " Notre Dame de Park" Revolutions, it is
true—history has demonstrated it again and again as
an irrefragible truth—are the seed-plots of genius.
But how is it when, simultaneously with a revolu-
tionary outbreak like that of yesterday in France, a suc-
cession of overwhelming calamities the world sees
crushing down into the dust the once domi-
nant heroism and irrepressible patriotism of
forty million Frenchmen ? Under the repres-
sive influence of eighteen years of absolutism,
both art and literature had languished. In art
either MEISSONIER, with his minute pencil, guided
as it seemed through the lens of a microscope
produced marvels of finnikin ingenuity, or the slap
dash activity of DORE covered acres of canvas with
the meretricious phantasies born of his painter's ima-
gination. In literature a deistical cynic was simul-
taneously flaunting himself into notoriety by an
audacious attempt at once to popularise and to depre-
ciate the record of the evangelists. These
are the artistic and literary reputations
that have been the products of the
regime that has just passed away. And now, in this
most bitter epoch of tribulation for France, when
her fairest provinces are overrun by invaders and
her chief city is beleagured and imminently
threatened with bombardment, her chief poet is
ranting in the prosiest fustian, addressed now to the
Germans, now to his own countrymen, her principal
artist is raving in pigments on the one hand
about the "Rhin Allemand," and on the other about
the " Marseillaise."

WITH the exception of the battle of the 10th, the
fighting around Paris has not yet assumed a very
serious character. On that day a large miscellaneous
force, led out by General DucitoT, was surprised and
beaten by the Bavarians and Prussians, the Zouaves in
particular earning fame by the "regrettable pre-
cipitancy " of their flight. This action gave the
Germans some advantage in the way of position ; it
testified that the heterogenous and half trained
masses who garrison Paris had not attained
sufficient firmness and skill to meet their
adversaries in the open field ; and it
led General TROcHU to issue those stringent
orders respecting cowardice and insubordination
which bore melancholy testimony to the condition of
at least part of his troops. Since then combats
have been frequent, and the reports as
to their results most contradictory. But
it is obvious from the accounts on both sides
that these fights have not involved any important
consequences. They may be regarded as beginning
the series of intermittent combats which will rage on
the vast theatre of operations until the Germans retreat
or become masters of the city. On the 23d the French
fought several engagements, which they report ended

THE SUN, LONDON, TIT

victoriously for them ; and it 'appears clear that the
garrison contended on that day with honour, if not
with material profit.. These combats, however, now.
assume an aspect of far less importance than was at
first attributed to them. On other occasions
the Germans have had the best of it.
Two sorties were made on Friday, and the Prus-
sian official account states that the French fled
" in wild confusion." The Times correspondent, how-
ever, announces that no success was gained for either
party, only " a certain number of Prussians were
killed and wounded, and a greater number of
French placed in the same category." On
Saturday the French sustained a serious repulse,
losing many prisoners; but we are told that this
reverse was counterbalanced by the foiling of a
German attack on Fort Charenton.. It may be ex-
pected that these fights will become more petty as
they become more frequent. Combats there must
always be ; but General TROCHU will most pro-
bably find it expedient to discontinue isolated
sorties of a few thousand men, and reserve himself
until his troops are so seasoned and disciplined that
the experiment may be tried of accumulating an
enormous preponderance of force on some part of
the widely extended German line.

TOPICS OF THE DAY.