The daily phoenix. [volume] (Columbia, S.C.) 1865-1878, 1870-09-13

j duced aps salmost trevolut utyonafy, sdntinaent
i favorink fusion with the United Ger
man Confederation. Won Bedst himself
is said TO favor reunion. Thus the
great war begins to spread, and suo one
knows where it may end.
STATEMENT OF GENERAL WBiPFFEN.-
General de Wimpffen, who Surrendered
at Sedan, publishes long explanation
in the Paris papers regarding his posi-
ton ut the time Of the surrender In it
he states that he has recently arrived
from Algeria, and was Immediately or
dered to . command under Marshal
Mcmahon, ut Sedan. On his arrival
there he found NIcMahon suffering from
severe wounds in bis back and hip. re-
sulting from the explosion of shell,
fragments of which had struck him, in
capacitating him from active directions
of the movements of his army. General
Wimpffen was thus compelled to assume
command of the army, which was already
beaten. Though ignorant of the posi-
ton, still he refused to sign articles of
capitulation.
Tho Prussians produced n map which
showed the position of the German troops
and batteries, and convinced him that
the destruction of the French army was
inevitable. Then only was the surren-
der concluded. The following is the ad-
dress of General Wimpffen to the SOL
diers, dated Sedan, September 3:
Soldiers: On Thursday you fought
against force greatly superior in num-
bers from daybrcak until dark. You re-
sisted the enemy with the utmost brave
ry. When you had fred your last car
fridge, were worn out with fighting, and
not being able to respond to tho Gull of
your generals aud officers to attempt to
rejoin Marshal Bazaine by the road to
Montmedy, you were forced to retreat on
Sedan. In this desperate effort but two
thousand men could be got together, and
your general deemed the attempt utterly
hopeless and impraticable. Your gene
raj found, with deep regret, when the
the town, that it had supplies neither Of
leave the place nor defend it, means of
existence being alike wanting for tho
population. 1 WAS, therefore, reduced
to the sad alternative of treating with tho
enemy. [ sent, yesterday, to tho Prus-
sian headquarters, with full powers from
the Emperor, but could not at first bring
myself to accept the conditions imposed
by tho enemy. This morning. however,
menaccd by bombardment to which we
could not reply, decided to make q
fresh attempt to get honorable terms.
have obtained conditions by which we
are saved much of the possible annoy
ing and insulting formaIities which the
usngcs of war generally impose.
Under the circumstances in which we
find ourselves, it only remains for us,
officers and soldiers, to accept with resig-
uation the consequences of the surrcn-
der.
We have nt least the consolation of
knowing n useless massacre has been
avoided, and we yielded only under cir
cumstancos against which no army could
| Gght-namely, want of food and nmmn-
| nition.
Now, soldiers. in conclusion, let me
say that you are still able to render bril-
liant services to your country without
being nccdlcssly slaughtered
General Commanding in Chief.
DE WIMPFFEN.
BAD FAITH OF THE FRENCH. Sat
urday the whole force laid down their
arms. Not a few soldiers in their rage
broke rather than give up their arms,
and the streets were Uttered with frng-
mcnts Of all kinds of weapons broken
swords, rifles, pistols, lanccrs' helmets,
cuirasses, even mitrailleuses covered the
ground; and in ono place where the
Meuse runs through the town the heaps
of such fragments chokod the stream and
rose above the surface. The mud of the
streets was black with gunpowder. The
horses had been tied to the houses and
gun carriages, but nobody remembered
to feed or water them, and in the frenzy
of hunger and thirst they broke loose
and ran wild through the town. Who
ever liked might have horse-even
oflic RS horses which were private pro-
perty the trouble OF catching them.
A PRECEDENT 1925, King Francis
I. of France, surrendered at Paris to the
Emperor Charles V, of Germany. More
than 300 years pass, and another occu-
pant Of the throne of France surrendcrs
to one who claims the title of Emperor.
In the first case, the royal prisoner was
we'll treated by his captor, and the cap
tor soon after entered q monastery, and
there died. Francis was tho originator
of tho ''Field of the Cloth of Cold"
though not the author of the drama of
that name. He also invented the say
ing, lin letter to his mother:) "All is
lost except honor"-a fine sentiment,
ri, al, ,v;1