New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1870-09-22
ORLEANS THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER o. 1870
WHAT THE PRUssIANS WILL FIND
AT PARIS.

WHAT THE PRUssIANs WILL FIND
AT PARIS.
Tho Proposed Renewal Of the Seat Of Gov.
er.ment-Bourges - The Fortincatious
Of fParis-Preparasiens for Defense.
[Prom the New York Tribune.l
PARIS, September 2.-The alarm created
by the ministerial announcement. q week
ago that the Prussians had resumed their
advance upon Paris, suggested the PROPOSE
ton to remove the seat Of government into
the provinces. Although invested with no
official authority, it seems certain that the
report rested upon o ministerial decision, to
be acted upon in case Of need. The cabinet
has NO sinecure at this time, and, although
its deliberations are secret, many facts leak
out, in consequence of the impOssibility of
reticence when subordinate officials have
to be employed to set investigation on foot
or to prepare the way for particular changes,
There Is no doubt whatever, that at a recent
meeting Of the Council, the question
was seriously discussed whether, in the
event of the Prussians besieging the me-
trOpOlis, the great administrations which
together constitute the machinery of gov
ernment should not be removed from the
scene Of action. At that time the Crown
Princes army was 80 rapidly approaching
Paris that, upon an urgency vote, the reso-
luton was adopted to constitute certain
provincial cities the seats Of administra-
tiOns, should the event justify the alterna-
tive. Bourges, being the great center of
the military establishments Of France was
fixed upon as the seat of the Ministry of
War, Of Foreign Affairs, and the Corps
Diplomatique, while Tours would become
that OF the Ministry of the Interior and of
the Treasury. 1t was considered desirable
not to separate the Corps Diplomatique
from the Foreign Affairs, in order not to in
terpOse difficulties OF intercourse with the
heads Of the department. The Ministers of
the Marine and the Colonies, of Justice,
OF Public Works. of Commerce, and Pub
Lie Instruction, would remain in Paris. The
decision went 80 far into details as to result
in the acceptance of the Palace Of Jean
CRur-Otfercd by the municipality of
BOurges-for the official residence Of the
War Minister, and the Hotel of the Prefec-
ture for that Of the Foreign Minister Both
cdifices have historical assOciatiOns-the
former i'll connection with the more strik-
ing incidents in the career of the remarka-
bic man who inhabit it the latter, as the
seat of the tribunals Of BOurges before the
great revolution. In one Of the halls Of
this palace the assembly Of the clergy under
Charles VII. was held, at which the prag-
germ Of universal suffrage. Since the Cab
met came to the decision already adverted
to, the military aspect Of affairs has altered;
the Prussians have halted in their advance,
even refrigerated, and for the present moth
ing more is heard of the project. Should
the necessity arise, however, there is NO
doubt the projected transfers will be forth
with carried out.
When the French metropolis had its
boundary wall at the commencement of the
rue du Faubourg st. HonOre. and its fosses
in the rue MOntmartre, Vauban projected
and designed a great system of forts and de-
fenses for its protection, and the First Ma
pOleon intended extending and applying it
to the Paris of his day. When II. Theirs
and Louis Philippe concluded to fortify the
city, the line of the exterior BOulevards ran
not five minutes easy walk from the spot
where these lines are penning, and the
Triumphal Arch was outside OF the Porte de
FOctroi de NeuiAy. The intermediate space,
and all round Paris, was filed up by pleas
ant market-gardens, the Park and Palace of
Monceaux, by green fields and open
patches, and by only occasional houses.
The Batignolles were q suburb, ertra muros,
where people went on Sundays and fast-days
to tipple rim Ordindire, or the compound
which did duty as such, at six sous a
litre, without any inconvenience to the head,
but much to another department of the
frame; and here, TOO. at the hundred and
one restaurants or gargOttes were sold stews
alleged to he made Of rabbit ard hare. but
In which one never saw the head nor the
origin of the tail of the quadruped whose car
cass disguised made the savory mess For
years Paris within the Notifications meant
the Paris with the exterior bOulevards of
HS5, when the Bastille, ,iand the Porte ST.
Antoine, as it was then written, stood in |
close proximity, the end of the bastiOn of
that villainOus fortress and prison reaching |
to the spot where now stands the column Of |
July. 1t was q bold scheme to fortify the
Paris OF lS4O as 1t now stands, but the pos |
sibility Of an incursiOn of Prussians never |
entered into the minds of its originators,
nor Of their successors. Had this been the |
case, Paris intva-mMros would never have |
been pushed to the inner side of the wall of !
or c,sceintc continue, and we |
might then have been spared the sad spec
tacle of destruction and ruin now presented |
to the view.
In connection with this subject, General |
Trochu has spared such portions of the Bois |
de Boulogne as did not impede artillery |
practice from the ramparts, but the demoli- |
tiOn of all houses within the military zone |
Is proceeding rapidly. Most tourists will |
the chapel erected upon the spot |
where the late Duke of Orleans breathed |
his last in 1912, after his terrific fall ont of |
his carriage. 1t has almost disappeared |
under the pickax and the crOwbar of the |
special corps OF wOrkmen demolishers. 1t |
is said that the monument will be restored, |
and that the blocks of stone of which it was |
have all been numbered and set |
aside for this purpose. The neighborhOod.
of Montrouge, Vanguard, Issy and Grenelle
present heap Of ruins. The houses
down in this neighborhood were Of
no great value, but not so those in the vi
prietOrs will not receive any indemnity, as
q condition of sale to them was, that |
IN the event of a war, the engineer
ing department could compel them, at
q days notice. to demOlish the buildings |
upon the land sold. This rule, however,
does not apply to the owners Of house pro-
perty already erected within the zone when
the fortificatiOns were projected. General
IrOchu has probably excellent reasons for
a new circular he has just issued, informing
the proprietOrs of houses within the zone
OF the Fort OF Nogent-sur-Marne, that in
stead OF evacuating their property, or caus-
ing it to be evacuated within twenty-four
hours, they may wait a little longer pro-
baby tor 1.-The good time coming" Where
The people will all get to is puzzle, for
rent is beyond all conception dear. The
'lty Is In certain quarters nothing but a mil
tary camp. Vast numbers of troops enter
t one day and leave it the next. The
treat Northern Station is incumbered with
soldiers, all in heavy marching order, who
'ccupy the departure court to the exclusion
II all passengers, until Messieurs the NIL
o'res-so adOred by the Grand Duchess Of
been duly accommodated.
z NJ DEr sN-<,r |