New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1871-11-08
LITERATURE OF THE WAR IN FRANCE.


CAUSE OF THE ORDER-WORKs ON TIE
CALCULATIONS OF METZ AND SEDAN.
lFRoM THE REGULAR CORRESPONDENT OF THB TRIBUNEl
PARIS, Oct. 3d." Notwithstanding repeated
orders, q great number Of officers continue to publish
pamphlets and TO write in the newspapers. The Minis
ter furthermore panied 10 notice that the most OF these
publications refer only to personal questions" Such s
the preamble of general order published by the War
Minister two days ago. who goes declare the neoes
sty Of putting end to this sort Of indiscipne ANY
officer of matter what rank, who shall hereafter In
dulge in publications Of this kind by the press, without
having first obtained authorization, will be punished By
80 days strict arrest for the first oense by being put
the retired list for the second oense." The order s
something vague-the limit between pamphlet and book
being left unde6ned these letters and pamphlets are
evidently Of tWo kinds since "most OF whch"-there-
fore a"relate only to personal interests are en-
regimeRted as " this kind"
In general way the perambulatory statement is wo-
fully true; and the appended new order sanctioned by
penalties which were lacking to s unenforced reiterated
predecessors comes in needed time The ndiscplne OF
the army alarming counterpart OF the state OF par
ties OF the moral anarchy the country Inland that
Government itself is in. No head and all members eaeh
member claiming aiming to be Aeadj the provisional
Chief Of State not the acknowledged chief OF any Ee
compact political party surrounded by ministers WHOSE
political views are but partially accOrdant Win MS
whom he has taken loan from opposing partesi INC
Executive-more or less from seeming necessity 'ei'
pressing expediency but more than Iess "l'ineH ~
croaching on the legislative las in this recent
Lorraine Customs COnvention), or violating statute ID"
las in the recent appointment to office In army ana navy
of two of the Orleans Princess the legislative ehoroac
ing on the Executive las the adjuncon OF committee
of its members for the revision OF military grades CON-
erred by the Paris and TOursBordeaux branches OF INC
4h of September Government to the Ministry OF war
instead OF passing law by which the War Mlhsoer
sbould he Guided in such work OF rcvisOn the hatreds
nd n1i
mostly OF blind ignorance this reign between social
Glasses: the deeper sub-soi difference OF opinion anu
passion between the two classes. into which the frenc
Iet alone some other peopel are specuativey dVSipe
and profoundly INSTRUMENTATION believers anu
poDbeevcrs; the accompanying, partially cOincident'
generally correspondent classdherence on the honTel
cLous sentimental moral, and intellectual potcosoca!-
economic side OF auhoritarans and Professionals These
are some OF the indicative outline facts OF the actual
confused French situation. Where all are crtlcs anu
there are no accepted Of criticism, 1t IL OF Pecu
liar importance TO the chief Of such government az Is
going who of himself has no inherent godke controlling
authority to have control of manageable men and keep
his powder dry-n he would Keep lis heau uooNo 'no
surging waters.
~ B. Never you quarrel, ingenious general reader
with this mixture OF metaphor. The more they are
mixed my dear General the more apty they figure the
uncomonly mixed of troubles our French raft OF
State is uneasy floating in.l
NJ
alarmed, nstinctvely in his quality OF Frenchman and
French ruler but the artistic side as amateur OF mat
tiers military, ny the mOralet alone material-n condl-
ton the French army is in to-day. 1t is alarming-or
hopeful, according your temperament and longer
views Of other things That it is for the moment dis
organized dsiHtegrated at quarrel with ITSELF is patent
to any observer through whatever medium Of regret
WISH or calculation he regards It, War Minister Gen.
Cssey specially provoked two days TO issue that
penal order quoted above by the letters of Gems Nan
sOnty, Cremer, Banal, and Of some less hgh-graded
officers lately addressed to the editors OF Paris daily
papers, and therein printed These letters express the
feelings and opinions Of their respective writer's regard
the Empire the late past 18th of September and the
actual Provisional Government with amessroom frank
ness here and there breaking into open contempt IN no
instance markedly srespecu to the powers that pro-
visiouay be- than one instance CONTEMPORARY
hOutng the same, and even provoking their overthrow
Officers Of the French army some of them long In ser
vice. do hesitate to attack through the daily partisan
| newspapers, the Government Of which they are the
hired servants and the Government otwhich they were
lately the servants and each other. noble old man,
graduated 20 years ago from West Point sent out there
after by Government TO study and report on military
schools, discipline, etc, IN France-thcn leaving the
happily restricted military Of action offered by
our country for the larger play Of civil fe-hut when
the cannon of Sumter called him, going quick back
all personal interests thrown asideto the due service
of his ALMA Mater, and "payng with his person., Us the
French phrase IT, throughout our warhe, Gen. IT, comes
here enjoying his rest and asks me to pick up for
him few Of the best representative books published In
France relating the late Though he has passed
years beyond the grand cmacterc and yet stands
gFandly erect looking out in faithful camness 70 the
fatal crossing and future shOrewthout eyegasses-l
kept the fulhment Of his commission within narrowly
select limitations should say that the three patches Of
books sent to address the Hotel Chatham would not
number altogether more than 40 separate volumes
say volumes, "promiscuous," having no direct advices
mic NJ hat
distinguish between pamphlets (brochures and books
The gross material fact h that according 10 Moab Web
ster all French printed works mostly Mclean, doubt
Jess to that Hebrac Connecticut photographers puri
tanic snse seeing that they not bound when first
exposed for sale, originally pamphlets. 1t Is fire.
quent andpromineut not also mainly and exclusive quail
itV defect of these but of all more or less tnera-
Die feature-the tinge Of personality NneteDths
Of Gen. Wimpens octave on Sedan is impersonal de-
scripve web and wool; through the stately volume OF
narrative runs tenth thread Of quiverngly personal
ber that sets Gen. Ducrot Hqulver and he straight
such prOvocatOD spins his narrative yarn Of that
sorry days history Others less distinguished have set
in print their less distorted views OF the mad
down ire and blood that day of the Third Napole
onic pokea-moOnshine, mistaken by respectable dazed
persons for yeptabe returned rOi de sOle Metz and
its suferings and final rendition have been moro
fertile than Sedan of narrative, explanatory and
critical book crops. I may note being full
kerneed nearest to nourshing quality Of facts
gathered as yet from this Metz field: Les Vancs de
ML an svo entitled Aets CampdgneS ct NegOciatiOns
and LIE BlOc de Metz The first Of these has evidently
for author brilliant eyed witness with fine artistic
Of situations and form and colOrs The second il petu
liar and peculiarly valuable body Of testimony that may
claim authoritavely hearing In the trial of Bazaine
always going before the tribunal Of public opinion
inally designated author Is only its editor He IL
colonel Of the French arny-ono OF the many hundreds
Of French officers who after the surrender of Metz
interGs Hamburg There these gentlemen devised the
plan Of this book There six hundred of
In the interest Of history and their honor