Wilmington journal. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1844-1895, 1871-01-27

suit is then to be considered. But the
average Of our cotton lsnds-twelve actes
for each horse used on the farm In corn
and five in cats or rye-will, if pTopsriy
fersilized and we'll cultivated, produce
enough for the supply of the plantation.
Less than this amocnt will be entirely in
adequate for the years consumption.
The war i'm EurOpe-The Situation at
Present.
The last hope of France is gone. Until
now there was some chance that the valor
Of her people would triumph over the 10
vaders of her soil, and would finally ooE-
quer an honorable and equitable peace.
This chance has just been lost, not so
much by the defeat of Gen. Cbauzy, as by
the faulty direction of his retreat. If he
lost from twenty to thirty thousand men
in killed, wounded and prisoners in the
last engagements around LIE Maus, he has
amount f; aud the German losses must
have been severe also. But by his retreat
upon Laval he has thrown himself outside
of the military CHEFS board, and it will be
a miracle if he can hereafter become
available. If the reader casts his eye
upon map of France, he will see that
il ChauZy had retreated upon Beaumont
and Dreux, leaving Alencon to his left-or
even passing through Alencon. one or two
night marches, such as we used to make
in our war, would have brought him nearer
to Paris than the army of the Red Prince.
This army then, attacking promptly the
Prus SLAMS at Versailles, while TrOchu at
tackled them from Paris, might probably
have gained great success. At all events,
this was the best chance that was left.
Now. 1t is evident that the army of ths
Loire, formed of raw levies, however,
inforced by still more inexperienced re-
crnite, cannot cope with the veterans who
have marched victoriously from the Rhine
to the Loire. These young conscripts
have proved their valor. aud saved the
military honor of their country, cOmpro-
missed bv the armies of the Empire but
valor alone is Insufficient against expert
ence and discipline. What France has
needed above all things is one single man
capable of leading and commanding large
armies. McMahon was perhaps the only
General she had, and he was sacrificed
| from the beginning without having q
chance 10 show what he cOuld do.
Bazaine, aud all the rest, even to Trohcu,
have proved unequal to the situation.
| Chanlv, with over zoe. 600 men it is said,
| fought his last battle with 80 900 and lei
| them get crushed, while all the rest OF his
troops were idle. Trochu made sortle
with 100, 900 and was repulsed, while it Is
morally certain that ii he had put III 200,
600 ont of the 400, 900. or 500, 900 that be
has OH hand, he would have been success
full And now, like Bazaine, he stands
idle, eating up his horses, upon which hi
efficiency depends, and makes no effort tt
break the circle which imprisons him. Hi
inaction, if not speedily broken, must enc
:, in surrender. AS to his supposed purpose
praised by the New York Herald as an ev
idence of high military abb ity, to abandon
Paris and take his army to an entrenchet
camp under the guns of Mt. Valerian. it i
simply absurd. Surprising he could in
duce his army, composed mainly Of tn
drafted citizens of Paris, to follow him Il
such q camp, how could they, concentra
ted within a comparatively small area
Without casemates Gr shelters, sustain til
fire of the twelve or fifteen hundred heav
guns which would Immediately be concen
irated upon them AMI il they did
s what better hope of relief would they hav
. in The intrenGhed camp than in the city
s The inv, sting lines would be much stror
S ger because much shorter. The Prussia
e armies in tho field could be reinforced b.
= all those that would be spared from th
: siege Of Paris, and surrender create
i than that of Sedan or Metz would clos
I the drama at the last
Yet the lat dispatches state that til
J, people of Paris, exasperated by barba
Il barous bombardment, are determined I
q make defence unparalleled in history
All honor be to them. Paris has we'll d.
a served the name of the 'heroic city" ST
Il may perish utterly and be buried in h'
own ashes. Prince Hohenlohe, tt
chief of artillery. has given orde
to destroy all the pubic buildings that &c
- be reached by the Prussian guns. Th
10 brutal vandalism, more worthy of Il
- Huns and the Cloths than of Christif
81 nation, may succeed in its object; but it
- laying the seeds of undying hatred al
revenge and though it take hundr'
years, France will never rest until Pru
= STA is made to drink of the same bitter CT
" of humiliation.
x France is perishing for the want of Oh
i great man. Had she possessed one SUE
We leader us our Lee, Or Jackson, the Fren
y tri-color would be now waving on d
o. right bank of the Rhine.
70 The Raleigh Gazette, now the leadi
Republican paper in the State. says of n
IT, Ahbott's intention to contest the seat