The Charleston daily news. [volume] (Charleston, S.C.) 1865-1873, 1871-01-12

Sarily mucn more vigorous Wueu eHSoui"See
by the guns of another French force beyond
them. But Prince Frederick Charles having
come up in time to meet and roll back the
advancing columns of the Loire army, and
having retaken Orleans, q new series OF ope-
ratons became necessary. writing on l'e-
cember 90, DR.. Russell says: "Wlthln nVe uayS
of Christmas, and no sign of the surrender OF
Paris. No chance Of the Germans seeing tne
inside OF the Tuiieries in 1870 at all events.
There is an ignorant impatience on the sub
iect, People ask, why has not Paris been
taken? But why should Paris have been
taken i? The city has not been attacked. There
were two great miScalculatlons somewhere.
The first as to the moral and physical courage
of the people; the second as to their means OF
subsistence. Long ago, in our morning
marches after Sedan, u led to ask, Waat
will you oifParis resistsr and the onl an
swer I got was that It would not resist. Ihe
news from the city is that there is not senslole
want within, except on the part OF those VINO
do not contribute TO the defence, anu when tne
period OF absolute starvation for the garrison
may come is what no one from Parls seems
able to indicate. The pressure Of short COM
mons and of no commons at all on the
mass of men, women and children who are not
actively engaged must cause more trouole 10
the government; but that mischief has not yet
Not a shot has vet been fired against it; not
one German she'll has burst in its street.
Hunger, which has hitherto been relied upon,
with its two million inhabitants, has not
opened one parallel or effected lodgment IN
the place. Then why do not the Germans
bombard' The answer to that Indicated
long ago. The map and the compass will give
which lie a considerable way from the city
Behind them is another line of continuous
rampant, and the intervals between the forts
may be described also as q continuous iine.tor
earthworks have been established, covered o'
advance redoubts. Although these forts were
constructed before the days Of riled arfil
lery, they are placed so as to command, IN ost
Instances, the sites on which an enemy could
plant his batteries against them, even
with ritied guns. The Germans did NO. make
preparations for q serious siege, 10 b. opened
by fire and carried on by sap, parallel and bat
terry. The guns parked were oWe'ful OF their
kind, but were in no way superior to, II, In
deed, they were equal to, those in the forts.
They had to be collected from r. mote arsenals.
The trains which suffced for S,rasbourg would
make sorry show against Paris. While the
trees were in leaf and the woods concealed the
front of the German lines great progress might
have been made in erecting batteries had the
materiel been ready, and had the Germans
faced the certainty that Paris would not yield to
moral demonstrations and mere incOnvenien-
ces from suspended communications. Now That
the front of the lines is exposed there is no
work which the Germans can throw up which
is not exposed to heavy fire, except few bat
terles which will he made known by their open
ing rounds, and be felt before they are seen. The
armament of the forts is very powerful, and
the stores OF ammunition are enormous At
least there Is no stint. You can have 1S0-
pound shell ali to yourself, II you like, any day.
Crede erperto, know the places, and can show
you where they are. What a vast arsenal
Paris must have become How prOdiglous Its
resources While the Germans were content
with investing the place, strengthening few
positions, throwing up batteries, which were
TO be armed if bomoardment were determin
ed upon, and making themselves safe and snug
within breastworks, barrcades and fortified
posts, to prevent the garrison breaking ont on
them, not to enable them to break In on the
garrison, the defence took courage, and COW
cred by their guns, seized upon sites which the
besiegers had neglected or abandoned"