New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1870-09-16
lFRoM OUR SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT


OF THE WINE CRoP-THE KNIGHTS OF ST.
JOHN.
tFRoM OUR SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT
CARLsRUHE, Aug. 30.-The inhabitants OF
his city more interested in the siege OF sraSoos
than in the dongs of the army before Metz ana " ,o
movements Of the armies marching upon rams 49,
doubts are entertained TO the speedy capture o '
fortress which has been regarded as the key OF fIn,
Indeed, the prevailing opinion is that u "ouu ' ~
interests of the strasbourgers If Their CIT! VIZ ~
by German troops. The besieged are aieS ,- 49,,
some OF the horrors OF famine. Day ana lnsn '"e' w.
,a. ,,an,so,,,os to extipguish the fires caused by
shous evnodpR in private houses II was In view OF 'nc
impossibiy 10 defend the city much lonsel 'n'' Wv
Bishop recently made an inonectual al'emp' W Pu "
and 10 hosttes wished the Germans 10 deslS from
their attack on ground that such place straspog
has right TO be exempted from bomoardmeht.
prt the commander OF the German forces would
not admit the correctness Of the Bishops reasoning he
held il did not follow that because the city contained
many thousand of inhabitants, there was no justification
for attacking IT, The arguments, II good for anything,
might have been employed with equal effect to prove
that the place ought not TO be defended. The Bishop
then proposed that the inhabitants he permitted to
depart. This, too declared an inadyisable demand
armsioe of twenty -four hours was next requested
and this proposal the was returned that the
armisce would be granted proyded!the French General
in command Of the besieged troops would pledge himself
to arrange terms Of captulatOn when the armSce ex
pred. To such condition Gen. Ulrich turned dea1
ear would appear that he has resolved TO hold out 10
the hast There is nothing unnatural in his deter
mnatiOn. on the contrary, II ia as worthy OF
eulogy as the determination OF Gen. TodleDen
never 10 give up sebastOpo until compelled
to do So Yet the inhabitants or Stras
bOurg otherwise minded. They have borne the bru
of the onslaught Their houses are being reduced to
ashes and their lives also endangered owing TO the
lack OF provisions All accounts agree in stating that
the population would gladly be spared the suffering now
being undergone. have ii the authority OF persons
who have been in Kehl during the past few days that
the shreks Of and children be distinctly heard
intervals. These the sufferers who really deserve
pity. Whatever turn events take, on them will fan the
chief burden OF war. The defenders may immortalize
their by making heroic resistance, while the be-
seges may win applause by deeds OF yaor but Tor the
noncOmbaant there is no redress and no compensation
What renders the prospect the more dark is the like
hhOod of exasperated soldery abusing their
power when the hour Of triumph arrives Should
they break through the restraints OF discipline,
il is the noncOmbatants that their vengeance will be
wreaked Unfortunately, the way In which the French
soldiers have acted has far to excite reyengeful
spirit in the breast Of their German foes 1t was bad
enough lombard Keh. but this merely what had
been done in the Of saarbruck According TO the
French custom open town is not spared. But, not
with Smelling the houses of the inOfensye in
habitsns of Kehl the French directed their fire upon
the church which had been converted into hospital
flag with red cap white ground was hOisted on
the seeple. Despite this the church fired and
set on fire. wounded soldiers who had escaped death
in the field lost their lives in the flames
Nearly all the villages in the neighborhood OF sras
honrc have been destroyed. The miserable villagers
have fed for refuge the places safe distance from
the action but they have not insured their com
by doing Having lost everything, they are una
bic to buy wherewithal to sustain existence. Those
among whom they take refuge barely able to keep
body and together Thus the increase in the mum
Der Of the destitute tends to widen the circle Of suffer
Ing and woe Moreover the unpeasantness OF the
weather adds TO the trials which have to be borne
Rain has fallen in torrents for the past week. The
air bitterly cold by day. and intensely cold by night
The proprietOrs of vineyards who had hoped TO reap
good harvest of grapes are despair If the month OF
August he not very hot the grapes seldom ripen so
highly TO give promise Of good harvest OF Wine
To thousands Of industrious German peasants failure
in the quality Of the wine is equivalent 10 ruin. The
only compensation that the GOODNESS Of the weather
will benefit the patients who recovering from their
wounds Hospital fever cholera, and other plaques are
seldom known as long the temperature Is moderate
Hitherto the mortality in the hospitals has been COM
parativey slight. Perhaps is better that the crops
should fail than that the wounded should not recover 1t
is certain that the Winter will be trying to many
poor family.
Much has been said in praise Of the Knights OF ST.
John who have taken the wounded under their especial
care Yet there is another side to the picture These
amateur doctors accused OF negligence and conceit
The members Of their body are, for the most part,
younger sons noble families. In addition to this body
are others formed TO cooperate with it, But the
original and more exclusive association does not work in
harmony with the association composed OF men VINO
have no titles but are fred with desire to do good
Some very unpleasant scenes have occurred owing to the
way in which the Knights Of ST. John their preten
sions and assert their assumed superiority. This is
additional illustration Of the mischies due to the system
OF caste which, the present day, widely pre-
walls throughout Germany. For all these things day
of rctribuon will arrive much earlier than the foolish
members OF the OvergTOwn German nobility expected.
Complaints of another yet what analogous sort are
also rife Tie exeltons which German ladies have made
10 mitigate the surngs Of the wounded have received
ample and weD-me,ited Acknowledgment. They have
been praised with perfect justice for the impair
tality with which they have extended their succor
alike 20 friend and foe. Some of them, however, have
recently acted in a manner which has excited feelings
Of an opposite character They accused OF showing
too exclusive regard for the wounded French. Ex-
amples Of this constantly appear in the papers,
aud the carcaturss have begun to improve the Occa-
sion In the last humber of Kiadderddaseh the Prussan
Punch, drawing representing some young ladies ex-
erting themselves give refreshments 10 caTriageful
Of French prisoners while the German soldiers disre
garded altogether One Of these soldiers is made TO
excam III this Is the treatment we TO receive we
shall take in future not to capture more Of these
animals" story Of different kind is told OF another
soldier in charge number Of prisoners On arriving at
a station cup Of coffee handed TO him
alone. Seeing that tie prisoners were purpOsey
overlooked he returned the cup, saying, " II my com
rades not get any coffee. / shall refuse to
take IL myself" ThereupOn coffee served 10 the
whole party The story is set-of 10 the other
inclined to think that these complaints about the
ladies offspring Of misrepresentation. Yet there
doubt hat in the hospitals the presence or many
ladies. who more OfcOus and forward than useful
and intelligent, might he dispensed with. Amateur
nurses, whose chief desire to get credit for devotion
d. an mmene amount Of harm not only 90 HeS PS per-
of Is