Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1870-10-05
tUatohman & Journal.
WEDNESDAY,, OCTOBER 6, 1870.
TrRNs-s2oo per year, strictly In advance or $40
ifnot paid within three months.
The Scige of Paris.

choose their own path, aud the investment
and seige Of Paris mean the destruction or
injury Of some Of the finest works Of arr Of
this or any age. We say nothing Of the de-
structon Of human life, Of the horrors Of a
seigo, Of the atrocities that mark its course
and the terrors Of the assault and victory
These belong to all segos. But it is not Of
ten, not once IN ten centuries, that such % city
as Paris, with two millions Of soldiers aud
citizens. with the art accumuatons of ages
within her walls. tries this worst conclusion
Of war We think it would have been better
for the French TO have opened the gates Of
The capital to the invader and carried on the
war outside. Too much is riskcd when
armies are cntronchcd behind Notifications
\ great many enemies are then enlisted
against them Time, which would he in their
favor in the open field hunger, which could
be satisfied in the country characterization
and suffering and riotous passions, all are in
arms against the boloaguored crowds and
forces Of a large city We should regard it
as a great military mistake if defensive
army should be cooped up in four walls and
be unable to move to the attack or defense OF
the weakest positions It's q great misior-
tune to be driven into Notifications as was
the army Of Bazaine into Metz, 1t is the
paralysis Of the right arm Of war. The first
Noyotoov "a it,t ,t, .,,.. col 3D. .,...t,,.,I
inits entertainments was beaten, aud thus hri
would seem that the entrenchcd and fortified
cities Of France have been the ruin of it,
defenders Shut up in their Qualifications,
the armies of France arc decimatcd by enc.
mics worse than the Prussians, while the
large part Of the Germans are at liberty to
oyerrun and forage and demoraizc the coun-
try. 1t is inevitable in such a case that
Paris should fall. 1t is simply question Of
time. France is powerlcss to help her for
Prussia can destroy her armies Of new re-
cruits faster than she can form them She
will be left to herself while every day the
folds of the immense hydra of war will be
tightening about her, and with every day also
her own resources and vitality are diminish
ing. The mistake Of the war was iden-
tilying the cause Of France with the safety of
Paris.
We presume then that the seige will be
carried on until it terminates tavorably TO the
bcseigers. 1t may be arrested by oyertures
of peace, or by Intervention Of neutrals, or by
an early capituation. Either Of these things
is not improbable. Yet we cannot doubt
that the protracted seigo and all its attending
evils is a possibility 1t depends wholly up
on the French. Prussia cannot stop in her
course until she shall have obtained her guar
antces Of future peace from recognized gov
eminent Of France Thus FAR not power in
Europe recognizes the Republic. England
declines and Russia has Just dismissed NJ
Theirs, the Republican envoy, with marked
disiavor. There is nothing yet which indi-
Gates foreign Intervention, though rumors Of
Russian movements hostile to Prussia have
been rife for a week Paris then holds her
destiny in her own hands An early capitu-
laton would save her untold evils and would
simplify military and political matters. We
have thought tmust take place that the gar
rison Of Paris could not hold at bay the
Prussians and keep in hand also the turbulent
elements Of so large and excitabe popula-
ton. But if, contrary to all expectations
peace does not superyene, by foreign inter
yenton or by restoration Of Napoleon or by
surrender Of Paris, the scigc goes on, it must
result in the destruction in great measure
Of that which the world even has great inter
est in preserving.
Paris contains some of the best treasures of
art which have been produced by former gen
erntions. Versailles already occupied by the
Prussians, contains some of the choicest works
of modern art and is full of historical paint
ings commemorative of the military proves
Of France The occupation Of the Place and
Palace, Of the gardens and Trianon of this
ancient city by the German troops, without
any intentional vandalism, will necessarily be
| injurious and destructive and the missiles of
war cannot play around those magnificent
structures without serious injury. Soldiers
intent on battle think very little of history
and poetry and architecture and painting
The manufactures of Seyres too, between
Versailles and Paris, have been occupied by
the Uhlans and their workmen scattered to the
four winds The looms Of Moufletard, in which
have been woven the marvellous Gobelins,
are now silent, and the skilled operatives, to
whom only the art Of making them is known,
have laid aside the shuttle for the Chasse-pot.
The Bots de Boulogne, filed with the croa-
tions Of art and genius, has already been sac
rificed, and there is no power in kings hands
to repair its desolations in less certainly than
fifty years The cathedral Of Strasbourg tells
US what fate will oyertake the lesser church.
es and buildings of Paris. The Pantheon,
the Madeleine, the Notre Dame, st, Eustache
and Sulpice cannot hope for immunity when
shells and bombs are ploughing into the deyo-
ted city. The Louvre need not look for a
doliyerance which did not happen to the un.
equalied library Of the city which Uhrieh de.
Tended to the last.
The tombs Of the dead Emperors Of France
at St. Denis, from Dagobert down, will not
escape the rayages Of a war which has not
spared the thrones of the living, Some wan
dering shot may smite iho monolith of the
Place De La Concorde, aud the obelisk Of
Luxor, with its massive lamps aud attendant
statues, looking shapely aud superb, as when
its red sycnte shaft stood in front of the
great temple Of Thebes and related to
swarthy Egyptians the exploits of sesostris,