The morning star and Catholic messenger. [volume] (New Orleans [La.]) 1868-1881, 1870-10-09

was by ordertof the minister of War Count
de Palkao) and of the Committee Of De-
: fence that he executed the march which
proved SO fatal to the aims of France. This
is what infallibly happens when the sys-
tenn is to direct the movement of distant
armies from the closet. In these circum-
stances one can draw up general plan,
but one cannot descend to details, and this
is what General Cousin de Montauban for
got.
Marshal MacNahon's intention was to
fall back on Paris after having recognized
the army so unfortunately undOne at Sedan.
He was not permitted to accomplish this
wise project. AS soon as the state of his
health will permit, Marshal MacMahon will
not fail to publish proofs that he cannot be
esteemed responsible for the immense dis
aster at Sedan. Between victorie1s army
and the frontier of a nation there was no
escape if an accident occurred"
The Minister of War has received the
following letter from the gallant Mar
shall -
PoURRU-AUX-BoIs, Sept. 8.
"Monsieur LIE Minstrel have the hon
or to inform you that l have obtained per-
mission from the PruSSlan military author
tiles to remove to q little village called
Pourru-aux- Bots, situated at Il short dis
lance from Sedan, in the direction of Bel
GUM.
Being a prisoner of war, cannot, &C
retake service during the present cam
paign; but, as after the catastrophe which
has happened to the army of which l had
command, wish, as wella the great num-
Der of the officers, to share the tate of my
soldiers, shall demand, as soon as the
state of my wound will admit of my re-
moval-whi6h, according to the doctors
opinion, n be in five or six weeks-I
shall demand, say, of the Prussian au-
thorities to be confined in some place or
other in Germany-Accept, etc,
"MACMAHoN, Marshal of France"
| a Priests Vacation at the War.-Think-
ing that a visit to a battlefield would be a
lesson for many a year to come, 1 went
and saw one. At least if l could do nothing
more, l could give dissolution to the
wounded and the dying; 81 could bind up
the broken heart, and pour oil into the
bruised wound.n Binding on the red badge
and cross, crossed from Luxembourg over
the frontier-Luxembour that city which
is so like Jerusalem, if any of my readers
will take the trouble to compare the pho
tographs of both. Prussians to the right
of me, the French little to the left, on
wards came the French with that dash
which only French soldiers have. Alas
it was soon backwards. The little needle
gun had done its work. Then there came
a pause, almost like that "half-hour's
silence" when war was going on between
heaven and earth, when the seventh seal
were lying upon their faces, some upon
their backs-once, few minutes before,
images OF God, now poor wrecked vessels
of humanity. / lay down by the side of a
poor French boy to hear his confession.
He could only say three Words" All, ma
mere" Let US hope that the mother in
heaven heard the prayer that perhaps was
uttered only to the mother on earth. Lying, |
then, well nigh exhausted (for had moth |
ing to eat for nearly twenty four hours), l
l..
each mein water /" crawled little nearer |
to him and trust that he too has gone to 7
heaveE These words from each-"Ah, ma |
mere!" each, mein vater" At dawn of
day found them dead, but somehow or
other they had got nearer to each other,
For them all strife was over-the battle
and the war. They had given each other
the kiss of peace. 1 said " the kiss of
peace;" what mockery it seems! Peace
in the midst of war! and yet it was true,
for found, on looking over the faces of the
smiling there, some with. their hands
clasped behind their heads; some with
folded hands, just as if they were giving
up their souls to God. Alas! they had
gone, but they had gone to kind Master,
who has said that it is His will that not
one of us should perish" l pressed for
ward amongst the French wounded. Sis
tiers of Charity were going about holding
TASKS to the lips of the wounded. Priests
were going about absolving the dying.
The scene is changed. Another battle.
How the poor French fell. and how they
fought, history will tell. But the slaughter
was tremendous. And then again, here
they lay-Prussians over Frenchmen and
Frenchmen over Observation-Disclosures at
least in death. All could do was to give
dissolution. Afterwards 1 did my best to
find out the dying. One / found-it was :
Sister of Charity who had been wounded. :
''Ah! mon pere," she said, 81 knew should
not die without the blessing of the bon =
Dieu." And she too went to heaven. :
Again those three words, reminding us of ,
the ever blessed "Three." 1 have not
ended-one word more. 1 found little =
boy. Where he came from or where he
was going to God only knows; but he, too,
was Shot, and his one word was "Mary ~
But, living in Alsace, he could speak Ger .
man, and he added Gas the Germans say and Z
The French) "Maria." s
Maclfahon at Sedan.-A French officer i
escaped to Belgium, says: To relate what J.
MacMahon did is impossible. Steel, fire, j,
melted metal, explosive balls, and don't v
know what other internal mixture the o
prussians there made use of for the first f
lime appeared to stream off, or to rebound !,
rom him, like hail from a roof. He went IL
% the front seeking death. "Leave me,
ny friends" he said to us all, who sought =,
o prevent him from going forward. "Let It
ne show those princes who hide behind al
heir masses of men, that a Marshal of 4,
france knows how to fight, and, when er
'eaten how to die" And he smiled upon G.
10 a sad smile, which made us weep and Of
cd ou hled Our RAGE All misernhlel We st