New-York tribune., 1870-08-19
will produce revolutions not less s'uey naress
sectional legislation. Let the Laov' s;naes
be wise and stick to its legitimate o"'
rgr DISASTERS OF BAzAiNE.


- p..ossard. Gramont, Ollivier-these
ot,,ars of lesser note were the first victims
''I r. rsa,,oh rage at their first defeat; and Ma
-, VI oreatest blunderer of them oil, sacn-
poW ppp. Worsbals and Ministers without pang or
n,eu net To the list of victims Baxaine's name
inst shortly be added, for disasters have al
most overwhelmed him; and, to save hinsen'
Napoleon, if he be longer Emperor In iac''
will not hesitate to sacrifice this one OF all his
Marshals most like himself, hardened In crime'
crafty of mind, and cruel of heart.
Our latest dispatches Indicate more Clearly
the completeness of these disasters ana tne
nature of the operations which have caused
them. They dissipate nearly every hope OF .ne
escape of the French army, and reveal the I'M
minent danger to Paris.
MacMahon has probably escaped to Chalons
with the remnants of his once powerful corps.
Thousands of his troops were left dead anu
wounded in the Vosges Many other thou
sands. scattered for days in the mountains,
finally escaped to the neighboring fortresses,
and are there besieged. The rest, retreating
in haste by Nancy and COmmercy, have been
swallowed up in the mob at Chalons, and,
beaten and dispirited, these veterans serve but
to spread Generalization among the raw recruits
of the Garde Mobile. Pursuing this remnant OF
MacMahOns corps, the army of the Prusslan
Crown Prince, again abandoning all connec-
ton with the right and center, has pushed
stealthily and rapidly forward. The move
ments of his infantry have been masked by a
strong column of horse, which on Sunday,
August IA, destroyed the railway at Blesme,
twenty-eight miles southeast of ChalOns. The
exact position of the infantry of the Crown
Prince is not known, but it is evident that 1t is
much nearer Paris than the army of Bazaine,
and on a shorter line, virtually unobstructed'
Bazaine's struggle to get away from Metz has
been that of giant, but he has had giant
TO wrestle with He was detained in his retro
grade movement while still crossing the Mo-
selle River, which runs through the town, on
Sunday. Aug. IA, by Gen. Won Steinmetz's de-
terrnined attack. Moving out during the night
the Frenclman found himself Obstructed on
Monday at daylight at Longueville, village
% miles west of Metz, by the troops of the
center coming from the south, and the retreat
was again obstructed. During the following
night and day the French retreated only mile
and half further to GravelOtte, where other
corps of the Prussian center, pressing across
the Moselle between Metz and Nancy, advanced
to head them off. The army of Won Steinmetz
crossing above Metz also attacked, and this
engagement seems to have been general. Com
bats took place at various points between
Gravelotte and Vionville, on the Verdun road,
as far north as DoncOurt, small village on
the road to Etain The French Marshal claims
a tactical advantage in these engagements, but
admits heavy loss in killed and wounded.
The advantage gained seems to have been
lost two miles further on, at Mars La Tour,
where a third engagement occurred on Wednes-
day, August II. After that came the abandon
ment of the struggle for the road to
Verdun. Bazaine seems to have retreated
by the country road toward Etaln,
! leaving to the Prussians the broad highway
leading to Verdun. The Prussians seem to
have pursued. They persist in the movement
against the right flank of the French and the
effort to head them off from Verdun. The
operations cannot yet be said to be completed
but the result, in view of the superior num-
bers of the Prussians engaging Bazaine and
the movements of the Crown Prince in the
great fanking movement toward ChalOns, can
not be doubted. The chances of reaching Paris
have been lost to Bazaine by too long delay al
Metz