The Paris correspondent of the Times explains on the authority
'of books by General Chanzy and M. do Freycinet the failure of the French Army after Coulmiers. General d'Aurelle des Paladines, 'then in supreme command, had no confidence in his troops, and in spite of two despatches from Gambetta, backed by most urgent letters from Generals Chanzy and Borel, he absolutely refused to march straight upon Paris after that engagement, He alleged that M. Thiers had seen 80,000 men with the Duke of Meckleu- 'burgh, whereas the Duke had barely 40,000, and the French ,General nearly five times that number. It was stated at the time, we remember, in one of tho letters from Versailles, that Count Moltke expected this movement, and intended, if it was made, to raise the siege for a moment and use his whole army to .crush General des Paladines. The battle, in any case, must have been long and bloody, Paris would have been reprovisioned, and all France might have gained fresh heart.
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