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August 12. 1879. The French have suffered three successive defeats; + the people are discouraged + bewildered. Gold here has gone up to five percent. The city is under Marshal Law, + squads of soldiers, with fixed bayonettes clear the streets nightly. It is very amusing to see the people scatter at the first roll of the drums! The Empress regent is almost alone at the Tuilleries August 18th The French have been defeated three successive times, + have retreated to Chalons, almost half way to Paris. But they have fought gloriously, at the battle of Waerth there were 37,000 French, against 140,000 Prussians, + they held there ground, five to one, from seven in the morning until six at night. If that wasn't magnificent! image - two people standing on a ship ? on a bench The fortifications around Paris are nearly completed, if the Prussians come they will destroy the Bois immediately. The people have no back-bone, instead of leaving all private dissensions till the danger is past, + uniting heart + soul to save their country, the spend their time quarreling as to who shall govern. They expelled Olivier, + Palikao became minister of war. And they had the most disgraceful rows in the Chambers; Jules Favre, red hot republican, said the Emperor should abdicate; + then some one else remarked that Favre should be shot. Col Bonaparte is infinitely disgusted with them. he has been here four times in ten days, + he "never makes visits." What does he come for?!!! I should like to know!