The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1871-01-23
The Situation Outside the Walls OF Paris
y q
and Within the Besieged Capital.

and within the Besiesed Capital.
The French Army of the North has been
beaten. Faidharbe, like Chanzy and Bour-
baki, is retreating, after severe losses, before
General Won Goeben. The news does not
surprise US. few days ago we expressed
the belief that Faidherbe's army was not suf-
ficiently strong in numbers or in discipline to
give the Germans serious concern. The defeat
of Faidherbe shows how powerless the French
armies are in their resistance to the Germans.
On all sides we hear of nothing but disasters
to the French The Army of the Loire, the
most efficient army yet raised by the republic,
though superior in point Of numbers to the
forces of Prince Frederick Charles, proved to
be no match for the Germans. In the same
way Bourbaki finds himself unequal to the
task he set out to accomplish in the East. Won
Werder forces him not only to abandon his
idea of raising the siege of Belfort. but COM
pels him to retire and save himself and his
army by flight. Now comes the news that
Faidherbe is beaten, driven from all his posi-
tions and compelled to retire on st. Quentin.
France than what they appear at present
throughout the provinces?
Within Paris matters stand much in the
same condition. The bombardment continues,
the wreck of public buildings goes on, discon-
tent prevails among the citizens, Trochu Is
falling in public estimation, and general dis
trust is everywhere observable throughout the
city The picture which the special corre-
spondent of the HERALD within the walls Of
the doomed capital draws is gloomy indeed.
The pinchings of hunger are fast beginning to
tell upon the populace; the destruction of the
magnificent buildings which adorned the city
stimulate the citizens to cry out against their
leaders and complain in bitter tones of the
inactivity of their Governor. For months
Trochu has been perfecting his army, and for
what2 His sorties have proved useless.
His hopes that the armies which were raising
in the provinces would come to his aid mus.
now be dispelled, and the prospects are that
the story Of Metz will again be repeated,
but on a grander scale. The latest news tells
us of the destruction by the German lombard
ment OF the splendid conservatory In the Jardin
des Plantes, the most magnificent collection of
exotics in the world. We can hardly blame
the Parisians for being Infatuated at the de-
struction Of their beautiful city. That they
have made heroic struggle the world will
acknowledge, that they have submitted calmly
and patiently to the hardships Of the siege
none will attempt to deny, and while hope
remained they chung to that hope with per-
sistency which claims admiration and COM
mands respect /; but since struggles prove USE
less, sacrifices go for naught, and there is
nothing left to hope for it seems to us that it is
clearly the duty Of those who assume to be the
leaders in France to bring this dreadful war to
close by acknowledging defeat and making
the best terms they can with the conqueror.
The question arises, do the French leaders
possess the moral courage necessary for such
an act?