WAR ITEMS.

Bruce Herald, Volume VI, Issue 361, 29 March 1871, Page 3

WAR ITEMS.

Bourbakiwas driven -into Switzerland, pursued by Von .Werder. • Gambetta is still talking of continuing the Avar in the provinces. The Orlennists are confident that the! Comte de Pun's will be Sling of France in ten days. General Moltke has received a very handsome sword from the German Patriotic Ladies' Association in New York. The Germans were in a great fever of rejoicing, and the intelligence was received with delight by the French residents in London. General Coffinie*re has just published at Brussels a pamphlet on the capitulation of Metz, the whole responsibility of which he casts on Marshall Bazaine. St. Cloud and Gorches are utterly destroyed. Vanvres was much injured. The whole country between the hostile lines is a howling wilderness. The occupation of the forts around Paris was effected very quietly by the Germans, who showed no undue exultation, no anger, nothing to hurt the feelings of the French unnecessarily. Previous to the capitulation a great riot took place in Paris. The mob broke into the gaols, and liberated the prisoners. The sufferings of Bourbaki's army were intense. An inspection of Valerien shows that the casements were not bomb-proof, and could not have afforded any kind of shelter to the men if the Prussians had opened a heavy fire on the fort. The k Irish Times ' says it is now certain that the Prince of Wales and, it is to be hoped, the Princess will pay a visit of some duration to Ireland this year. The Duke ol Cambridge will come at the same time. Between the latest dates brought by the last English mail and the capitulation of Paris severe fighting took place ; the Germans being generally victorious. Sorties were made from Paris and Fort Valerien, but were repulsed. At Dijon, on January 24th, the Garibaldians repulsed the Germans along the whole line ; the Germans flying and abandoning the wounded. The battle lasted four hours. Riccotti Garibaldi captured a nag- and the Prussian Gsth regiment of the line, which was destroyed. Jules Favre visited Versailles on January 24 di, to treat for the surrender of Paris, as people were dying of starvation daily. General Trochu, despairing of success, resigned his command. Favre made the best terms be could, and agreed lo an armistice. The Emperor William's telegram to the Empress, dated 27th January, says — " Last night an armistice for thrp.fi weeks was signed. The regulars and Gardes Mobiles are to be retained in Paris as prisoners. The National Guard^undertake the maintenance of order. We occupy thp forts; Paris remains invested, but will be allowed to revictual as soon as the arms are s '.rendered. The National Assembly will be convened in a fortnight. The armies in the field retain their respective positions ; the ground between the respective armies being held neutral. This is the reward of patriotism, heroism, and great sacrifices. Thank God for this great marcy. May peace soon follow. — William." ' We cannot believe, however, that the active, intelligent and industrious French nation is on this downward course to ruin from the debaucheries of the empire ; but that France, from the severe instructions of this war, will become a new France and great among her rivals in a new career of peace, and that Paris, in all the ennobling triumphs of modern civilization, will become more than ever the metropolis of the civilised world.— ' New York Herald.' Much, regarding the future of France, will depend on the reorganisation of her government — the task immediately before her. If this government is to be the Imperial regency or an'Orleanist king, there will, at least be a good long reign of peace as there was after the final restoration of Louis XVIJI. Nor have we any fears from the establishment of the republic, omitting Gambetta and all his tribe; fait is probable that a republic, with is numerous political elections and clashing political elements, would for a long time iurnish the French people sufficient excitements and novelties as substitutes for the more costly excitements of war. We fe.ir, however, that Garotoetta and the three Juleses of his provisional establishment kive made a bad show for the republic, and that, the present probabilities are in favor of the recall of the Empress and the Prince Imperial from England, leaving the Emperor at Wilhelmshoiie for a few months longer — that is, . until the public mmd shall have settled down again into acquiescence in the empire. In that event we dare say the Emperor too, will return with all followers, just as the old Bourbons returned in 1815. — 'New York Herald.' The only practical result of the bombardment which I can find is one jest the more for the little boys of Pa;i>. When they see a man or a woman particularly well dressed — say a man glorious in furs, that argue an extraordinary care of his person, they cry out. "Flat, flat! a shell— a shell— a plat ventre; Down on your faces." The man gorgeous in furs falls flit on the ground — perhaps in the gutter— and. the Parisian urchin rejoices with exceeding 1 great joy. The " Beseiged resident" writes: — It i? singular what little real danger there is to life and limb from a bombardment.: Shells make a hissing noise as they come through the air. Directly this ■. warning; hiss is heard,' down Everyone throws him- \ self on the ■"ground.- The shell passes over and falls somewhere near, it sinks; about two feet into the hard ground, and: then bursts, throwing up gre yt clouds of earth, like a small mine.

The Germans ha ye : made heavy le viss on the French towns; Government have agreed to erect a new battery for the use -of the Broughty ferry and Dundee Artillery "Volunteers, the site of which is to be somewhere upon the grounds of the Earl of Dalhousie. Decrees have been issued granting to the widow of General Prim the title of Duchess Prim (to descend to her daughter, and to her son that of Duke, instead of Mcrqnis) of the Gastillej )s, with no'bfrlity of the first order in both cases. The future contest in France is said ro lie between the Orleanists and Bourbons. A despatch from Berlin says that Bismarck consents to an extension of the armistice for one week. The actual condition of the city is liifle changed. The Champ* Elysfiea is very little damaged. The Bois de Boulogne is destroyed at the entry to the lake, and other parts partly. Shops are slowly commencing 'to re -open. There is no gas in •.he city, yet order is good. A letter from Wilhelmshohe says ;—No attempt is made to conceal the conviction that the surrender of Paris must form an important element in the prospects of the Napoleonic dynasty." At Marseilles two wealthy inhabitants, found guilty of being' absentees, have been condemned to pay, the one 3000 francs, and the other 1000 francs per day, dating from the Ist of December, until they shall return home and take their share in the work of national defence. Marshiil MucMabon is at Pourra-aux-tfois, and is recovering strength. His j wounds are nearly healed — one of them has already closed. He can walk a little, j and takes drives in a carriage. He will have to be careful for some time, but no doubt is felt that ultimately his cure will be complete, and that no ill effects will arise from the wound?. The Prussians, too, have their Amaz-ms, or at least one. A Fraulein von Weiss,, a young Indy of noble birth, the daughter of a landed proprietor near Tilsit, has managed, in man's attire, to obtain admission into the at-my. Having passed her examination as ensign, she so distinguished herself in the war as to be decorated with the Iron Cros?. Being wounded, her sex was discovered. She has returned to her parents to get cured. "A Beseiged resident,'' writing from Paris on the 6'h, says: — Yesterday I had a slice ot Pollux for dinner. Pollux and his brother Castor.are two elephants which have been killeil. It ""is tonifh, coarse and oily, and I do not recommend English families to eat elephant so long as they can get beef or mutton. Many of th* r^nnrants are olosed for wnm of fuel. They are recommended to use lamps ; but nk though French cooks can do wonders vrirli very "poor materials, when they^ are called upon to cook on elephant with a spirit lamp, the thing is almost beyond their ingenuity. Castor and Pollux's ; trnnks were sold for 4ofr. n lb. ; the other parts of ihe interesting twins fetched about lOlr. alb. A correspondent of the ' Globe,' who has been to Wilhelmshobe, writes :— ln the afternoon I was lucky enough to meet the Emperor. He was walking leaning on a stick, and accompanied by a French gentleman. He seemed to be in perfect health, bat appeared to have aged terribly. I saw him in January last year, and could not help remarking the difference. Then he was continuously smiling; now he seems to be utterly depressed and brokenhearted. Fearful mortality in Paris. — The deaths in Paris for the week ending December 17 reached the appalling figures of 2728, being an increase of 273 on the proceeding week, considerably more than double the usual number of deatbs at this season of the year. The severe regime imposed by the stale of sie^G may ' have no preceptiMe effect upon the strong and healthy, but infant*, weak, sick, and old people, unable to endure such privations, are cut down before their time. The number of little coffins daily seen passing through our streets forcibly remind us (hat a whole generation of innocents is untimely perishing. The Capitulation ov Paris. — On the morning of Monday, January 23rd, a flag of truce left the French lines, and was met by the Gerniars. The bearer then, delivered^ letter from Jules Favre, addressed to Co.unt Bismarck. At naon the missive reached Versailles, and it was placed in the hands of Bismarck. L requested permission for Favre to come to Versailles, and he replied that he might. At 10 o'clock the same night, the Prussian Premier applied to the Emperor of Germany for permission to hold aa interview" with him. Favre spent the night at headquarters with the Lieuenant ot police. Next day, before noon (Jauuary 2-ith) a council of war was held to consider Favre's mission. General Von Roon, Count Bismarck. General Von Moltke, and the Crovn Prince of Prussia were present, in addition to the Emperor, who presided. The council lasted two hours, and. the r;--" suit of the deliberation was commi-ni utted to Favre, who returned to Paris at halfpast 4 o'clock the same evening. As he was being driven in his carriage down the avenue leading to the Sevres road, Bismarck (who was taking, his. daily ride) encountered him, turned,.hisv horses heads and rode by the window of the conversing with Favre nil *.he way Jtojown. It is understood, that 3?,avre asked that the army of Pars tie allowed to march out with the full ho¥6r«f yf war, .and ;, take-up \ position in some unoccripi~d "district of France under his n3anagemeht. l dnd hot to resume. hostilities for'.ai term of. 'months .t o be agreed upon, and that there should not be any triumphal entry .iritp Paris, Ji.y, tha Germans ThesV terms wera refused :hy the council. Favre was informed that the oni v basis of surrender that' could r ba accepted would, .be the -same as^ftt' .Sedan and Metz. •