Year: 1870




offering mine gratuitously, without re.
serve, and as l have said, and 1 could
not say more, with all my heart, and this is
what understand by the purely moral assis-
tance which ask for. The idea of maintain
ing order in Paris, now prey to most legiti-
mate anguish and consequent agitation, fills me
with horror and disgust. The idea of maintain
ing order by the ascendancy of patriotism freely
amidst the manifest perils of the nation, inspires
me with hope and serenity. But the problem is
an arduous one. cannot solve it alone. |
can only solve it by the help of all
lief that have. This is what / mean by moral
force. But moment may come VIXEN
Paris, menaced throughout the whole extent of
her perimeter, and suffering from the trials of
a siege, will be TO certain extent given over to
that special class of scoundrels (gredjus) who
see in the public calamity only an occasion to
satisfy their detestable appetites. These are the
men who go about the alarmed city crying 1--WE
are betrayed" break into houses, and pillage
them. 1t is such men only that recommend
all honest people to seize by the collar in the
absence of the public force which will be on the
ramparts. j meant nothing more / beg you,
Mr.. Editor, to receive the assurance OF my dis
tinguished consideration. GENERAL TROCHU.
A Curious French View of French Victory.


The following is an extract from the article
signed Pierre Baragnon, in the Centre Gduobe,
which led TO the suppression Of that journal a
few hours before General Trochu came into
power


"IIow absurd are the organs which boast Of
victory, Is it victory because the Emperor
just escaped being made prisoner Is it victory
because our army was not cut in two on the Mo-
selle Is it victory because, after four days
fghting, we at length shook offlan enemy which
all that time harassed our retreat? If it is VIC
tory, where are the prisoners, the guns and the
flags to show for it? If the Prussians should
take the Emperor prisoner let them keep him.
Not particle of our national genius or honor
will go with him. Let his wife and son share
with him the carefully-prepared luxuries of an
which traced the proclamation abandoning Metz
to its fate draw up no more bulletins Of the
Grand Armee on the banks of the Meuse. May
such sad comedies be spared us in the future.
He is already called by his former fatterers in
the Corps Legisatif his Majesty Invasion III,
and it is notorious that only to avoid difficulty
while the enemy is at our gates his deposition is
postponed for short time by tacit compro-
mise"


m. Thiers on the Defense of the Capital.


In the sitting of the Corps Legislatif on Au-
gust II. NJ. Gambetta having proposed that the
Chamber should meet from day to day, VI.
Theirs said:--


''The proposition that has been made for our
future meeting is so simple and so sincere in in
tention that IL cannot create division among us.
PermaLence does not mean sitting for four five,
or six hours consecutively; that would neither
be useful nor advisable; but that we should be
present and should hold daily patriotic meet
ing for the interchange of ideas, and to receive
communications from the Government. All of us
are continually receiving from all parts of
France instructive letters and propositions,
some of which are very useful, as that
! which has been made for the provision
| ing OF Paris. 1t is of great importance,
and / have already called the atten-
tion of the Government toll After visiting the
! great works around Paris, am convinced that
| Paris can offer an unconquerabe resistance to
| hn / m n hal hafn
| lofty walls the now powerful and novel fortune
will be arrested. When they were constructed
| it was not anticipated that France would be out
ragged, and it is not an outrage to France to saw
that if fortune should again betray us there will
be at one point an invincible obstacle which will
| arrest the enemy. am persuaded that it will
be so, if we will; and that we all in our hearts
rise to the level of the great events amidst
sition which has been made it is deserving
Of adoption. It's important to make desert
around the enemy If he should. advance,
and to provide abundance for ourselves.
the capital entire France would rush forth to de-
fend it. But we must insure that all those who
have heart and gun shall be certain to find
means of subsistence in Paris. The means OF
doing so are simple. In 1914 and 1915 all the
inhabitants of the country round retired into
Paris, bringing with them their provisions and
their cattle, of which they thus deprived the
enemy. They will again do SO now, still more
readily if they have the assurance of obtaining
remunerative prices, and at the same time
they will aid in the defense. l therefore beg
the Ministers not to consider this PROPOSE
tion as one which may give rise TO dissen.
sion. l beg them to accept it; for there can
be no more useful or proper precautior
adopted. And If extensive merchants should
offer their services as Intermediates, / beg
they may be accepted, for there can be no more
useful or prudent precaution." The Minister o
Commerce replied-"One word with respec
to the question OF provisioning Paris, which NJ
Theirs has SO properly raised The subject ha
constantly engaged the attention of the Gov
ernment should say that on my accession t.
office l found that preparation had already
been begun by my predecessor. will limit my
self TO two declarations. We are in a position
to insure the provisioning of Paris; and among
the means of obtaining that object we shall
certainly make use of that which NJ Theirs ha
referred to-"


Count de PalilJRo on TrOcha's Appointment ts


ihe taovernorship Of Paris. ~


In the Corps Legislatif, on the 10Th of August
Count de Palikao, Minister of War, spoke a
follows:-


'The nomination of General Trochu to tn,
chief command in Paris excited some surprise
but nothing is more simple. Ia the provision
of eyentualities which might occur, but which
we have no reason whatever at this moment K
fear, 1t was necessary to concentrate in an ener
getlc hand the forces destined for the defense O
the capital. This idea was one of the first tha
presented itself to us since our short tenure O
power. l therefore recalled General Trochl
from the command of a corps darmee, anC
directed him to undertake the organization o
the defense of the capital Such is the reason
of the choice, and no other. (Applause.) Now
on the subject of our military operations, hav,
to say that the corps OF General Steinmetz, Whicl
occupies the centre of the Prussian army sus
tanned such heavy losses that he was obget
to ask for an armistice to bury his dead, as thai
was to merely gain time. (Movement of adhe
| siOn,0 The PrQssian division which had al