d publishing manifestoes couched in grand
and bombastic phrases, it must be remembered that they have to govern
Frenchmen who are fond of this species of nonsense. With respect to the
military situation, the soldiers of all sorts are kept well together,
and appear to be under the command of their officers. The National
Guard, although it still grumbles a little, does its duty on the
ramparts. The soldiers of the line are kept outside the town. The
Mobiles have passed many hours in drill during the last ten days; they
are orderly and well conducted, and if not soldiers already, are a far
more formidable force than they were at the commencement of the siege.
Whether they will ever become available for operations in the open field
is, perhaps, questionable, for their regiments would probably be thrown
into confusion if called upon to act together. Within the line of the
forts, however, there is no reason to suppose that they will not fight
well. The forts are manned by sailors, who are excellent artillerists,
and the guns are formidable ones. On the Seine there is a flotilla of
gunboats. The city has food and ammunition for two months. Paris,
therefore, ought to be able to hold out for these two months. She has
her own population, a large portion of which consists of the working
men, who have never been backward in fighting. The provinces have been
drained of their best blood, which has been brought up to the capital.
All that remains of the French army is here. At the lowest average the
armed force in Paris amounts to 450,000 men, and there are about 500,000
more from which this force can recruit itself. If, then, the capital
does not hold out for two months, she will deserve the contempt of the
world--if she does hold out for this period, she will at least have
saved her honour, and, to a certain extent, the military reputation of
France.

The newspapers are still pursuing the very questionable policy of
exaggerating every little affair of the outposts into a victory, and
assuring those who read their lucubrations that powerful armies are on
the march to raise the siege. The only real military event of any
consequence which has taken place has resulted in a Prussian success.
The French were driven back from some half-finished redoubts at
Chatillon, and the Prussians now occupy the heights between Sevres and
Meudon, from whence, if they establish batteries, they will be able to
shell a portion of the town. In the second a