The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1856-1888, 1870-09-24
War Paragraphs.

The following items, clipped from various pa
pers. possess special interest at this time
The mitrailleur, or revolving cannon, used by
the French army against the Prussians, is better
known on the continent as the 90 canister bat
terry and is the invention of an American. Col.
Frank Serrel ClaXton, son of the late mmo
Claxton of the U. 5. frigate Constitution. Col.
Claxton was educated at West Point, and was
Consul at Moscow under the administration of
Presidents Pierce and Buchanan. The mitrailleur
discharges 40 rifle balls per minute.
Gen. Won Moltke, says the Tribune, persists in
violating all the rules of war, and in disregarding
the maxims of the uncle of his equity opponent.
lie has done at Haguenau precisely what he did
at Saduwa-divided his army in the face of the
enemy and gone into battle to fight his way to a
concentration at a point behind the enemy's line.
Military critics will doubtless pronounce it a haz-
ardous undertaking, but at present advices it APP
pears to nave been an eminently successful one.
The Prussians have a new device for getting
correct lists of the killed. Every Prussian is to
carry his name with him on a piece of parchment.
and attach it to his uniform when going into ac-
ton. These parchments will be collected from
the dead who are buried on the battle field, and
the enemy will also be requested to collect them,
if he should remain master of the field, and return
them by flag of truce. Machines have already
cut the $40 1000 pieces of parchment which are
wanted, and numerous hands have copied the
contents of the rolls ON these parchments.
H ~ y vi thO
The Constitutional says the army of the Prince
Royal, reinforced by part of the army of Frederick
Charles, is marching on Paris, through the val
legs of Aube and Seine. The Prussians must
know how adventurous is such an attempt, and
be aware of the peril into which they are leading
their main army. Mcmahon may cut off their
communication, and place them between two
fires. To avoid this danger the Prussians have
made great efforts. They three times attacked
Bazaine, with overwhelming forces, which the
French army successfully resisted. The enemy
then, despairing of being able to conquer him,
decided to keep BaZaine checked, and march on
Paris. From Paris to Seirck, the nearest point on
the German frontier, is more than 100 leagues.
This line the Prussians must defend against our
armies and numberless sharpshooters, and the
Garde Mobile. To be able to subsist on our ter
ritory, the 600 900 invading Prussians must
extend their lines vastly, and must disperse their
forces-a thing SO fatal to us in the commence
ment of the campaign. "Our revenge says
the Constitutional, in conclusion, . is near"
KING WILLIAM OF PRussIA.-King William,
who is much beloved by the people, but in the
same way that a fayorite actor or a good race
horse is, troubles himself very little nowadays
with the cares of State. He looks likely to live
a hundred years, and spends most of his time out
of doors. 1 saw him the other morning at the
station, and all the royalty of the town were out
resplendent. The old King came trundling to the
station about noon in a modest carriage with
OllN NJ Ill dha lOO1oAOAA
made low bows to these, who, in their turn, were
most extravagantly servile before the King. The
old gentleman wears the copper-pointed helmet as
jauntly as if he were a real swash-buckler and
looks quite soldierly in uniform. There is no
magnifcence attempted in the Prussian army,
and even the generals are very simply clad. The
King, however, on this occasion, wore numerous
orders and a glittering sword. the hilt of which
blazed with Jewels. The stairs of the station had
been carpeted richly. and tapestry decorated the
ceiling. Along the entrance was ranged double
row of servants, some clad in livery such as few
courts donate to their menials. Immense coats,
almost robes, huge cooked hats and plenty of lace
and feathers made these servants look like the
beadles of a French church. The Queen, who
accompanied King William to the levee, is a thin,
nervous looking woman, weighed down by years
and illness, and evidently caring very little for
the splendors of court or its duties.
GENERAL TRocHU.-s' Trochu has the triple
talent of writing, talking and fighting" So said
Marshal Bugeaud, a good judge of men, and es-
pecially of soldiers. In the flying rumors which
come TO US laden with facts and theories, possible
and impossible, Trochu's name is associated with
the possibility Of dictatorship: The English mill
tary critics have long known TrOchu as one of the
strong intellects of the French army-inferior to
none in the CrImea, save, perhaps, only to Tod
tlebcn. We have already given some account of
his soldierIy qualities. In personal appearance
he is dcsci ibed as being of middle size, elegant in
figure, but strong and sinewy. He has a pleasing