The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1871-04-04


We publish this morning an important spe-
cial despatch from Paris, giving an account OF
another fight outside the walls Of the city aud
resulting in the complete defeat of the insur-
gents. Fifty thousand communists left Paris
and marched towards Neuilly early yesterday
morning. It was understood, telegraphs our
correspondent, that Fort Mont Val6rien would
not fire upon them, and so they marched con-
fidently forward. Suddenly the fort opened
heavy fire and very soon the insurgents were
flying toward the capital. Not all OF them,
however, for a column of ten thousand men
under General Bergeret was cut of, and,
although it vainly tried to fight the great
bombproof fort with field artillery, at last &C
counts it was somewhere in front Of Mont
Valtrien, unable to return to its stronghold.
Such in brief is the story told by our cor
respondent. There does not appear to have
been any infantry engaged on the side OF the
Versailles governments nor was any needed. 1t
is clear that the iusurgent leaders were led to
believe that the garrison in the fort would
fraternize with them on their appearance, and
that they advanced their men without imagin-
ing for moment the rise about to be played
on them. Can anything more clearly prove
the utter worth,essness of the communist lead
ers than this rushing blindly into trap?
Here are number of men who aspire to rule
forty millions Of people SO utterly devoid OF
the most ordinary military ability that they ig-
more tho commonest precautions in warlike
movement. Anarchy in politics.; anarchy in
war; anarchy in everything alone they
are capable of producing. How ridiculous
appear their DEGREES arraigning M. Theirs and
his Cabinet and suppressing religious bodies,
! and their proclamations declaring 1t to be
their duty to protect Paris, when their first
| act IL to demonstrate to the world what
miserable bunglers they are in the art Of
government and how little able they are to
| protect anything l.%a' -Sa's
| While the communists are learning the
effect of siege artillery played upon them at
point blank range the Versailles authorities
are displaying little wisdom. One of our
dispatches reports that Marshal MacMahon
has been appointed Commander-in-Chie of
the French army. If there is even little
Bonapartist aspect in the appointment it
promises well for France, and is the most
hopeful indication we have yet had that M.
Theirs still retains remnant OF his former
administrative abilities.
The Methodist Episcopal Book Concern
| "Frnnds.o
In another column will be found q semi
i'll $50 10
committee of the Book Committee during their
| two recent sessions in this city, 1t will APP
| pear to-day simultaneously in the HERALD and
in the Christian 1doocate, the official organ
of the Concern here. II is reply to the
unfair and garbled accounts OF one of our con-
/ temporsries. and will illustrate about how near
the truth that journal comes when it treats of
other topics, in which it has not so great reli-
| gious interest to utter the truth as in this.
| The committees work was to select one expert
and two assistant accountants to examine the
books OF the Concern for the last sixteen years,
and to report in writing the results of their
| investigation for the information Of the COM
mittee and of the whole Church. This would
seem to be in itself an easy task, but the COM
mittee at the start laid its head fguratively
| in the lap of Delilab and allowed itself TO be
bound hand and foot, 80 that after two ses-
| sions the Bishop and members of the commit
| tee adjourned sine die without do:sg anything
except adding to the expense Of the Concern.
| The Methodist Church and public will hardly
put much faith in the allegations Of fraud in
their publishing house made by man 'high
in the Church and in official stature who will
not permit his proofs to be seen unless he can
choose majority of the experts. We warned
the committee last week against selecting or
appointing any man WHO should make figures
| lie in the interest of either party to this con-
troversy; and this final adjournment of the
committee looks as if there was no other alter
native presented to them than that or nothing.
And as impartial representatives of the whole
| Church they have dropped their relations to
this matter and will report to the full Book
Committee, which has the power to proceed
! in the investigation without reference to coun-
sci on either side. And this they doubtless
| will do.
l
The Erie Railway Litigation.
| An adjourned hearing on the reference in
| n,;, "a az In, tI,a Tynitod ct.fao n;ro,,,t