The New York herald., 1870-09-27
The Military Situation--France in Motto
Tor Another Desperate Effort.


The siege of Paris presents no new features,
according to our dispatches this morn
ing. The reported serious battle at Pom
toise is denied, and the movement against the
Notifications about st. Denis is reported aban-
doned for the present 1t becomes clearer
every day that the weak spot in the circle of
Parisian Notifications lies in the southern seq
ment, and the grand assault will most probably
be made in the neighborhood of Forts Vanvrss,
D'Issy or Bicetre, from the heights of Sceaux.
We may hear at any moment that such an
attack is being made If it fails then
Prussia may possibly content herself with
the slow process OF starving out the garri-
son or ehtecting breach by the tedious method
of parallels or mines. The city in the mean
time presents a stout front to the enemy,
though we do not see that her generals are
doing anything to prevent the massing of Prus
sian troops for the assault. Ii may be that
they feel strong enough to allow the assault
to be made, confident of their ability to
repel it. and hoping to punish the enemy
severely while making it. With the facili-
ties the Prussiaus have, however, for con-
centrating suddenly and making an attack
at an unexpected point, the experiment
is precarious one A stout heart how
ever, the gay city still maintains. The officials
within claim that they have enough soldiers for
all the needs OF defence and enough provisions
to last throughout the winter. Extraordinary
powers have been conferred upon the general
officers delegated by the government, with
count personally at the close Of the war. This
action, which should have been taken long ago.
will effectually stop any renewal of the riotous
demonstrations which have been reported from
Paris. In war all laws are silent, and there
is no time for the action of constituent assem-
blies. One good general with extraordinary
powers, untrammeled by political trickery like
that which used 10 keep Mcclellan stuck in the
mud before Richmond, may yet save Paris and
France AT Metz another effort to escape has
been made and failed. AT Strasbourg the
defence holds out as gallantly as it has held
out all along.
Throughout the republic comes cheering
words endorsing the ministerial decree con-
tinuing theSwar in preference to accepting the
terms insisted upon by Bismarck. Havre is
arming for its own defence, and is beside pre- =
pairing to send forth its troops to relieve the
capital Calais votes three million francs as a
war fund; troops from the south of France
have arrived at Tours another detachment of
the same army is at Orleans; desultory fight. /.
ing in the open country in the rear
of the Prussians besieging the southern
portion of the city is going on daily,
and call for Jeofe en- mosse is ex-
pected throughout Fra nce This is the
spirit that should have been called into play
long ago. France, confident OF an easy vic
tory at the beginning, hardly felt the martial
ardor within her when Napoleon marched upon
Saarbruck. The defeat there, and the rapid
succession of defeats following it up to the
grand overthrow at Sedan, first astonished,
then appalled, and then demoralized her; but