THE WAR IN EUROPE.

Wellington Independent, Volume XXVI, Issue 3102, 19 January 1871, Page 3

THE WAR IN EUROPE.

THE DEFENCE OF PAEIS. General Trochu has addressed the following letter to the Mayor of Paris : — " Monsieur le Maire,— -I have the honor fco make known to you the basis on which, in concert with the superior General in command of the National Sedentary Guard, I propose to establish the organisation of its mobilisable battalions. " This mob ilisatiou meets with considerable difficulties, aud, therefore, with delays, which the public mind, excited by a very animated and legitimately impatient patriotism, but imperfectly understands. It is my duty to enlighten ifc while nofc resisting its enthusiasm, and to prove to it thafc no one has more at heart than I the honor of the National Guard of Paris and ths care of the great interests which will be at stake the day when that Guard carries its efforts beyond the enceinte. " When I undertook the defence of Paris, with the co operation of devoted fellow. workers, whose names will one day be remembered by the public gratitude, I had to face a sentiment vastly different from the one I am now discussing. It was believed that a city like our capital, governed by such various interests, passions, and requirements, was incapable of being defended. It was hard to believe that its enceinte and its forts, constructed in other times, and under very different military circumstances from those whioh prevail at present, could be prepared in such a manner as to offer, unsupported by an army operating from without, a serious and durable resistance to the efforts of a victorious enemy ; still less was it admitted that the inhabitants could reconcile themselves to the sacrifices of every kind, to the habits of resignation, which a siege of any duration inflicts. "Now thafc -this great trial has been made— thafc is to say, thafc the placing of the city in a state of defence has reached a degree of perfection which renders the enceinte unassailable, the outer fortifications being at a great distance ; now that the inhabitants have manifested their patriotism, andof fcheir own accord reduced to silence the small number of men whose culpable views subserved the enemy's projects; now that the enemy himself, halting before these formidable defensive preparations, has confined himself to surrounding fchem with his masses, without venturing upon an attack, the public mind has changed, aud shows now bufc one anxiety — the desire to throw out in turn masses of soldiers beyond the enceinte, and to attack the»Prussian army. " The Government of the National Defence cannot bufcencourage this enthusiasm of the population, but it belongs to the Commander-in-Chief to direct it, because with this right are connected unlimited responsibilities for him. In this respect it is necessary fco be guided solely by the rules of the general experience of war, and by those of tho special experience which we owe to the painful events that have overwhelmed the army of the Rhine. These rules demonstrate that no infantry, however steady it may be, can be safely brought face to face with the Prussian army unless ifc can be accompanied by an artillery equal to thafc which the enemy has afc his disposal, and it is to fche formation of this artillery that I am applying all my attention. In the next place, our percussion guns are excellent arms behind a rampart, where there is no need to fire quickly ; bufc troopa who with such arms engage others provided witb rapidly firing rifles would expose themselves to a disaster that neither bravery nor moral superiority could avert , "As regards tbe appeal made to the patriotism of the companies destined for outside service, tho Government cannot address itself exclusively to the battalions provided with rapidly firing arms ; hence the absolute necessity for a friendly exchange of arms effected by the mayor of each arrondissemenfc, so that the volunteers destined for war service shall be armed with the best rifles of their battalion. The recruitment of their companies will be made by lists opened in each arrondissement. The Company of Volunteers will comprise, as far as possible, 150 men by battalion, but each battalion will not be compelled to furnish this contingent. If the lisfc of volunteers exceeds 160, those called will be taken in preference from among the unmarried men, of afc least 35 years of age, who are of a vigorous constitution, and have borne arms or acquired the practice of military exercise. The domestic council of each battalion will be required to furnish fche above descriptions. Four companies joined under the command of a chief of battalion, will form the battalions taking the field, and will be placed exclusively under the orders of generals commanding the active divisions of the army. The latter will be always afc the call of the military authorities. The officers, the cadres of subordinate officers, and the corporals will be appointed by each company. The officers of the four companies forming the battalion will appoint fche commander-in-chief of the battalion. According to requirement, and in proportion to the number of volunteers inscribed, the general commanding-in-chief of the National Guard may form in each battalion a greater number of companies of war. In conformity with the rules of military events, and in the interest of tho security of the volunteers themselves, a uniform will be obligatory for all. Each one must be provided with a weather proof knapsack, similar in its chief features to the knapsack of the troops, a cartridge

box or pouoh, arid a half woollen oovering of the material of a tont. Moreover, eacl squadron will be provided with variou_ camp utensils used in infantry corps. "The war battalions of the Nationa! Guard summoned to co-operate in tho out* side operations of the regular army anc Garde" Mobile will, like them, be subjecl to military laws and regulations. Thej will receive the payment in kind (cam paign living) and tho pay of ordinar] troops in exohango for that received a present by the National Sedentary Guard and commencing from the day that thej are mobilised. " I conclude, Monsieur lo Maire, thii statement with a few reflections. In th< month of July lasfc the French army, ir all the splendour of its atrength, passed through Paris, amid shouts of ' A Berlin , A Berlin /' I was far from sharing thei) confidence, and alone, perhaps, among al the general officers, I ventured to tell th( Marshal Minister of War that I perceivec in this noisy manner of entering upon . campaign, as well as in the means brough' into requisition, the elements of a grea' disaster. The. will which at this period ] placed in the hands of M. Ducloux, t notary in Paris, will one day testify to th< painful and too well-grounded presenti ments with which my soul was filled. " To-day, in presence of the fever whicl has rightly taken possession of the publii mind, l meet with difficulties which preseni a most striking analogy with those tha' showed themselves' in the pasfc. I novi declare that, impressed with the mos complete faith in the return of fortune which will be due to the great work o resistance summed up in the siege of Paris I will not cede to the pressure of the publii impatience. Animating myself with th. sense of the duties which are common tt us all, and of the responsibilities thafc nc one shares with me, 1 shall pursue to th( end the plan which I have traced out without revealing it, and I only demanc of the population of Paris, in exchange for my efforts, the continuance of tha' confidence with which ifc haß hitherto honored me."

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