The Sun.
London, England, 1870-08-24 00:00:00

FRANCE Ai' BAY.

These are the darkest days France has been called upon
to pass through since 1815. Fear and anxiety hang over
every household in Paris. A few days ago the majority
of the French people believed that their armies would
never be uprooted from German soil until Prussia sued
for peace. With startling suddenness, the whole prospect
has been changed. It is a question not of marching to
Berlin, but of saving Paris. The Emperor has fled
to Chalons, apparently in the desperate hope
of stemming the tide of invasion should it pene-
trate beyond Metz. The disaster is too vast
to be disguised. The French Ministry, instead of an-
nouncing triumphs, can only beseech the people to go
forth to the defence of their native land. Those who have
seen in this war only a question between Napoleon and
Bismarck, between despotism and freedom, between one
man and the ascendancy of liberal ideas, would naturally
suppose that this appeal for fresh armies would be
unheeded. They leave out of consideration the fact that
when a proud nation sees its existence threatened, it will
generally push all political differences aside, and strike for
the preservation of its honour. If Napoleon perished
to-morrow, this war would go on. Already the
National Guard are clamouring to be led to the
front. The love of " Fatherland," which we
praise in the Germans, is not extinct in the French,
and although our sympathies are withdrawn
from the latter people in their struggle, we may assume
for the present that the invasion of their soil by a foreign
army will not be a subject of rejoicing with them. But
the crisis is tremendous. Even France with all her
resources may not be able to cope successfully with it.
The Prussian commanders are succeeding by the same
tactics as those which they found so efficient in the
Austrian campaign. While the enemy is laying plans
for an advance, they hurl vast masses of men upon him,
and swallow him sip. Thus they . gain an in-
estimable advantage at the outset of the
struggle. It was said of the Austrians that
they did not fight so well as the Prussians, and that they
were not so well armed. Mr. Dicey wrote, iu 1866, " The
Prussians have not as yet had the opportunity of chewing
how their troops would conduct themselves if confronted
by an army which attacked them with the vigour of the
French." The test has now been made, and the result
is a repetition of Koniggratz. The Prussian Army,
and the Prussian system of tactics, are still invincible.
Every part of Napoleon's plans has been brought
to utter confusion. If he had any chance at
all to begin with, he very soon lost it. He
has now to lead a beaten army. The magic which still
clung to the name of Napoleon in the minds of the sol-
diers is gone. It is an alarming emergency which the
French Chambers will be called upon to consider. The
Journal OjJiciel tells that the relations of the French Go-
' vernment with the neutral Powers continue to be satisf
tory. These relations would probably be much more
satisfactory if some of the Great Powers would throw
off their neutrality, and send a few battalions to the nil
of France, If the position of England is
" satisfactory" to herself, she enjoys that satis-
faction alone. Prussia is covertly threaten-
ing her, and France is deeply incensed. It is
the story of our own war over again. England's
policy, if a series of blunders can be dignified with the
name of policy, is so contrived as to offend both sides at
once. England may some day be called upon to account
both to France and Prussia fel- pursuing a course which
pretended to be strictly neutral, and was in reality inimical
to both. When that time arrives she will find it more
hopeless to look for allies than France does now. She
has sown the seeds of hatred all ( ver the world, and the
crop of vengeance will assuredly spring up. The
bulk of the people in England know nothing
about foreign politics—the organs of "public opin-
ion " generally run wild in times of excitement.
Thus it happens that at this moment Prussia is shaking
the rod over England's back, and France remembers that
she has something besides Waterloo to avenge. Mean-
while France is called upon to make fresh sacrifices in
behalf of this new war for an " idea." The Ministers
think the National Guard can defend Paris, but " there
is a point not less essential—it is the necessity of filling up
the void in our army." They deal plainly with the people
—there is no help for it. It will be necessary to call out all
available forces—even a portion of the gendarmerie.
So soon has this great Power been reduced to its last re-
sources ! The " seven weeks' war " with Austria was not
half so startling, for Austria was ill-prepared, and knew
nothing of her antagonist's strength. France has been
making preparations for years, and yet two days fighting
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Ministers boast that they can still bring forward two
millions of men Lo meet the invader, all armed, and
many of them trained soldiers They are not afraid
to call out those forces which are ordinarily sup-
posed to be less favourable to the Empire
than the regular army. So far we hear of
no dissensions. A common danger unites the country—
just as a common danger lately united Germany. A
foolish telegram from Antwerp says that "the opinion"
there is that the war will be over in a week. Antwerp
was, we believe, a place of some importance in the 15th
century, but we were not aware till to-day that the
opinion of its inhabitants at present decides the fates of
empires, or is a potent factor in European politics. It is
probable, however, the opinion of these omniscient
burghers, notwithstanding that it will take more
than a week to break either of the great Powers now
arrayed against each other.—New York Times, August 9.

WALL-STREET AND THE YACHT RACE—It was
a western judge who used to adjourn court whenever the
circus came along. Yesterday the brokers, who disliked
betraying their indifference to business while the yacht
race was in progress, finally " confessed the maize," and
adjourned at the close of the morning call. The only
dealers who remained in the street were the speculators
in gold. Their solicitude was so thoroughly aroused by
the war news that they dared not leave the Gold-room,
but hung to its railing all day long.-17M York Herald,
August 9th.