WAR GOSSIP.

Evening Star, Volume VIII, Issue 2373, 9 November 1870, Page 2

WAR GOSSIP.

The value of the French Crown Jewels in 1791 was estimated at twenty-three million francs, and the celebrate I royal diamond at twelve millions; the preset. value is tr.-ble these amonn:s, ami the rumour is that these jewels have been secretly sent from the Bank of France, via Dieppe, to London, to the care of Rothschild.

The A ryu s Paris correspondent writes : It is now “ ce thorn me” — “tui”— “Mens. B.” —the coward, the imbecile, the traitor. The darkest insinuations are levelled at him who was but a few days ago, by the will of the people and the vote of the plebiscite (that unlucky plebi-cite!), Emperor of the French. He is accused of betraying the army to destruction through his incapacity in the Held. He is charged with even worse things—things which are openly spoken of in society both in Paris and in London, and which it is my duty to mention. It is said that for years’ past there has been systematic corruption in all the. departments of the state, from the highest to the lowest. Every one, following the example of “ref. hommv ,” was looking out for himself, and feathering his nest for the evil day to come. Large sums of public money, it is now said, which ought to have been devoted to the pay of the troops and the purchase of arms and ammunition, had never readied that destination, hut had been intercepted by high officials, by generals, and by contractors. Colonels drew pay for full battalions alien only half the men were actually in arms. The manufacture of rilies and of gunpowder was “scamped,” with the knowledge and to the profit of the War Department. Against General Lehnmf himself there are the darkest charges, and it will go hard with the cxMajorGcnoral of the Empire if the Republicans catch him. As for Marshal M'Mahon, ho is said to have been saerideed to the political exigencies of the Empire. It is declared, and I believe with truth, that ho wanted to retire upon Paris when he broke up his camp at Cha ons knowing the bad quality of his troops and their defective organis ition, hut he was forced by the Emperor to mat ch eastward. It was necess ny to win a victory at any cost, otherwise Napoleon knew that he dare i not return to Paris. .So poor M'Mahon was launched to his destruction, and in his fad had brought down Bazainc also, and probably Strasbnrg—cert a nly the Umpire. It is a had business altogether, and it is no wonder that the French are divided between grief at their calamities and shame and rage at their cause. 1, who have never been an admir. r of the Emperor Napoleon, and who have steadily predicted evil of Caisarism and persona! government, cannot say that I am muck moved at the story of Sedan, except to pity of the brave soldiers upon whom this disgrace has fallen. I do not wonder to hear of whole battalions of old soldiers weeping tears of vexation as they died before the victorious Prussians as prisoners of war, and cursing him whom they regard as the author of their troubles. Do not believe the absurd stories which have got into some of the English papers of the Emperor lighting on foot desperately at the head of his army before Sedan, and seeking death in vain from the Prussian bullets. I have it from the lips of an eye-witness of the scene just before the capitulation, that the Emperor's chief concern was lest he should be seen by any of the soldiers. His presence in .Sedan was known only to a few of the staff, and it was as much a surprise to the French as to the Germans when it was announced that the Emperor was within the walls. He would have been killed by the French soldiers had they seen him ; and it avas the fear of such a fate which hastened his surrender into the hands of the Prussians. .■* ftor his interview with King William, Napoleon's lirst request was that he might be sent away through the ranks of the German army, and not be shown to his own soldiers. Inside Sedan there -was on that fatal day of the 1.-t of September a frightful scene of disorder and confusion. The French army, demoralised, beaten, half-starved, worn out by frequent marches and repeated attacks of the enemy, was reduced to a mere armed rabble. Th i officers had lost their authority. Some of the genera's were hiding themselves for fear of being slain by their own men. Others had lied, with whole brigades and divisions, across the frontier, glad

to lay clown their arms to to brein'* _ Bd'jes. In the meantime, the remo.isclcss artillery of the Germans kept playing in a circle upon that heap of furious, panic-stricken,, helpless men, till it was reduced to a shapeless animal mass. There never was since wars first began so horrible a scene as that which Sedan presented on the Ist of Sep emb-r. It was more titan a battle—it was a battue ; it was not a defeat, but a debacle. There is a general complaint that the ruii'rals are doing nothing to stop the war, bit 1 do not sec what tbo neutrals are to dp. The Germans declare roundly that they will allow no line to interfere between them and thequ iiTy they have marked down, Ihe neutrals did not interfere to protect the i\ai why should they interfere to prevent Geimany from enjoying her spoils? The revolution in France itfelf hj s te dedmueh to complicate matters. Russia, and Austria, which were cm the point of taking pait wiili France a few days a::o, have now grown cold upon it since the Re üblic. Neither of tin so tivo powers can aftord to help revomtion, much as they dread the aggrandisement of Prussia. Again,' Italy has a very good reason for keepinn cadet, seeing that Pome is just ready to fad in her lay. It is true that she is bound by ties of gratitude to France, but Prussia also has some claim' upon her, for if the former gave her Milan the latter gave her Venice. As for England, it is sad to sre the discredit into which she has fallen with all parties. Both the Germans and the French have been reviling and threatening us for our conduct in the war, and it seems impossible to please either one or the other Our national.prcstige has sunk so low on the Continent that we have scarcely any power of interference, even if we had the right. A long course of “Manchester” and Doctrinanaiusm has brought us to a condition which makes us the sport and contempt of the world. Of what use is our interference when all the world knows that we have no power to follow it tip—that our army exists only on paper—and that we have made up our minds never to use it ? There is a very bad feeling at home as to the question of the home defences, and 1 should not be surprised to see it lead to the ruin of this Ministry if they do not show a little more energy in complying with what is doubtless the national will. It is ce tain that we have not at present 10,000 men which wo could land on the Continent in a condition to take the field, yet who can tell when we shall be drawn within the vortex of this war ?