The New York herald., 1870-09-09

The ssratesicaI Movement 'of the Prus-
SLAMS ON Paris.
The grand combined march on Paris, which
the German armies are now rapidly bringing
to Its climax, is a masterpiece of military fore
sight and precision. Our special correspond
ent who described the great battle Of Sedan,
which terminated in the surrender of the
Emperor and Of MacMahon's entire command,
took occasion to remark the mathematical
exactitude Of every operation in the Prussian
service on the field of conflict, and its method
and rapidity of reorganization when the
engagement was over. In an attack the
second round invariably gave them the pre-
else range for their shot and shell, while the
French continued to fire wildly for long time
after they began. In tho captured towns the
energy and regularity of tho Germans reduced
all confusion to perfect order and tranquility
in few hours. This cool, determined, long
headed calculation has conjoined with per-
feet science In rendering the German inva-
sion and subsequent crowning successes
Irresistible. While the French generals have
been radiating from a centre-the heart of
France--and scattering their forces in half a
dozen directions, thereby insuring division and
defeat in detail, the Germans have been
steadily converging from different points on
their Rhine frontier towards one grand ulti-
mate objective centre-the ely Of Paris. We
have repeatedly indicated the fan-like move
ment Of the three armies first sent across the
French frontier under tho Crown Prince,
Prince Frederick Charles and General Stein
metz. The divergent lines of these three hosts
swept like broom over an arc of circle ex-
tending from Strasbourg to Thionville; but az
they began to approach the banks Of the Meuse
they commenced to reconverge towards Metz,
around which they contracted into an ellipse
that closed at last to an apex around Sedan
and in so doing crushed the life out of MacMa-
hons army, Bazaine, meanwhile, being COM
pletely smotbered within its interior radii.
The great work at the north accomplished we
see this contracted ellipse at once expand again
and branch out over all the roads from s edan
to ST. Quentin and Rheims, thence to recon-
verge by way of Soisgons and Senlis on Paris.
But this is not all. Behind the armies thus
advancing others are rapidly marching up to
support the movement. A heavy column
moving northwestward along the Belgian from
tier, has already been signalled at Valen-
ciennes, in the Department du Nord This
would indicate an aim at the seacoast on the
Straits of Dover, and the control of the lines of
in that quarter with the French
capital Moreover, 1t Is powerful menace to
overawe the Bella government as well, with
\ view to some future design. Another COM
plete army is making It's way from the vicinity
IF Mulhausen, in The Department of the Haut
Rhin, by way of Caaumont and Troyes, directly
owards Paris, and the reserves are pushing
m by regular and easy days marches over the
'eaten track In the centre by way of Nancy,
'ar.le-Duc and Vitry. If the reader will now |
lance at good map of France he will see |
hat the final movement resolves itself into an |
reinforced double semi-circle, extend |
ng all the way round from Valenciennes, !
ot far from the North Sea, to Null
ausen, near Baden .and Switzerland,
nd embracing circuit Of several hundred |
liles. 1t closes in with fatal precision
pom devoted Paris on three sides ut once,
nd it neutralizes about fifteen depart
,ents Of France, including some Of the
most populous and most active of
le nation.
The patience, the care and the minuteness of
lquiry required to prepare the data and plan
ne moves for game of military chess so
olossal as this; the tremendous resources,
ctivity, valor and generalship in the field
equired to carry it out, render the campaign
aus sketched on the canvas by far the most
omplete of modern times. Should the cap
nre of Paris crown the work between this
ay and the lst of October the genius of the
reat Napoleon and the prowess of his soldiery
vill henceforth be assigned 10 the second place
4 history, after the profound skill Of Won
loltke and the efici ency of the sons of |
'atherland.