The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1870-10-11
The Defence OF Paris.

The Defence OF Paris.
To the French, the defence Of Paris serves
q double purpose II not only retards the
operations of their enemy, but it affords
Them an Incompatible school for the training
Of the new army which they 30 greatly need.
According to the proclamation of Mr. GAM
BETA, the French Secretary of the Interior,
Issued at Tours yesterday, there are now
within the walls Of Paris four hundred thou
sand National Guards, one hundred thousand
Mobiles, and sixty thousand rePulars-in
All FIVE hundred and sixty thousand men now
under arms.
The character ofMr. GAMBETTA is such that
his staten cnt may be received without that
doubt which always attached TO assertions
made by the members OF tho Imperial Gov
Brnmont 1t is doubtless true that there are
now over half million of armed men behind
the walls OF Paris As yet, with the cxcep-
lion Of the sixty thousand regulars, these
Of the siege gives them an amount of warlikc
trimming which could not lie gained in
month passed in barracks and in drill in time
ofpcaco. There is no school of war like war
its'lf and the army Of Paris has great al.
vantage in being educated in this school
without that danger of panic and of disaster
which would belong to such an undisci-
plncd body if arrayed for battle without the
cover Of furtiications.
Under such circumstances this army should
b. able to begin vigorous offensive cam
paIgn against the Germans by the middle of
December That will give them two months
and halt of constant drilling with such coca
Bonal fighting MS Gen. TRoCnU judges will
be most advantageous, SO far the General
has managed them with remarkable skill.
Every day has had its contest, and now one
and now another corps or division has been
sent out to learn the smell of powder and the
hiss of bullets. The results amply justify
The wisdom Of TRoCnU in assembling so vast
a body of men in Paris before the siege
There is no other spot in France in which
he could fit them so spec Oily or efficiently for
the work Of soldiers. Thus the Prussans
themselves are made useful as the drill mas
ters of the new army which had TO re Gre
atcd Lcfore France could again be in o
condition TO defend herself.
Mr. GAMBETTA also declares that there is
no danger of starvation. Il this be so, then
there is also no danger Of sedition, which he
says is out Of the question. In city Of two
millions Of souls, more than one quarter of
whom nrc constantly under arms for the
common defence, scdition can only arise in
consequence Of famine or serious military
rcvcrsos. Both Of these being out of the
question there is nothing 20 interfere with
lhc steady advance of the new army in
military skill nor docs there seem to
be ,nything within the city 10 aid
ihc ,flor,s of The bcs'cgers without. The
Prusslnns may indeed make breaches in
the walls with their improved artillery
but with such an army of defenders to resist
nm assault, a breach is Of comparatively little
use To- the asiail0uts. Mr. GABETTA pro
nouuces the city impmpnable. THIS seems
like an oxaFFcrotion, Tut It is relatively true
fparc cannot he taken in ninety days it is
lmpregnnble indeed for by that time thu
southern aud central departments of France
will also have raised armies so numcrou,
and Formidable that no foreign invader Car
stand ciorc them.
The problem Of the dcliycra .cc Of Franc,
consists then in the problem Of the siege of
Paris, Every day that the siege is protracted
dimiuishos the resources Of the Germans
both in men and material, while it fomi
and trains the forces upon which the redcmp
ton Of France must depend 1t also tends tc
consolidate the Republican Government, Is
showing that it is able to accomplish VIVA
the Empire could not even undertake,
If the Germans are wise, they will hasten
TO make peace on such terms as tie Freucl
people can submit to. TO prolong the wa
is to impcril all the glory that Germany La
already wo1.