New-York tribune., 1870-09-20
NFGOTL1TIONS IND OPERAT TTONS At Paris. |

NEG OTT1TIONS IND OPERATIONS At Paris.
The isolation of Paris is at length complete.
The last railway lines by which combat
ants could escape or the garrison receive sup
plies were severed yesterday at COnfians, either
by the extension of the Prussian right wing
or the operations of its cavalry from the north,
and at Versailles, which has been occupied by
the Uhlans. The crescent has become a circle
about Paris as about Sedan, though it is a
broader and weaker one here than there, and
Paris is not, like Sedan, wholly at the mercy
of its enemies, without the power or the spirit
to resist the process of contraction and Stran-
gulatiOn which is to follow.
The investment has not been completed with
out fighting though this has not been of the
severe character which first reports suggested.
The souther defenses of the city, extending
from the left bank of the MaIne at Creteil
across the Seine to Versailles, are commanded by
a light range of hills, known as the nights of
MeudOn and Bagneux. When the forts were
built rifed cannon were unknown; and since the
introduction of these lOng-range weapons
there has been no effort on the part of the
Parisians to fOrtify the commanding points.
When the purpose of the Prussians to seize this
range WIS Uldut tNluCHtJ d 80 lOlCt VI
French troops marched out of the city and
occupied it, driving off the Uhlans who had
already seized the woods on its summit. South
of this range there is a second line of hills at
Villeneuve 10 Roy and Brunay. This latter
range the Germans have occupied in force.
There is no positive evidence that they are in
great numbers on any other part of the line
of investment, but such conclusion cannot
altogether be disregarded. 1t is not safe,
therefore, to deduce from the developments
on the southern front that the struggle is to
take place there. With the Prussians in pos:
session of the nights of MeudOn and Bagneux
the forts on the southern line" as the
section of the defenses from the Seine
TO Versailles is called, would be untenable /;
but there are also other weak spots in the line
on the western side, which is defended by
only one fort. OF course all these positions
have been strengthened since the siege became
probability, and against the active depOn-
STATIONS Of the Prussians the resistance Of the
French may for time prove successful. But
il should not DC forgotten by those who are
doubtful Of the issue Of the siege now begun
that no soldier has yet solved the problem of
provisioning a city Of two millions Of inhab-
itants for a siege Of month or two, and time
cannot but reduce Paris, if German artillery
dOes not.
The negotiations which We have hoped
would render the siege Of Paris unnecessary
have not yet ended in success. IL IL encOur-
sZhY however, 10 know that they have not
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hpjs'ff has spcceedod in reaching Bismarck
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