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

THE WAR.

THE SIEGE OF PARIS.

NEWS BY BALOON POST.
The Daily News publishes another letter from a be-
sieged resident in Paris, forwarded by means of a balloon,
written in the form of a diary. The items of the cor-
respondent are very interesting under the present circum-
stances of the capital, and we make the following ex-
tract :
"FRIDAY MORNING, SEPT. 23.—Firing has been going
on since three o'clock this morning. The newspapers
contain accounts more or less veracious respecting
fights outside the forts, in which great numbers
of Prussians have been killed. M. Jules Favre pub-
lished an account of his interview with Count
Bismarck in the Journal Officiel. I enclose it. M.
Villemessant in the Figaro informs the world that he has
left his wife outside, and would willingly allow one of his
veins to be opened in exchange for a letter from her. We
are still engaged in our old occupation—willing to die for
our country. I hear that there has been serious fighting
in the neighbourhood of St. Denis. This morning I saw
another of the '4B Republicans—he seemed inclined to
upset the Government more on the ground that they
are incapable than because he differs with
them in politics. The fact is that the
country has forgotten these men of '4B. They are not
half as powerful as they imagine themselves. Ledru
Rollin has a strong following, but few trouble their heads
either about Louis Blanc or Victor Hugo. I shall give this
letter to a friend who will get it into the balloon, and go
off to the Trocadero, to see how things are getting on.—
P.S.—The Solferino Tower on the Buttes Montmartre
has been pulled down. No one is to be allowed to hoist
the Geneva flag unless the house contains at least six
beds for wounded. .We have now a bread as well as a
meat maximum.
SATURDAY, SEPT 24.—We are as despondent to-day as
we were jubilant yesterday. The success at the front
seems to have dwindled down to an insignificant artillery
combat. The Electeur Libre give the following account
of it. On the previous evening eight thousand Prussians
had taken the redoubt of Villejuif. At one in the morning
some regiments advanced from there towards Vitry,
and occupied the mill of Sagnet, while on the left about
five thousand established themselves on the plateau of
Hautes-Bruyeres. The division of General Maud'huy
retook these positions. At five o'clock in the
morning the Prussians tried to occupy them a second time
but were driven back, and at half-past seven o'clock they
fell back. At nine they attacked again, when a column
of our troops, issuing from the Porte d'ltalie, arrived.
The fray went on until ten o'clock, when the Prussians
retreated towards Sceaux and Verrieres. This tallies to a
great extent with what I was told by an officer
this morning who had taken part in the engagement.
The latest official utterance states that the
division Maud'huy is definitely established "on
the position of Villejuif." A despatch has been
received, dated 9.30 yesterday evening, from the
commander of St. Denis, in which he claims considerable
advantages in yesterday's fighting at Pierrefitte. To-day
there are, of course, all sorts of rumours of- successes ; but
after the experience of yesterday little credit is attached
to them. 12:10 Gazette Officielle contains a decree cashier-
ing M. Devienne, President of the Cour de Cassation,
and sending him to be judged by his own court, for having
been the intermediary between Badinguet and his mistress
Marguerite Bellanger. Two letters are published which
seem to leave no doubt that that this worthy judge acted
as the go-between of the two lovers. Air. George Sanders
whilom United States Consul in London, and one of the
leaders of the ex-Confederacy, is here ; he is preparing
plans for a system of rifle pits and zigzags outside the
fortifications, at the request of General Trochu. Mr.
Sanders, who took an active part in the defence of Rich-
mond, declares that Paris is impregnable, if it be only
well defended. He complains, however, that the
French will not use the spade.
4 o'CLocs P.M.—We have been in a state of wild en•
thusiasm all this afternoon. At about 1 o'clock it was
rumoured that 20,000 Prussians and 40 cannon had been
taken. There had been a heavy firing, it was said, this
morning, and a Prussian force had approached near the
forts of Ivry and Bicetre. General Vinoy had issued
forth from Vincennes, and, getting behind them, had
forced them under the guns of the forts, where they were
taken prisoners. The Boulevards immediately were
crowded—here a person announcing that he had a
despatch from the front, here another vowing he
had been there himself. Wherever a drum was
heard there was a cry of " Here come the pri-
soners 1" Tired of this, at about four o'clock I drove
to Montrouge. It is a sort of Parisian Southwark.
I found all the inhabitants lining the streets, waiting too
for news. A regiment marched in, and there was a cry
that it had come from the front; then artillery filed by
out of the city gate. I tried myself to pass, and had got
half-way through before I was stopped, then I was turned
back. The prisoners here, close by the scene of action,
had dwindled down to 5,000. Imagine Southwark, with
every man armed in it, and a battle going on at
Greenwich, and you will have an idea of
the excitement of Montrouge.
6 o'CLocs P.M.—The boulevards almost impassable ;
the streets before the Mairies absolutely impassable ; no
official confirmation of the victory, except a pro-
clamation. Everyone who is not inventing news is
waiting for it. A proclamation has been issued by
General Trochu conceived in a very sensible spirit, telling
the National Guard that the moment is ill chosen for
pacific demonstrations, with crowns and bouquets. I hear
that some of the soldiers who ran away at Clamart have
been shot. Some of the papers discovered in
the Tuileries are also published. There is a letter from
Jecker to Conti, in which he says that de Morny had
promised him to get the Mexican Government to
pay his claims on condition of receiving 30 per cent.
of profits. A letter signed Persigny complains that an
employe in the Cabinet Noir is in want, and ought to be
given money to prevent his letting out secrets. A letter
from the Queen of Holland tells Napoleon that if he does
not interfere in Germany his own dynasty will suffer. A
note of the Emperor, without date, says, 'lf France
boldly places itself on the terrain of the nationalities, it
is necessary to prove that the Belgian nationality doe:: not
exist. The Cabinet of Berlin seeming ready to enter into
negotiations, it would be well to negotiate a secret acte,
which would pledge both parties. This act would have the
double advantage of compromising Prussia and of being
for her a pledge of the sincerity of the Emperor." The
note then goes on to say that it is necessary to dissipate
the apprehensions of Prussia. "An acte is wanted," it
continues ; " and one which would consist of a regula-
tion of the ulterior fate of Belgium in concert with
Prussia would, by proving at Berlin that the Emperor
desires the extension which is necessary to France since
the events which have taken place in Germany, be at
least a relative certainty that the Prussian Government
would not object to our aggrandisement towards the north."
I drove this morning through the fighting faubourgs with
a member of the Barricade Committee. Barricades are
being erected everywhere, and they are even stronger
than the outer fortifications. There are, too, some agree-
able little chemical surprises for the Prussians if ever they
get into the town. In reply to some suggestions which I
made, my friend said, "Leave these people to form
their own plans. They understand street fighting better
than any one in the world." At La Villette, Grenelle,
and, other faubourgs inhabited by the blouses, there is no
lack of patriotism, and they will blow themselves and
their homes up rather than yield.
The Inclepentlance Beige has received news from its
Parisian correspondent by means of a balloon. On
Sunday, the 25th, the city was still under the favourable
influence of the success recently obtained. It was sup-
posed to be not unlikely that an effort would be made to
recover the positions which were lost at Meudon and the
Lanterne de Diogene, for the Prussians are likely to make
a decisive attack on Paris from that direction. The hard
terms which Count Bismarck imposed as condi-
tions of peace seem to have called forth an
unanimous expression of indignation, and the
internal divisions upon which the Prussian Govern-
ment counted so much appear to have vanished
altogether. It was reported that the Crown Prince wrote
to his father expressing his regret at the rejection of the
terms proposed by M. Jules Favre, but those who set the
story afloat were ignorant of the usages of the Court of
Prussia. What is more likely is that the Prussian army
resent the sufferings of a campaign which has
been long enough. When M. Jules Favre
was sent from post to post to the Prussian
head-quarters, the officers of all ranks conversed
with him, and expressed their desire for a peace which
might be advantageous to Prussia, while it was honourable
to France. But they added that King William and Count
Bismarck wished for war absolutely. The Prussian soldiers
who are made prisoners are still more anxious to get
back to their own country. There can be no doubt that
these men would do their duty, but the trials of the siege
should not be indefinitely prolonged. The situation of tha
sick is deplorable, as is also that of the Wounded. Great
attention has been excited by the publication of the
papers found at the Tuileries. It has been found im-
possible to discover the names of the numerous recipients
who under various titles and in all classes of society,
profited by the secret resources of the Imperial Government.
An enormous number of receipts has been found, but