The Sun.
London, England, 1851-08-08 00:00:00

THE FETES AT PARIS.

(From Galignanis Messenger of Wednesday.)
GRAND REVIEW AND SHAM FIGHT.

The civic fetes which have been got up in honour
of the visit of the Lord Mayor and Aldermen of
London and the Commissioners of the Exhibition
were yesterday followed by a grand military spec-
tacle in the Champ de Mars. The commencement of
the manoeuvres was fixed for four o'clock, but several
hours before that time the Champ de Mars, the
quays, the heights of Chaillot, and indeed every spot
from whence a view could be obtained, was densely
thronged. Tribunes had been erected on one side of the
Champ de Mars for the accommodation of a certain
number provided with tickets, and which were at an
early hour filled with elegantly dressed females. The
centre tribune was more particularly reserved for the
Lord Mayor and the other visitors, by whom it was
filled some time before the manoeuvres commenced. At
about three o'clock the troops began taking up their
positions. Precisely at four o'clock the President of
the Republic, accompanied by a numerous and bril-
liant etaff, entered the Champ de Mars from the right
bank, and crossing the Pont d'lena. Among the
cortege were thirteen or fourteen English officers.
Marginal Narvaez and several other foreign officers
were also among the number. The moment the
President came on the ground, he rode up to the front
of the tribune, and saluted the Lord Mayor and the
gentlemen who were there seated. He then turned
again towards the river, and the manoeuvres imme-
diately commenced.
In order to form an idea of the mimic combat, we
must imagine a hostile force advancing from Passy
and the Bois de Boulogne to attack the Ecole Mili-
taire, a strong fortress having the river in its front.
The attacking army had pushed on a strong recon-
noitring party as far as the heights of Chaillot, on
seeing which the general in command of the fortress
took up a position in the Champ de Mars with his
force, consisting of fourteen battalions of infantry,
ten squadrons of light and heavy cavalry, and
two batteries of artillery. Finding the enemy
were occupying the heights opposite his position,
he advanced a strong force of tirailleurs across
the bridge of Jena, at the same time that he
made a diversion on their left wing by throw-
ing a ponton bridge across the river a little way
above. The tirailleurs, under the support of a heavy
fire of artillery, advanced up the heights, keeping up
a rapid fire as they advanced through the wood with
which the heights are covered. They were met with
a heavy fire from the party posted on them, as well
as from some artillery placed on the summit. The
reconnoitring party were at length driven back on
their main body, and the tirailleurs retained possession
of the heights. Their conquest, however, was but of
short duration, for the main body of the enemy ad-
vancing, the tirailleura were in their turn obliged to
retreat and re-cross the bridge. The enemy then, in
their turn, became the assailants, and, under a heavy
fire from their artillery, advanced on the Champ do
Mars, compelling the garrison of the fortress to fall
back on their strong-hold. This was not done, how-
ever, without every inch of ground being warmly
disputed.
The coup d'ceil here became . truly magnificent,
dense columns were seen descending the heights to-
wards the bridge, marching across it,and debouching
on the Champ de Mars, on entering which they
formed in squares to repel the heavy charges of ca-
valry. In this way the two armies went on, the one
advancing and the other retreating, until the whole
body of troops, amounting to from 25,000 to 30,000
men, were concentrated in the Champ de Mars. Some
splendid charges of cavalry were made on the in-
fantry, formed in squaArelsl,
thew nts v;
ere
ith
well-supported fire.
exe-
cuted with admirable. precision. During the passing
of the bridge, and the attack or, it by the advancing
on the
tqhneaPnresniedaernttahned
Pout liisstdalia pila7ced themselves
and remained
thore until the hostile party began to descend the
heights. On the President coming on the ground be
was hailed with loud cries of " Vive Napoleon !
Vive le President !" hundreds of blouses joining in
the shout, and taking off their caps as lie passed.
The combat was terminated at about six o'clock,
when the President dismounted, and entered the tri-
bune for a few minutes, after which he again mounted
his horse, and taking up his station in front of the
tribune, the filing off commenced, and was not
finished until more than half-past seven. He then
proceeded with his staff towards the Elysge. by the
the same road he had come. On leaving the
Champ de Mars, the people eagerly closed
round him on all sides, so much so that his
escort had some difficulty to clear a page?