Clearfield Republican. [volume] (Clearfield, Pa.) 1851-1937, 1870-11-02

thousand prisoners 80 says hing
William in telegraph message TO
40 the Queen. "providcncc be thauk.
odw he adds King Williams re-
norts. whatever we may say or think
of the old monarch 10 other respects,
have always been truthful "Proyi.
dence bo thanked ]. many will echo,
although not few in all lands will,
ms they read or pronounce the words,
drop tear Of sympathy for poor
France.
The surrender of Bazaine and the
occupation of Metz by the soldiers Of
the Falherland give TO the situation
an entirely new aspect. Metz was
known to be ono OF the strongest for.
tresses in Europe Its superior ad-
yanlares as military position wore
known to and turned 60 account by
the Romans. As % fortified place ii
was prizcd and kept in good order by
| Clovis and his successors, by Charlie
maneue and afterwards by tho Ger
man Caesars. Since 1862 il has
been in the hands of the French
and although commercially it has
long since lost its glory, il has ever
been regarded as powerful il not
impregnablc border bulwark 1t was
never expected that Prussia could
/ take il by storm. 1t was not known
that the garrison had been reduced to
state of desperation 1t was sup.
posed that there was not as yet any
lack ofprovisions. France looked y
Bazaine as possible delivcreri
The imperialsts had not given M the
hope that Bazaine might play The
part of Monk and restore the Bona
parties. No one was looking for the
/ capilulation Of the ancient fortress
1 The fall Of Metz may, therefore, be
added to the list of Mr.. Summers sur
prises. 1t is more than a surprise. II
is another glorious victory to Prussia
1t is another terrific and crushing
blow to France. In itself considered
the fall Of Metz is not so important a.
the fall of Sedan, but in its inevitable
consequences it is destined TO be inf
nilcly moro So As we have said al
ready, il gives to the situation an en-
tirely new aspect.
Up until the present il was not un
reasonable for France to hope. Tn,
army of Bazaine, at least what re
mained of il, was known to be com
posed of the best soldiers Of France
/ lfby any means they could cut then
way through the Prussian lines they
would form a nucleus around whicl
the raw recruits and newly-lormef
battalions could gather. Now, how
ever, the army Of Bazaine has shared
the fate Of the army Of MacMahon.-
| All the picked men Of Francc--th,
four or five hundred thousand mcr
who marched from Paris with The
view Of marching to Berlin-hav,
been destroyed, demoralized or made
prisoners of war The brave mcf
! who at Magenta and Solerino nailed
victory to the French standards ar,
either dead or disarmcd. The forcc
on whom France now depends arr
raw and undiscipliued The leader
Of those forces are men unknown I,
fame. In other words the two bos
generals and the two best armies O
+ France are practically annihilated. =
This, however, is not all Not onll
is Franco deprived Of her two best ar
mics, numbering at least four hun
drcd thousand men, and her two bcs
generals, the way is clear for Prussi.
to bring forward to the walls Of Puri
. at least one hundred and fifty thous
, and additional men, not TO speak 9
, guns and other munitions Of war
Between Germany and Paris there ]
now practically no obstruction. Wit
German troops in Strasbourg and wit
German troops in Metz the hosts 0
Germany can now rush almost min
f tcrruptcd into the very hcartoi France
Why Metz should have surrendcrd a
this particular time is question
. which different minds will answer dill
r fcrently. But, whatovor the cause
the fact is before us and must be &c
ccptod with all its probable consC
, quenccs.
The question now is whether PTIs
r sia will offer terms of peace or u,
r down conditions for an armisiice b
proceed to the bombardmcnt of Pari.
| IL is notorious that Prussia has o.
, been unwilling since the fall Of Scdal
TO consent TO an urmislice. Latd,
, she has most distinctly stated tlh
she does not insist on the surrcndc
Of Paris a preliminary. The unviI
lingness TO agree to an urmisticc Ia
been on the side Of France, not o
the side Of Prussia. Will the fall o
{ Metz make France more submissiyp
. win il make Prussia more exattiug
} II is possible that, as one dispat
B hints, Ba-aino has surrendered 0
, tie the condition that Prussia willb
. satisfied with the occupation Of Net
{ ana Strasbourg, and that holdny
5 these two forlresscs as material gyhr
3 anlCcs, she will consent to an ariis
: tice. But granting this, the qucsloi
{ still arises. will France consent Il
= armistice thus shorn of her strcnktl
= and dominated by the foe? This
r however, is also q possibility. hin.
} William, cmboldcned by victory, hsl
= insist 10 making peace inside the Nall
= of Paris. As Strasbourg has fallen
as Metz has fallen, so, too, fifth
; struggle is prolonged, Paris must hll
+, To dictate terms Of peace 10 the pal
j ace Of tho Tuilcries to do itglo
{ handed in 1871 what it required cbm
bined Europe to do in lSl5-is no ig
j noble ambition. A more pyulcl
) course would rebound more TO th
honor and glory of the victor Plu
, dence, however, is not generally
3 dominant characteristic of the con
q quercr in the hour of bis triumph. :
The world will applaud if King Wi
liam offers the provisional governmcn
terms without reducing Paris. II th
; provisional government is not wise IL
time men viii regret the destruction
Of the hirest OF modern cities, bu
, they will have no reason TO svmna