New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1870-09-24
The WEEKLY REPUBLICAN
PARIS AS A FORTRESS.

fHEIB IL WOG UOW lOIklutu lOE Tic uTSt ttulc.
Like all other cities in ancient times and
the middle ages, it had its castellated wall
to resist the incusiOns Of marauders and
avowed enemies. But the old city had
burst its bounds, and five times the walls
had been pulled down. The battle of Nal
plaquet almost caused an advance of the
allies ON Paris, which was, however, pre-
vented by the French successes Mt Denain.
The threat was not lost on the military ad-
visers Of Louis XIV, and though the King
was the state, the statesmen knew that
Paris was the heart Of the kingdom. Yer
sailles might be in danger, that would be an
insult. Paris in danger is France in danger;
for Paris, more than any other capital in the
world, is the life and vital centre of nation
atty. The close of the reign of Louis XIV,
however, IN cloud and gloom, did not leave
either tt leisure or the finances to under
take the works Of defense which Vauban
had sketched out.
At last, in 1884, the wall of Paris was
never served for any military purpose-it
was : fiscal barrier. In 1872, when the
country was declared in danger, the want of
defensee for Paris was recognized. Under
the threat Of Austro- Prussian invasion, re-
doubts were thrown up at Montmartre, Saint
Denis and Belleville. As they could not
offer any effective resistance when the
enemy should come, it was soon felt more
desirable to meet the enemy in the field
rather than to await him within the walls.
In the plains of Champagne the enthusiasm
of the nation threatened to meet the cOali-
ton. The impulses of patriotism furnished
arms, munitions and hands to use them, and
the coalition were beaten back beyond the
frontier, whittier France followed them. and
rolled back the tide of war from the capital.
The capture of Paris by the allies in lSl4-15,
in spite of the superb military genius of
Napoleon !, was not owing to the want of
fOrtihcatiOns, but to the want of unaniitym
between the prince and the people. Dynas-
tic ambition fought against popular rights;
and alive as the people were to the glory OF
France and the greatness Of the leader,
their heart was cold to the motives which
inspired his heroic actions. After 1880 the
plan of Paris Notifications was renewed.
Louis Philippe was the creator Of the mod
Axn Paris Notifications; whether they threat
ened public liberty or the foreign foe is a
ippe's reign, when apprehensions of inva-
sion had died away, it was felt that the
powerful Gordon OF irresistible fOrtresses,
and the FASHIONED wall of Paris were a
to the barricade more than
m impediment to the invader. Nogent,
FOntenay, Rosay, Noisy, ROmainville, and
st. Denis, were the limits of an entrenched
camp between the Seine and the Marine.
Fifty thousand men could hold it, but the
plan only covered one side of the capital.
At length, in 1888, Marshal Soult asked the
Chamber for money to construct permanent
Notifications around Paris. Seventeen forts
with pentagOna1 faces were to be built
eleven on the right bank and six ON the
left. Faced with masonry, with counter
scarp and covered way, they were to con-
tain classmates for the sOldiery, for artillery
and supplies. Their armament should be
eighty guns. Besides these forts and the
entrenched camp, the city wall would be
raised and strengthened with double rows
bastiOns, with an armament of three hun
drcd and twenty five guns. This plan was
opposed by the military critics, demonstrated
to be insufficient as we'll as contrary to the
theory OF war. Detached forts were not the
places for defenders. Besides, any one of
them might get into the enemy's power, and
would open passage to the inner line The
plan was abandoned in consequence of its
and of a general impression
that the detached forts would only Drove SO
many bastiles.
The minority of the committee proposed
another plan-that of a Fashioned enceinte
at some distance from the old CITY wall.
taking in more country, with eighty fronts.
and requiring $4,000 men for its defense.
The whole scheme slept until lS4O-LOuiS
Philippe's foreign policy was then in its
apogee, the people were shouting "Marseil-
laise," the European cabinets were arrang-
inc the affairs Of the East without reference
to Frances wishes, and the citizen king, in
despair, exclaimed that, if it would satisfy
the people, he would himself put on the
bonnet rouge. N. Theirs, minister at the
time, seized the moment and opened a credit
of a hundred millions, to be expended in
fortifying the capital. In order to ac-
commodate both the people and the
king, M. Theirs sought to COM
promise by adopting the popular outer en-
ccinte. thanked by the Kings system of de-
tached forts, which would place the govern
ment in security against the uncertain
temper of the masses. The Rationale in
sisted that the enceinte was the result de-
sired, but that the forts were the objects
primarily attended to. The press was
divided, the m0derates urged any plan of
defense rather than none, the democrats
preferred none rather than one which would
be standing menace to liberty. The |
legitimists sided with the democrats in order
70 embarrass Orleanism. The ministry. like
he press, were divided. The result was the |
'ystem rs at present adopted. A double |
n ceinte detached forts outside the enceinte
Il such distance as that they could not |
n ,ct the free expression of the public will. |
The works were completed by 1874, and were |
w .,lin the estimates.