The New York herald., 1871-05-05

| sian System-The People Deserving Paris
How They Get Away-Ili- rr satment OF an
| American Gentleman.
VERSAILLES, April 20. 1871.
| Ihave just returned from tour of inspection OF
all the military posts between Versailles and Bougi
val and have gained the conviction that, despite OF
severe lessons received during the late war; the mill
tary authorities of France remain unwilling to profit
by experience. Having spent much time with the
contending armies, and having witnessed much hard
| fighting on both sides, felt naturally desire to
inquire the causes led the defeat OF the
French armies. As a result of my Investigations
am enabled to assert without fear OF contradiction,
| that
| THE ORIGIN OF THE FRENCH DISASTERS
be traced in the majority OF to the miscr
able condition Of the commIssarlat department and
to the utter want OF system in connection with that
! branch OF the service second, not less serious
fault, arises from the fact that there is lack OF
confidence between officers and men, and utce versa.
Oicers are habitually absent from their regiments,
and the responsibility of caring for the welfare of
the men is, rs rule, lett to the judgment Of sub
| ordinates AS for
THE CoMMIssARIAr DEPARTMENT,
only need to look around the streets OF Versailles.
Several hundred one-horse carts are constantly
| going up and down the avenues leading to the
stores situated In the Rue de la Pompe and al the
railroad depot On sundry occasions made 1t
speciality to examine those carts, but you hardly
| 1nI one out or ten tnat bears inspection.
! The vehicles are all more less in dilapidated
condtion; there IS scarcely without some detect
otner. The horses htched to these carts ought to
attract the attention Of the Society for the Preven-
tion OF Cruelty to Animals. Few Of them have been
stabbed for weeks and weeks; none pro-
perly groomed The nags III yfed, Kept day and
night in the open air, without litter and without
particle of covering. One and all are fit objects Tor
the knackers yard.
THE RED TAPE SYSTEM
which obtains in the Commissariat Department Ia
based on rules and regulations dating back to the
time OF Louis XIV. However much it may have
fitted the requirements of that period, it is lit
tie in keeping with the exigencies OF modern war
fare. During the Italian campaign the French COM
missariat am told worked admirably, and, more
over. during the Crimean war; the British army was
greatly Indebted to the superior arrangements which
obtained In the French camp. Granting that to be
the case, Is all the more to be regretted that
| vestge Of superiority Is now apparent. may be
told that at the present juncture all branches OF
military service are more or less dcmoraliZed, but
respectfully submit that the objection does not hold
good for the simple that throughout the late
war | have witnessed nothing else but the same
| miserable management.
| COMPARED WITH THE PRUssIAN SYSTEM.
| One OF the greatest blunders committed by the
| French War Department resulted from the erroneous
estimates Of the capacity Of the Prusslan commissa
ratons OF the enemy. had taken the In
| efficiency OF their own arrangements for
"a criterion. The superior marching powers
| generally attributed 10 the PrIissians are based
| on the excellence OF their tommissariat. Does any
one believe that Frencnmen cannot move with equal
celentyY Certainly they But the inferior ar
Tangements OF the French commissariat impose on
the commanding officers the imperative necessity
or concertIng his plans with and basing his tactics
on existing ARRANGEMENTS. The movements OF
French army is dependent on the miserable one
horse CARTS such described ABOVE. The Prussans
on the other hand, are possessed OF well organized
institution. four horses of unexceptonape breed
1,60o or l,S00 cwt The men In charge love
Kept in Osss esecens condsson The Command n Of
provision column Is entrusted to an ex-
psed to the 0e Road and familiar % with haed
ling OF horses / would almost go so far
slams centres in the arrangement OF which | have
endeavored to give You an outline aud IL is surpris
ing TO me thas the French authorities remain bind
to the fact that their system Is deporaDly deficient
fear, however, that french gentleman Of equal
rank in society as those commanding o Prussian
column OF supply would look upon the appointment
as derogatory or II he condescended TO accept the
commission he woald look upon II a slnecure and
leave the actual work TO subalte.ns Ghis, In fact
Is the root OF much evil. saw an hour ago regL
ment-a whole Notwithstanding into camp each
say. 1000 men, with only two officers. 1t was
breakfast time, and the rest OF the officers, 1t
be supposed, could be found az the restaurant. /
went over the whole camp at ST. Cloud yesterday
but hardly an oicer could be seen.
WHY OPERATIONS ARE DELAYED.
Nm the abstract the foregoing facts are well known
among military men, II alluded to them at length
or explaining the diaory proceedings In the opera
uons against Paris
All men OF Alsatian birtn nave been dismissed
from the regular army or rather they nave the
optlon 10 return TO their homes, since the French
government has no claim on them A few only re-
man faithful TO their French Orgn the larger num-
Der by lar prefer to so home and be Prussanized.
DESERVING THE CAPITAL.
The night OF the Parisians from the ill-fated city
sil goes on. The exodus has been most extensive |
among the large numbers OF small shopkeepers, |
who, moreover form The class least willing shoul-
der rnusket In defence Of the Commune. The In |
genuity OF people mas been put 10 test 10
the mode OF effecting an escape from Paris Varied |
nave been the devices, ana the newspapers are |
teeming with numerous narratives more or less |
romantic, and sometimes tragic IN nature.
Large numbers OF men. am told, have left Paris
clothed In the uniform OF National Guards Once
outside OF the forlficatIons, rife and accoutrements
are thrown away, and the uniform doned for suit
OF clothes or a blouse hidden In the knapsack. The
men will then make their way to the nearest vii
lage TO Join their families, who have thither by
rail or otherwise Women, or course, havo no din-
Guilty in obtaining passports or a idtssez.pdsseY.
Ihousanis OF honest meaning people have
emgrated IN that manner. Some OF The
FUGITIyBs TOOK TO THE SEWERS.
we arc toid that they groped their way along the
city, To make matters Interesting the people arc
informed that not lew lost their way IN the under.
ground @ lapyrinth % aud encountered narrow escapes
limit to the tragic-comc but take that the stories
must ne received with several grams Of allowance.
The straight road has been all along and remains SO
sun, the '.Chemin de fer du Nord:" BY that road
reach the Prussan Ines and, OF conrse feel per-
fecey safe. Another mode OF exit has been Afforded
BY The orleans kaLroad; but apprehcnd the traiilc
has been much interfered with during the past week
ON the other hand the Northern road Is owned IN
great part BY the Rothschilds, they holding PROBABLY
ninetenths Of the stock. ana II may be taken Tor
granted that circumstance has largely contributed
" prevent the rebels from meddllng with the rights
OF prop picorshp. In addition TO this the prusslans
would certainly put In veto In case OF interruption
In the traffic,
ILIrTREATMEST oP AN AMERICAN
an American gentleman, resident IN Paris for a
numner Oh years. lett tnc city by the road leading
Sceaux. He was riding IN his own carriage and two
ponies, and cleared the rebel lines under protection
OF lGsses pdsser, but, reaching the outpost or
the versailles troops, he mistaken for n spv
Carriage and horses were seized, and IN spite or ali
reInonstrance the gentleman was handed over TO
an escort OF Rcndarmes. who lost no time 10 lock
him up. j regret 10 add that the gentleman has
been shamefuiy treated. not only 10y subordinates
but by no less person tnan General Montaudon.
nlIIt