The Sun.
London, England, 1870-08-11 00:00:00

STRATEGY OF THE CAMPAIGN.

It is possible, though we confess it seems to us hardly
probable, that the Emperor may even now design to con-
' centrate his whole army to defend the passages of the
Vosges. But he could scarcely expect to be in time. Can-
robert's corps would exhaust the transporting power of
the railway for two days, and the troops from- Metz
would have to make four matches in order to reach
Phalsburg. Before their four marches could be cora.
, pleted MacMahon, even if assisted by Canrobert, would
in all probability be beaten back, and the Vosges
be crossed by the army of the Crown Prince. 'Vet, as a
. last desperate risk, the effort might be worth making.
Saverne closes this pass of the Vosges, and must he taken
before an advance on Nancy can be made by either the
railroad or the great Strasburg road. In rear- of it a
strong position might be taken up. It is situated on the
Zorn, where it debouches into the plains of Alsace, and
above it rises a spur of the Vosges, covered with forest.
It was chosen by the Romans as a station for the
defence of the Vosges, and that argues that it is not
incapable of defence. Of its old defensive works only
some ruined walls and towers remain. But if Saverne
itself were taken, the railway to Nancy would easily be
made useless. Immediately after passing Saverne there
is a viaduct on six arches which carries the railway over
the road, canal, and river, and then, after several deep
cuttings, there is a tunnel nearly NO yards long. The
main road is closed, when Saverne is passed, by the
fortress of Phalsburg, and although this may not be'
strong enough to stand a long siege, having still only the
work designed by Vaubin, it would prove a for-
midable check to an advancing army. We know
how it opposed the Allies in 1814 and in 1815.
But in order that MacMahon or the Emperor should
have an opportunity of opposing the Crown Prince at
Saverne and Phalsburg the Crown Prince must first
attack by that road ; and it does not follow
that because MacMahon has taken that route
the Crown Prince will do so as well. His first
despatches shew that he was under the impres-
' sion that the marshal had taken the road to Bitsche,
and he would naturally halt before pushing on against
that strong position, where the fort-crowned hill closes
the pass, till assured of assistance from the other armies.
He is long since aware that the army of. Prince Frederic
Charles has occupied Saarguemines, and *that the French
army has retreated along the whole frontier. He must
know, what was doubtless the case on Monday, that there
are no French forces to bar that passage to the Vosges,
and it is more than likely that he will disregard MacMahon
for the present, or at least leave a corps to oppose him,
and hasten to cross these difficult hills, and effect his junc-
tion with the other armies. If once the three German
armies join together, west of the Vosges, they will ad-
vance in such strength on Metz that the Emperor's forces
will be entirely outnumbered. It is now impossible for
the Emperor to dispute these northern passes of the
Vosges ; and it seems, therefore, that a concentration for the
purpose of holding these mountains cannot be sure of suc-
cess. It would he no use to hold Phalsburg, and have the
position turned by Bitsche. Besides the risk of throwing
the whole French army towards the Vosges would be
enormous. It affords to Steinmetz and to Prince Charles
the opportunity of ascending the Moselle unchecked, and
placing themselves between the French army and Paris.
The more we think over the dispatch which states this to
he the plan the more we see that it is now too late for such ,
an attempt, and that the probabilities ore much more in
favour of the Emperor's calling Canrobert to Metz, and
there endeavouring to make a stand against the armies
which will advance upon him from the Saar.—Standard.

rIIE BATTLE OF WEISSENBURG.-4. letter in the
Standard, from Mannheim, Saturday, speaks of what hap-
pened after the battle of Weissenburg, which engagement
took place last Thursday. He says :—The news of the
capture of Weissenburg and Geisberg was received here,
as elsewhere, with the, utmost enthusiasm, though the
loss on the Prussian side has been very severe. The sth
Prussian Regiment was sadly cut up, and I have been
told only five officers are remaining unwounded ; so was
also the 11th. A Bavarian regiment suffered very
severely. I was speaking to several, of the wounded.
They were not in the least low-spirited. " We have won.
It is for our fatherland," they said, " and we do not
care." Fourhundred came into Mannheim, and 150 went to
Frankfort to the Lazaretto there. The arrangements at
the station here are excellent; a party of firemen keep
order, and then the young men from the town's committee
give seltzer water or brandy, as the surgeons order, to the
wounded. Four hundred and eighty French prisoners,
together with ten officers, passed through—some French,
some pure Algerines, some Zouaves. -One Zouavt said he
did not Qare who was Emperor, whethe'r Napoleon or the