The Sun.
London, England, 1870-08-04 00:00:00

WHAT C.A2g PRUSSIA DO ?

It must be very evident to Mose who have watched
Europe during the past few years that both parties in the
present war have been carefully preparing for the possible
contingency of a gigantic struggle. No traveller can have
failed to notice the immense preparations made in the
fortresses of Rhein's!' Prussia, and the incessant manmu-
vering and marching of Prussian soldiers across the
very region now to be fought over. Never was
the old martinet di-ill; for which the Hohenzol-
lerns have been so notorious; so kept up in the
royal armies as during the last three years. Rail-
road connections have been improved, and there
is now no part of Prussia from which vast bodies
of men cannot in a few hours be concentrated at Cologne
or on the Upper Rhine. Nor has Bismarck neglected the
essential thing—the sinews of war. An important portion
of the Prussian debt has been funded ; the public credit
is excellent, and, in financial respects, Prussia stands well
prepared for the struggle. The numerouslittle kingdoms,
principalities, and free cities width she has absorbed, now
furnish her men and means ; and all Foonth Germany, in
a struggle for the Rhine, will soon be in her service or
an ally. The Ernssian Government in one respect,
it is true, has not kept pace with her great
opponent. Having but recently become a maritime
Power, her fleet is comparatively inferior ; a fact whieh,
as her commerce is now, we believe, Mild in importance
in the world will be very disastrous to hvr: Yet the
naval authorities have purchased one ironclad frigate—
built in Englaild--which is said to be more powerful
than any single ship in the French Navy. They
have also provided several small " monitors" for
harbour defence. France line been equally dili-
gent in her preparations. The Line" has been
increased in number, and, since Sadowa, the great body of
the army have been armed with the Chnosepot rifle—a
weapon pronounced by our officers to be far superior to the
clumsy needle gun of the Prussians. Her naval prepara-
tions have been immense, and the French navy is now the
second iii the world. The li'rench officers are no doubt
thoroughly &Millar With every inch of the Rhine Province,
and every feature of the fortresses where the struggle is
to be. In a financial point of view, hcim ever, we
doubt if France can be considered so well prepared
as Prussia. Her debt is enormous, and a short harvest is
crippling her means., In the passions aroused, and the
moral forces in arms, the two opponents do not seem to us
equal. In the French population the love of glory, the
hatred of the German, and the ambition of seeing France
again at the head of Europe, are doubtless fully
awakened. Still, to the French peasantry, who make the
bulk of the army, these Cannot be vital matters. France
in its integrity, is not threatened, and the French
mind of latter years is more greedy of money than glory.
But with Germans even in the poorest Bauer the strong
passion of nationality is aroused by this sudden at.ack.
Their country is threatened. The Rhine is a symbol of
nationality. All the old German enthusiasm, -which has
broken the power of France on so many battle-fields, will
be kindled again. We shall see some modern fiery Blucher
leading the young men once more in vehement.
assaults on the French itiVader. Germany will be in the
position of a man defending his home. Such forces as
these, though of not much account in modern warfare
against superior armies, are of immense importance where
the contending Powers are in other respects equal. If
modern education be of much importance, the great body
of the Prussian army ought to be superior to the French.
Perhaps with the rank and file this is not of much
consequence. Yet, in respect to the whole body of in-
ferior officers, and in connection with all the mechanical
labours of an army and the power of comprehending a
manoeuvre, superior intelligence and education must give
an advantage. It was plain that Prussian intelligence
gave the army the victory over Austrian stupidity. May
it not over French drill ?--New York Times.

A man named George Upham, of Southmolton,
Devon, died on Sunday from the effects of a sunstroke
which he received on the previous day while in charge of
his master's horse.

A shoekino- ease of sudden death happened at
Sheffield on li:?uesdaY. A woman named Stack, whilst
passing along the street, fell to the ground. A stream of
blood flowed from her mouth, rind before assistance could
be rendered she was dead.

Major-General Pattin says he has reason to believe
that the young officer who was killed at nosierbronn is.
the son of his uncle, Mr. Winsloe, an Englishman, resid-
in..° at Carlsruhe. This gentleman has five sons in the
Baden Cavalry, and one in the Prussian Hussars.

The puke of Abercorii, by the advice of Dr. Gull,
has gone to Leamington, in order to benefit by the waters.
His Grace will keep an establishment at Newbold Beeches.
The Duchess of Montrose will also reside in Leamington,
by the advice of her physicians,

At a meeting of Orangemen held on Tuesday night
at Enniskillen' speeches were made condemnatory of
France and extolling PruSsia. It was resolved to meet in
thousands at Dromard on the 12th, for the purpose of ex-
pressing sympathy with Prussia. A hope was expressed
that England would not allow France to behave dis-
honourably,
With the Parliamentary papers issued yesterday

here are several returns relative to Indian maters

monthly trade accounts (foreign countries); estimates of
expenses for legation and consular buildings in China and
Japan ; report on the fitness of Mr. Francis M`Keon to
be a magistrate of Leitrim county (the report is that
M`Keon is a fit person for the magistracy) ; further papers
as to China ; report of the president of Queen's College,
Cork.

The Lord Lieutenant and Countess Spencer
arrived at Garbally Park, Ballinasloe, the residence of
Earl Clancarty, on Tuesday, on a visit to the Royal
Agricultural Society's Cattle Show, which commenced
yesterday. Addresses were presented by the Town
Commissioners of Athlone, and the Ballinasloe Commis-
sioners:

GERMAN VESSELS IN DOVER.—During the past
few days several ships belonging to the North German
Confederation have put into our harbour to avoid the
danger of capture by the French fleet.—Dover Telegraph,
MOSQUITOES IN THE CORN-FIELDS. The
harvest workmen around Plnmstead, Wickham, and
other districts in Kent, have been much retarded in the
operation of reaping and tying up corn this week, by the
swarms of mosquitoes which sting and annoy them at
work. The women and boys engaged in tying and shock-
ing the corn are the chief victims of these foreigners,
which are traced from Woolwich, and supposed to have
been originally imported by shipping from abroad.
INSTALLATION OF EARL DE GREY IN GRAND CHAPTER.

.... .....
—At a convocation of the Grand Chapter of Royal Arch
Freemasons of England, held on Wednesday night at Free-
masons Hall, the Right Hon. the Earl de Grey and Ripon was
installed as the Grand First Principal of the order. His
lordship, at the close of the ceremony, returned thanks
for his election to the chair. The Earl of Carnarvon, the
second principal, was not present, but Lord de Tabley,
who had been elected third principal, was invested. The
chapter was attended by many distinguished Freemasons.
I )ETERMINED SUICIDE AT LIVERPOOL. A
shocking case of suicide has come under the notice of the
Liverpool coroner. A woman named Read, the wife of a
manufacturing chemist at Wolverhampton, was sepa-
rated from him a few days after marriage, and went to
reside with her friends, in Wellesley-road, Liverpool.
Since then she had evidently been very unhappy. On
Tuesday she obtained laudanum from the shops of four
different chemists, and took dose after dose at various
periods of the day. In the evening she was found
drowned at Cornwallis-street public baths.
DEATH OF A WOMAN FROM EATING HER OWN
HAIR.—On Wednesday Dr. Lankester held an inquest on
the body of Harriet Adams, aged 20, who had died in
St. Pancras Workhouse Infirmary from the effects of
eating her own hair. Dr. Ellis, medical officer of
infirmary, said the deceased was admitted into the
insane ward on the 9th of December last, and died on
the 30th of July. She was imbecile, but nothing was
known of her or her antecedents. On the 31st of March
last she commenced a spitting of blood, owing to some-
thing, in his belief, which she had swallowed. From this
period she continued gradually to waste away and get
weaker till she died. He made a post-mortem examina-
tion. The body was extremely emaciated, and he found
embedded in the stomach and intestines a quantity of
human hair—no doubt her own—and wool which the de-
ceased had eaten. The effect of the secretion of this hair
and wool had been to produce ulceration of the stomach,
and cause death. A verdict in accordance with the
medical evidence was returned.

THE FUNERAL OF M. PARADOL.—JuIy 22ild was
a day of gloom and sorrow in Washington, such as is
seldom known at the capital. The tragic death of M.
Paradol, the French Minister, had cast a shadow over
the city which was not yet dispelled, and the funeral cere-
monies were correspondingly solemn and impressive ;
indeed, few similar occasions appear to have had such
a marked effect upon the public mind. The entire
foreign diplomatic corps, including the Prussian Minister,
as also a majority of President Grant's Cabinet and
several of the most distinguished representatives of the
army and navy, were present to pay their last sad tribute
of respect to the memory of the deceased. At first it was
feared that the rites of the Roman Catholic Church
would not be held over the remains because of
M. Paradol's having taken his own life ; but his
insanity was so well established that this
objection was over-ruled, and the body was taken to St.
Matthew's church, where requiem masses were offered
and an eloquent sermon delivered by Father White. At
the conclusion of the ceremonies at the church the re-
mains were taken •to the railroad depot and sent to this
city, where they arrived at ten o'clock, and were received
by the French Consul, who had them quietly conveyed
aboard the steamer Lafayette. But a short while since M.
Paradol arrived in this city by the Lafayette, and now
the same vessel takes back his mutilated remains.—New
York Herald.

BRITISH AND COLONIAL. EMIGRATION FUND.—
A meeting of the committee of this fund was held at the
Mansion House yesterday afternoon, the Lord Mayor
presiding. Mr. Haly, the lion. secretory, read a sum-
mary of the proceedings of the society during the present
year, from which it appeared that the receipts had
amounted to about £24,000, of which £9,000
had been contributed by public subscriptions,
£2,500 by Kelsall's emigration charity, and. £12,000
by local emigration societies, and the emigrants
themselves. expenditure would amount to £22,500
for passages and landing of emigrants, £2,000 for bedding
and mess utensils on board ship, and expenses for carry-
ing out the emigratipn, £6OO. With the funds upwards of
5,000 persons had been assisted to emigrate, principally
to Canada, and the reports received regarding them were
very satisfactory. A cash statement shewed that the
balance •in hand was £4,800, and th4t the lihbilities
amounted to £6,000.'

00•••

THE WAR.

THE BATTLE AT SAARBRUCK

(FROM THE COhRESPONDENT OF THE CENTRAL PRESS.

METZ, AUGUST 3.
A later telegram from Paris states that the division
engaged in the fighting at Saarbruck was the second
of General Froissard's Army Corps, and was com-
manded by General Bataille. The Prussian ad-
vanced posts were carried at the point of the bayonet,
and the artillery then dislodged the Prussians from
the town. The estimate of the Prussian
force engaged varies from 10,000 to 20,000.
The correspondents of the Presse, Opinione,
National, and Peuple Francais, writing from
Saarbruck, represent the effec is of the mitrailleuse as
very murderous. It is stated that the Prussians are
withdrawing towards Treves. Saarbruck being an
open town is not occupied by the French . It is be-
lieved that the 7th Prussian Army Corps, numbering
25,000 men, is between Saarluis and Saarbruck. The
bulletin of last evening's Ojicial Journal says it is
stated that Prince Frederick Charles arrived yester-
day at Treves.
The Prussian official account, given in a telegram,
dated Berlin, Wednesday, says : "At ten o'clock on
the morning of the 2nd instant the small detach-
ment at Saarbruck was attacked by three divisions
of th. French Skinny, and a firo -from 92 guns WCISI
opened upon the town. The Prussian detachment
evacuated the heights of the drilling ground at noon,
and the town at two p.m. A retrograde movement
was then made to the next defences. The losses on
the Prussian side are comparatively small. Accord-
ing to the statement of a prisoner the Emperor
Napoleon arrived on the ground in front of Saarbruck
at eleven a.m."
The Emperor, according to the Gaulois, has sent
a telegram to the Empress, which runs thus :
"Louis has just received his baptism of fire. He
displayed admirable coolness, and was in no
way afraid. A. division of General Frois-
sard has taken the heights which command
the left bank of Saarbriick. The Prussians made a
short resistance. We were in the first line,
and the balls and bullets fell at our feet. Louis has
kept one bullet which fell near him. Some soldiers
wept on seeing him so calm. We have lost one
officer and ten men killed." The foregoing telegram,
be it noted, is on the authority of the Gaulois.
Saarbiirck is more or less burned.
A Prussian account of affairs at Saarbruck is dated
Monday before the battle, and runs thus :—" Com-
munication between Saarlouis, Treves, and Saar-
bruck is completely open and unimpeded. Saar-
burg and Merzing are in the occupation of the
Prussians. As previously announced, the French column of
infantry, supported by: artillery. which attacked Saar-
bruck on Saturday, was repulsed. On the Prussian side
one Uhlan was killed, two Fusiliers wounded, and two
horses shot. Columns of the French have advanced to-
wards St. Arnual and Gersweiler, and hold possession of
the woods in that neighbourhood. There has been a very
brisk rifle firing and an immense waste of munition on the
part of the enemy."