Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1871-01-31

merous and coniradiotory, but none, Is
later developments proved, were worthy
of any consideration. A special to an
American paper at this time gave some
interesting figures as to the strength of the
French army and the Notifications Of
Paris. From it it appeared that at Paris
Gen. Trochu had force of 200, 900 men
fit for offensive service in the field. Paris
was absolutely impregnable to attack, and
could be conquered only by starvation.
There was an abundance of food in Paris,
sufficient to last two months
longer. On Wednesday, the 9th
of November, the French Army
of the Loire, under command of
D'Aurelles de Paladines, which had been
concentrated for the relief of the besieged
capital, attacked the Germans under Won
der Tam, near Orleans, and administered
to them crushing defeat. Paladines then
commenced his march upon the besieging
force around Paris, but after various de-
lays, he was met at Besume la Ronde by
the combined forces of Prince Frederick
Charles, Won der Tam, and the Duke of
Mecklenburg, and defeated with crushing
daughter. Trochu, acting in concert
with De Paladines, on the LIST of
December sent out of Paris, under
command of Gen. Ducrot an army
estimated at 10000 men, which
was at first entirely successful, and
penetrated to considerable extent the
German line of investment. In a few
days, however, he was compelled to retire
back to the city after several most des-
perate engagements. Provisions in the
city now began to grow scarce indeed,
and fresh meat was entirely exhausted.
The events since are still very fresh in
the public mind. The unsuccessful at
tempt of Chanzy, the forlorn hope of
France, to raise the siege, the beginning
of the bombardment, the capture of
Fort Mont Avron, are events of so
recent occurrence that we will
not reproduce them. In o letter re-
Gently received from Minister Wash
burne he states that the Parisians were
reduced to the greatest extremity, and
that the most ordinary articles of food
command the highest prices. Among
other things he mentions that on Christ
mas eve, while walking through market
place, he had the curiosity to ask the
price of poor-looking goose, and was
informed that it could be purchased for
one hundred and thirty-fve francs, while
little chicken was offered for
thirty-five francs. The suffering caused
throughout the city BY the scarcity
of food has had depressing infiu-
ence upon the citizen soldiery, most of
whom are personal witnesses of the des-
titution and privations endured. The
German attack on St. Denis, the failure
Of the sorties of the 10th, the demorali-
cation of the French army, and the suf.
feringsof the people have fastened this
step on the part of the leaders within the
walls of the besieged city. For days past
it was evident that the end was approach
ing, and the inevitable step could not be
much longer delayed. 1t has come at
last, and the only wonder is that Paris
held out as long as it did under the cir
cumstances.
The terms of peace demanded by Bis
marck are very hard. They are stated
by the Versailles dispatch to the New
York Herald to be as follows:
'sFirsL, The cession of the province of
Alssce and that part of the province of
Lorraine known as German Lorraine.
Second. A money indemnity of /, O0O,.
600, 0o0f-s19O, 900, 900.
Third. Forty war-ships from the
French fleet.
'tFOurth. One of the colonies now
held by France, which, cannot learn.
"The money indemnity must be guar
anteed by the municipalities. If this
guaranteed is refused, the proper ty Of
rich individuals will be held possessi on of
until the acquiescence is obtained"
Prussia is determined 70 reimburse her.
self for the heavy outlay of the war, and
at the same time add to her power and
prestige as a nation. She has lost heavily
in men-the flower of her great army
but in other respects she viii come out of
the war greater and more formidable
power than she went into it. Hard and
exacting as these terms are, France can
not do otherwise than accept them, for to
go on with the war in her crippled con-
dition, is to invite humiliation by absorp-
ton into the German Empire, which
would almost certainly follow a few
months prolongation of the unequal con-