The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1870-09-07


ters, and lose their remembrance in a few hours Of
sleep. ffHer vrrr a rgf.rr .sr.re ,-.
~ NAFoIEoN A PRISONER.
The next day we were told that the Emperor had
gone to the Kings headquarters TO treat for sur
render. At II his household and carriages left the
empire no more. About the same hour there was
posted In the streets a proclamation from General
de WimpfIen saying that notwithstanding prodigies
Of courage, the army having no more ammunition,
found itself unable 10 respond to the summons OF
its chiefs and force its way to Montmedy. That
he could; conditions such as would indict no humi-
liation on the army.
Whole army, no less than 100000 men, as prisoners
of war; with all their arms, baggage, horses, stand
ment not to serve against Prussia during the war
may return to their homes the remainder 10 be
to German towns in Germany. Many Officers le-
fuse to sign, preferTing to share the captivity OF
their men.
BAD FAITH OF THE FRENCH.
On Saturday the whole force laid down their arms
Not few soldiers In their rage broke rather tn IA
give up their arms, and the streets were Uttered
with fragments OF all kinds of weapons broken;
swords rifles, pistols, lancers' helmets, curasses
even mitrailleuses, covered the grOund ana In one
Place where the Meuse runs through the town the
heaps OF such fragments choked the stream aud rose
above the surface. The mud OF the streets was
black with gunpowder. The horses had been tiei
to the houses and gun.carriages, but nobody re-
mombered to feed or water them, and in the frenzy
Of hunger and thirst they broke loose and ran viii
through the towr. Whoever liked might have a
horse-even officers horses, which were private
prOperty-f,r the trouble of catching them
fMPTYING THE MONEY CHEST.
When the Prussians came into the town they were
sore and angry at the sgnt of all this destruction
and waste. What must have pleased them stll less
was the state in which they found the military chest
As soon as the surrender was resolved on, the
French Ulcers told to make out the best ac-
counts they could, present them, and receive pay
ment. Naturall,, the statements thus brought in
soon proved sufficient to empty the treasury.
knew of officers who demanded and received pay
ment for horses tnat were not killed and bagg lge
which had not been lost. Decentralization showed
itself in Even the standards blrnnd
buried, an act Of bad faith not TO be palllated
even by the grief and rage OF q beaten army.
GENERAL DE FAILLY.
Their rage is greater against - one than General
de Faiy. He had room In the h Dtel where [ was
staying. On Friday, great multitude of soldiers
gathered before the house the doors OF which were
closed demanding General de Fally with such
shouts and menaces that the landlord thought it
prude nj TO hurry him out OF a back window. The
soldiers, could they have reached him, would have
torn him to pieces. Since then, have heard the
report that he was shot by one OF his own men; but
no such event had happened on SATURDAY, and could
not well happen later
FRENCH ANHoYAHCEs AND PRUssIAN COURTESY.
it was relief on Saturday when the Prussians
came in and occupied the town, and restored order
l ain sorry to have tn acknowledge that all through
the campaign the French have acted much mOrs
Ike cOnquerDg army in a hostile country than the
Prussisns. All the annoy yance have experienced
personally came from my own countrywide
spy in every stranger. When fell int the hands
# the Prussians, found them courtesy itself On
leaving Sedan and thence to the frontier in passing
through the Prussian posts, was stopped often. /
had but to saw al am the CORRESPONDENT of an
American journal, =" and was at once sent kindly
forward. On the back of my French military pass
the Plussisn staff had indorsed PrusSian SAFE
con0uct. Often was not obliged even to show my
papers, my word was taken; and once out OF Sedan
| was speedily through.
Nhen left sedan on Sunday morning things
were rapidly getting in order. The streets were
cleared OF deaG horses and men. TIE indescrioabe
nth of the town was swept into the river. The
shops were opening again. Llsc'pline hsd taken
the place Cf disorder. l saw enough or Prusslan
organization and enc gy to change, n the grievOus
do1eat II noble army had NOT already changed the
oyiUiOn have so often expressed tnat ultimate VIC
tory for France was sure
WHY The FRENCH WERE so OFTEN SURPRISED.
have followed MacMahon from the day when
fatai day at Sedan, when he surrendered the last
organized force in France save the remnant OF that
which is shut up in Metz. Certainly, when was at
the camp of ChalOBs, and then at Rheims, had OBJ
served that the number ofstraggers was ensrnous,
and l continually met SOLDIERS who did not know
where their regiments were | had seen men
and officers disabled ny wounds which French
soldiers OF other days would have de-
spsed; ] had remarked how untity and
car,ess the men were allowed to be about
their dress and equipments. These things, slight,
but Significant 10 military eye, had caused me- NJ
oOuht, some misgiviBgs az to the rapidty OF the
success we had right to expect saw also how
prone French officers were to avoid the fatigues OF
long marches and the discomfOrts & bivouacs.
reD enber how often / have trayersed the French
lines at dead Of night and at early dawn, and never
heard challenge, never came across O French
vedeite never have fallen in with party OF scouts
On the oiher hand, l have seen officers spend
the time that ought to have been given to
their men, i'll cafes or in poor village INNS Often
even officers 0f the staff seemed to neglect their
duties ior paltry amusements showing themselves
ignorant sometimes even OF the name OF the depart
ment III which they were; so that ] have known a
French general obliged to ask his way from peasants
at the meeting of two roads. i struggled long
against all this Kind of evidence but the end Is Ony
clear Painful t IL II but am bound TO declare
my belief that any further effort France may make
can only cause useless bloodshed; and that means
or escape from her peril must now be sought other
wise than by force Of arms.