The Sun.
London, England, 1870-08-20 00:00:00

TnE DEFENCES OF PARIS.

PARIS, THURSDAY EVENING.
Whilst the regular troops are leaving Paris for Chalors
with the utmost rapidity, what may be called the irregular
forces are quickly accumulating here for the defence of
the capital. The fortifications will, I can pretty confi-
dently say, be completed on Monday, and the men who
will protect them are flowing in from all sides. General
Trochu, who has taken the command of Paris, has
ordered all the regular troops to go immediately to
Chalons and be replaced by the armed firemen and Na-
tional Guards. Both the latter forces have come from
the provinces. Up to this morning 60,000 of the former
had reached Paris, and 20,000 of the latter. Orders
have been given that all the Garde Mobile
now at Chalons shall return to Paris and be
employed in the defence of that city and other
towns in France. This will enable all the regular
troops, now in the different departments, to be sent to the
army of Chalons. This measure will be received
with pleasure throughout France, the Garde Mobile,
not being military men, but principally labourers, me-
chanics, and artisans. Many a family will eat a better
dinner to-day than yesterday.
An excellent patriotic spirit has not failed to animate
the people, both during the gloom of defeat, and the revival
which has been caused by Bazaine's news of victory.
.Everybody seems anxious to come forward and do his
-little best for the defence of his country. Men are
numerous and willing enough, if they were only trained,
-and offers of aid in material are not wanting. Several of
the principal corn merchants in France had an
interview yesterday with the Minister of Commerce. They
offered to furnish all the corn necessary for the provision
of the armies, and the fortresses ; and left to the Ministers
to decide what puke they would give. The omnibus
company have lent the Government 1,900 horses to be
employed on the fortifications.
A free company of sailors, armed with muskets
and cutlasses, is now being formed in Paris.
A free corps of cavalry, lately formed at a
village close to Paris, will leave to-morrow for
Chalons. The free corps composed of military men, th e
greater portion of whom are decorated with the Legion of
Honour and the military medal, left Paris for Chalons,
last night. They numbered 1,800. The son of General
Cavaignac, the first President of the Republic of 1841;
aged only 17 years, has entered the 6th Battalion of the
Garde Mobile as volunteer.
Spies and revolutionists occupy as much attention as
we can spare from our war pre-occupations. The number
of both these interesting classes of persons is considerable.
Yesterday two persons dressed fashionably as ladies were
arrested on one of the boulevards. They proved to be
Prussian officers ; but, however good they might be as
officers, they made very indifferent spies, for their reckless
putting of questions to strangers soon excited the suspicions
of the police. With respect to the Revolutionists, we are
again assured that they are very active ; and that the hour of
France's defeat will be the hour of triumph for those
wretches who seek their own advancement by means of
their country's loss. The Government yesterday seized a
depot of arms, composed of revolvers and poignards of
the same make and form as those used by the assassins
in La Villete.

In official quarters people are getting decidedly uneasy
about the Chamber. It has met; it has done its business;
but it displays the most decided opposition to anything in
the shape of prorogation. It has apparently determined'
to watch the course of events. This is not a good
symptom. Everybody knows what is the temper of a
French Parliament, and though the present Chamber has
been elected on terms most favourable to the existing
Government, there is no knowing what freak it might be
capible of. If the Left and the Left Centre were by
any chance to come to a harmonious understanding in the
case of a severe French defeat, the consequences for the
already tottering Imperial regime might be very grave.
Count Palikao has in vain asked the deputies to
shut up shop, albeit kindly remaining in the neigh-
bOurhood in order to be ready if called upon
again. Yesterday the Chamber decided almost

unanimously to hold a sitting to-day—not, as M.
Thiers put it, to do any business in particular, but in
order that the deputies might exchange ideas and receive

communications from the Government. Very agreeable
this, no doubt, for the deputies, but not at all similarly
pleasant for the Government. F.

Accordingly there was a sitting to-day, and it happens
that news has come which affords the most ample scope
for the exchange of ideas. A great battle has been
fought a little on this side of Metz, and the
French Marshal claims the victory. After the
battle of Sunday on the further or eastern

side of Metz, the Germans crossed the river Moselle
above the fortified town, near Pont-4-Mousson, and ad-
vanced rapidly with the view of cutting Bazaine's line of

retreat to Chalons, where alarge force is being accumulated
to reinforce him. This interception resulted, on Tuesday,
in a battle of the most desperate kind. Long was the
strife and fearful were the losses on both sides. But,

according to Marshal Bazaine's report, he has triumphed,
gaining ground on the Germans by occupying the posi-
tion in which they commenced the battle. Naturally the
satisfaction here at this turn in the tide of success is very
great. Yet it is not an unmixed satisfaction. Bazaine

says nothing about his line of retreat, which this battle
was fought to secure. Is it still open to him ? That is a

very grave question, and one which the Temps puts
very solemnly. In order to be safe, it was
needful for Bazaine to retire quickly to Verdun anil
thence to Chalons. Is he able to retreat at all? If he be

cut off, no victory can compensate for such a disaster. It
would be irreparable. Hence the public is still doubtful,
notwithstanding the positive assurance that the field has

--- been won. The policy of keeping back information is

still maintained. Irr short, it is amazing how coolly the
Paris people take this great news. They have made no
demonstration of any kind, not even hung out a flag. Do
they disbelieve the report ?

THE BATTLE OF BURN Y.

PARIS, WEDNESDAY.

Some tolerably complete details of Sunday's contest,
the battle of Borny, as the French call it, have reached
us. It is scarcely necessmiy to caution the reader against
confusing this battle with recent operations. Borny was
fought on the eastern side of Metz, not far from the walls
of the celebrated fortress. After it was decided, the
French endeaAured to effect their retreat through Metz
towards Verdun, and the Germans, crossing the Moselle
above Metz, with all speed endeavoured to block their
line of march. The great battle between Vionville and
Doncourt was fought by the French on Tuesday to secure
their retreat; the battle of Borny on Sunday was contested in
order to 'check the Germari advances. Another preliminary
must he added. All the details we have yet received come
from French sources. The Germans, I see from English
papers, claim the victory, as stoutly as the French ; and
when their narratives is published, it may represent matters
in a very different light. In the English papers this
battle is called Pange. The latter place is near Borny