New-York tribune., 1871-01-17
TUr FORIORY HOPE BROKEN.

|
THE FOREORN HOPE BROKEN.
The seyerest blow which the Republic has
/ yet received WAS the most unexpected. Inc
| energy Of Gambetta, the resources OF the PROV
! inces-and both were great and greatly eXeF-
| ciSed-have been directed to forming the Army
! of the Loire with which to relieve the besleged
| capital, but which has itself been overwhelmed.
In IN incredibly short period after the extc1mi-
nation of the two armies of the Empire, Gam
| beta organized and armed force of not less
than two hundred thousand men-forming an
army perfect in nearly everything but that
thorough discipline which is absolutely essen
tial to success and without which numbers and
goneralship avail nothing This quality time
alone could give, and time, of all things else,
! the French could not command. The pressing
needs of Paris compelled the army on which
it depended to move long before it was well
prepared, in the vain hope of defeating the
small German force at Orleans and breaking
the lines investing Paris, before the cOnquering
veterans of Gravelotte could come from fallen
Metz and hence, attacking untimcly, it met
with signal repulse. A second failure forced
the French Minister to divide this splendid
force of eager spirits. A fraction of less than
third was sent under Bourbali on distant
offensive operations which promised minor
success and threatened disastrous failure.
Evidently Gambetta and his advising Gene
rails were inspired with the hope that this
division of the army would lead the Germans
to like tactics, and thus weaken the force
between Chanzy and Paris. But they did
not understand Won MOltke nor know
the resources of their enemy. Instead of
sending Prince Frederick Charles or
the Duke of Meclllenburg in pursuit
of Bourbaki, the German Chief of Staff created
another army to oppose his raid and hastily
concentrating the forces of the Prince and Duke
(whom circumstances and triumphs have proved
fit executives of the great strategists plans),
he has crashed Chanzy at blow. The battle
of lie Mans is victory for the Germans not less
decisive than that at Gravelotte. The opposing
army, it is true, has not been imprisoned IN
some unprovsioned fortress, there eventually to
capitulate. 1t has lost heavily in prisoners
mo fewer than 10000 having been taken), and
not less severely in killed and wounded, while
| the corps have been separated and scattered
in confused and demOralized flight. The bat
! lie has decided beyond all question that the
Army of the Loire cannot relieve Paris, and
that the raising of the siege Of that city is an
utter impossiblity.
There has been no time since the battle Of
Worth when the cause of France looked
brighter than it did week ago; there has
| been no moment in which it appeared more
| desperate than the present. On the success Of
! Chanzy reposed all the hopes of the nation.
! His was the only army of France cOncen-
| trated, or that could be concentrated, for
| offensive operations The frequent failures
/ Of TrOchu have revealed how hOpclessly
| he was placed on the defensive. The weak
ness of Faidherbe was betrayed in his first
! effort to reach Paris from the north; and the
desperate situation in which hc is now placed
is clearly indicated by the concentration of the
| Belgian troops on the border at the points to
which ho is driven, and at which he may be
forced to neutral territory. BOUbaki's raid
for it is nothing greater-meets with no more
success than was anticipated from its early
movements. Ii was without question O
surprise TO the German commander, who
could not indeed be expected to guess, or
hope, that his enemy would do the thing of
| all others that he most wished. In dividing
| the Army of the LOire--Or rather in failing to
reunite the two parts after their forced fight
| by divergent lines from OrlCans-the French
have committed another fatal error, which
Won Moltke has been quick to perceive aud
take advantage Of
Everywhere the struggle in France las
lately been vigorously resumed. TrOchu as
| late as the 13th-last Friday-attempted fruit
lessly in three Simultaneous sorties to break
through the German investing line. The fight
| ing seems TO have been of a desperate char
acter and was heightened in horror by the
! bOmbardmcnt Of the southern half of
| the city, which has been maintained unceas-
! ingly and destructively since the 18th inst. On
the same day BOurbah gave battle with doubt
full results near Belfort; and it was but two
days before that Chanzy had received his fin
ishing blow at lie Mans. Faidherbe is some
where on the Belgian border, closely pressed
by the Germans and preparations are making
for the bombardment of Longwy, in The same
region. This renewed energy of the Germans
prcsages as i'll for tho French as their own
| late failures.
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