The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1871-01-29

Paris has fallen! The capital OF France which for
over four months has maintained brave but hope
less defence has snccumbed. The formidable forth
locations which surrounded the city have not been
able to 1t from the result which was inevitable
All that man could do TO the country from the
humiliation which the surrender OF the capital en-
tailed have failed TO attain the end deserved. Suf.
ferlng, privat1on and starvation have accomplished
more for Germany than the admirable armies which
she possesses, and which directed by COM
mander whose military genius is universally ac-
knowledged The heroic defence Of the Parisans has
closed in vain, and the browning success of German
arms has eliminated in the captuation of Paris.
The last act OF the dreadful tragedy performed and
while waiting, not without Impotence, for the full
particulars OF the surrender, the following hurried
sketch Of some OF the principal sieges chroncled In
history may be read with attention. 1t is not, OF
course, exhaustive record OF this branch OF mill
tary annals, but It. at least presents examples Of
nearly all that has been suffered by invested cities
In the past; and happily 1t records some horrors
which Will probably never again stain the pages OF
history.
First among historical sleges that famous
one Of Troy. which, thanks to the genius OF Homer
win live for ever in the memories of men. Perhaps,
as minority Of critics assert, this siege is wholly
fabulous, but It's details told with SUCH
painfully graphic mnuteness IN the pages Of
the grand old Iliad that we can at least
accept 1t as representative specimen OF the nume-
sieges which, though history has preserved no
record Of them, doubtless marked what has been
termed the Homeric age OF Greece The Greek
expedition against Troy was undertaken to redress
the wrongs Of Menelaus, whose wife, Helen, reputed
to have been the lOveliest woman OF her time, had
been, not against her own consent, carried of by
the handsome heir OF Priam. King OF Iium-Parls.
At that time Greece was family OF petty kingdoms
and in response to general summons all Its chiefs
mustered their forces, and, having elected
Agamemnon to be their leader sailed with
twelve hundred galeys across the smiling
| Egean Sea, ana beeaguered the city which
| sheltered the princey Lothario. Dismissing
| all the p0etical machinery OF gods and goddesses
with which Homer has embeshed his narrative, q
fair remainder OF probable truth is still left u.s. and
see in our minds eye the scenery the actors
| and the deeds Of this wonderful drama. For ten
long years the Greeks lay before the walls of the
devoted city, encamped in rude tents faring hardly
| and exposed to the privatons Of changeable and
| occasionally Indictment climate. This season their
| forces decimated by sickness; the next the
anger of the gods punished them with the loss OF
tried and respected leader; the third perhaps,
| they fell victims to not unnatural dependency
Inside the city, the Troans held out with unfnch-
| ing firmness, and, as they had stored abundant
supplies OF provisions doubted little that they would
cessfuly tire out the patience or the beleaguer
Ing army. Day by day the routine OF operations
seems TO have been much the same. There were no
cannon or sharpshooters In those days, and the
leaders could, therefore, without fear innict long
haunting speeches upon each other, after the man.
OF Indian braves while, If they found themselves
getting the worst OF 1t in some petty fray that en-
sued, they could throw down their arms and run
away. Regularly after breakfast, the Greek chiefs
promenaded under the walls, and called the Trojans,
who appeared upon them, bastards ana dogs. and
yet more opprobriOus epithets. Now and then a
sally would be made from the city. but little damage
either side resulted, and probably during the
whole course OF the siege there were more deaths
among the combatants in the way OF nature than by
hostile thrusts. SO langushed on this famous siege
Tor ten weary years. By that time most OF the
great chiefs both sides dead, and at last the
city was taken not by force Of arms but by strata
gem OF the cunning Ulysses. Under his direction
huge wooden horse, In which number Of soldiers
could be concealed, was built. and the infatuated
Trojans admitted 1t within the gates. The hidden
Greeks sailed from their retreat admitted their
comrades and Troy was taken. That Is the Homeric
end OF the story and readers can believe 1t or
not Just as they please and just as the rest Of the
world have done Tor the past three thousand years.
PLAIN OF sIEGEs.
Next after the siege Of Troy, in time, we have the
celebrated sieges of Nineveh and Babylon. Both
these cities were situated in that fertile plain
watered by the Euphrates and the Tigris which was
the seat OF the earliest civilized empires. This
plain has ever since been the theatre OF
countless sieges Late travellers land OF the
last was HERALD correspondent, whose letters
were published only few weeks ago In these COL
umns) describe 1t vast treeess waste with regular
and gentle undulaons On the east it is bound
ed by the mountains OF Kurdistan, whose hardy OF
spring nave from almost time immemorial OCCASION
ally descended the rich lands spread beneath
their eyes, The necessary result has been that the
inhabitants of Mesopotamia and the plain of Shinar
have been forced for the sake OF security, to dwell in
fortified towns They have uniformly, too, adopted
a curously ingenious method Of defence. Selecting
some swell OF land, they, with infinite labor,
reared up huge mounds OF earth, whose SUBMITS
defended by circling walls OF massive stone.
These are perhaps, the settles built upon HILL re-
rerred to In Scripture; and, the traveller rides
through the monoronous deserts Of this now almost
abandoned land, it Is with no common emotion that
he gazes upon the vast heaps OF mute earth
that here and there dot the plain. They
are leless, and yet they speak volumes.
They tell the long story OF the past
In words that cannot lie. And that story IS one
dreary, chronicle OF constant strife. Indeed, the
annals Of this plain, If told would be little else than
a sad and continuous record Of the successful de-
fence or Of the ruthless sack and plage OF lmper-
uled cities
NINEvEn AND BABYLON.
But is high time to return to Nineveh and Baby.
lon or the siege OF the first know but litte e.
cept that occurred about the year 600 B. Co. that 1t
was not very protraced and that IT resulted In the
overthrow OF the mighty Assyrian empire. The
Assyrian king at that time was the effeminate Sar-
danapalus who lived solely among his women, ana
who even adopted the dress OF the weaker sex.
when it was announced that the city could no longer
hold out against the he collected all his treasures
IN one vast pile in che courtyard OF his palace. and
then mounting it. applied with his own hands tho
torch to what he thus made his funereal pyre.