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

| losses. But most oil these engagements were OIL
| very trivial importance. great sensation was,
however created by the occupation OF Versailles by
the Prussians and the establishment OF their head
| quarters in this the most celebrated OF French
| palaces.
| The siege had scarcely begun when an attempt
was made TO bring about the close OF h0stilities.
| M. Jules Favre was commissioned by the govern
| inent 10 see Bismarck and endeavor to negotiate
reasonable terms OF peace. After some not very
| dgnlhed wranging on both Sides extending over
| several days, the negotiation fell through Favre
| was willing to end the war on q basis OF money
| compensation by France TO Germany, but refused
to assent 10 the cessiOn OF an inch OF territory Bis
marck, while also looking upon money cOmpensa-
| ton as necessary basis OF settlement, de-
manded some territorial fruits OF victory
as WELL especially insisting upon the hand.
ing over to Germany Of Strasbourg, which
| did not surrender until a week subsequently.
| upon THIS rock the whole negotiation split and M.
Favre returned to Paris, only to impress more
| earnestly than ever upon his countrymen the ne
cessity OF vigorous resistance, and to assure them
that II was impossible to agree with Prussia upon
any honorable terms of peace.
Even thus early 1t was clear that Paris was a city
divided against itself. Two different forms OF au-
| thority had been created. The first was the Pro.
visi0na Government, before referred TO- upon whose
/
| order and resisting the foe. The second was
the Central Republican Committee. COM
| posed of four delegates from each arron-
| basement or eighty members In all These
| four delegates were elected from among
| twenty-five chosen by the vote OF the people-the
other twenty remaining In their reimbursement
to canvass the daily luctuating opinion OF the popu
lation expressed in conversation and at night in
| public meetings. This committee organized
under the auspices of the International Association
| OF Worklngmen and began to inspire fear both
on the part OF the government and the bourgeolsie
The dlsarectlon was headed by M. Gustave
Flourens, who became conspicuous in the affair OF
Victor Noir But the fear O. disturbances from this
cause did not continue long after the confusion Incl.
| dent to the beginning OF the siege had sub
| sided. Trochu drilled and organized the
| volunteers and sounded the sentiments OF
| the community, while he temporized with
| the malcontents; and, as soon as he found
himself strong enough to do So repressed the mis-
| chef-makers with a strong hand. Nothing per-
| haps, shows the injustice OF the abuse recently
| heaped so lavishly upon this great man than the
| good order which he has succeeded in maintaining
In Paris. Through nearly all the four months OF the
siege there has scarcely been anything like an at
| tempt at revolution, since the first disturbances
| reached their height and were queed; and it Is
| only within the past two or three weeks when the
people had lost all hope OF proonging resistance,
That the spirit OF disaectOn and disorder mas ven
| tured again to make its appearance.
| With the surrender OF Strasbourg on the 9th OF
September the Deslegers and the besieged settled
| down in serious earnest to work. The Parsians
| were daily growing apparently more resolute, the
| city was rapidly acquiring government in which
1t had the greatest confidence and all the arrange
ments for defence were being perfected. The great
difficulty was, twas clear. the food supply, and mea
sures were adopted by the authorities to make the
stores hold out as long as possible. Fresh meat de-
manded naturally the first attention, the gov
eminent took possession OF all the live stock within
| the walls, and allowed only certain number Of
| beasts to be killed each day. Every butcher re-
| ceived daily certain amount OF meat, based upon
| his average sales. The meat supply, how
| ever, under this system complained of as
being insufficient, and restaurants were frequently
| unable to supply their customers. All stores or
-four were also taken possession of by the govern
| ment and doled out a similar plan Only three
| weeks from the opening OF the siege rates already
| were enormously high for everything OF which the
| government did not thus supervise the sale. Ham
was quoted at seven francs the pound; salt butter
nine francs; chicken, ten francs the pound; rabbits
eleven francs; ducks, nine francs; goose twenty
| f.ncs Still, in spite OF these enormous indica-
| lions, the government announced that 1t could
great privatons upon the people, And it was looked
! upon as beyond all possibility that the capital Of
| France would be allowed to remain thus long I'M
| relieved.
At this time the troops under Trochu mustered
nearly four hundred thousand men. fully equal in
| apparent strength to the beleaguering army. But
this vast force was composed chiefly Of volunteers
the demorallzed wrecks OF the great armies that
had already been destroyed. They were. therefore,
1 either inexperienced or unreliable, and Trochu
might well hesitate to hurl them against the Ger
| man veterans who surrounded him. lie avowed his
| determination to wait until an army of relief
arrived to aid the bsseged In raising the SIEGE and
for the purpose OF fastening on this happy consum.
nation M. Gambetta was commissioned to leave
Paris and organize force In the provinces He lett
| the capital in balloon, and Will probably 90 down
| to history as the first Minister who ever ventured
| for serious object In so hazardous a means or
travel
| Some two hundred Americans and a number OF
other foreigners still remained In the city. All OF
| these were, OF course, strongly in favor OF the
| French cause. and the Americans organized an
ambulance corps on the model used In our own war;
which did good service In alternating the suferings
| OF the wounded.
For month after the investment rumors were
daily circulated that the commandment was to begin
immediately On the 18th Of October the first three
shots were fired by the Prussans but their position
| was too far removed from the city for lombard
| ment to nnict any great damage Besides this, the
besiegers were unable to bring up their heavy guns
owing to the breaks In the railroad communication
and the mpassabillty OF the roads from heavy rains
| In fact, the Dombardment was from these causes
deferred until few weeks ago. From the outset
the French maintained vigorous fire on the Prus-
sian lines with cannon and small arms.
On Wednesday, the 18th OF October, the French
made first grand sorte, with brilliantly successful
results. The sortie was led by General TrOchu in
person, and 100 600 French troops participated In It,
They displayed the greatest gaantry and their cou
rage was well rewarded. The Prussians had crept
up almost the walls, and If they had been able to
plant batteries OF heavy guns In these temporary
cnnld N sheliel .ps1,s