The French still do themselves great harm by their gasconading
style of announcing minute events which they suppose (often rightly) to be of good omen, as far as they go. Thus M. Gambetta's proclamation issued on October 13, describing, "with unspeakable joy," the achievements of the Army of Paris, has been spoken of as a vast lie ; but, as we believe, it is simply a gasconade, intended to encourage the French, about very slight successes gained against the Prussian outposts, of which the most important was the displacement of the Prussians from the heights of Villejuif as long ago as September 20 by General Maudhui's force,—a check never formally admitted by the Prussians, but again and again virtually admitted in their despatches. It is certain that the Prussians at first occupied the redoubt at Montretout, and found they could not hold it,— that they did place pickets at St. Cloud, and probably would have planted batteries there if they had not been shelled out from Mont Valerien. Towards Drancy, and in the direction of Bondy, attempts of the Prussians to form batteries have been defeated by sallies under the guns of the forts. In the direction of Bougival there have been several sallies, some of them admitted by the Prussians themselves to have done damage to their works, and, as we believe, pushing them somewhat back- wards ; but all these things were mere trifles effected under the protection of fire from the forts, and not matters to boast of in the least. In effect, it has been shown that the troops of Paris behave very well under fire, and that the Prussians have been allowed no chance of drawing their line closer, as they have more than once tried to do.
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