Manchester 20 Aug 1870.

Dear Mohr,

I hope your rheumatism has become less acute. The chloral will have done you good; if not, do consult a doctor so that he gives you something to make you sleep. Gumpert is in Wales, so he cannot readily be consulted. I wrote forcefully to Smith today about the house. I can no longer let myself be humbugged by the grouse-shooting aristocrat; I was to have been there four weeks ago. Yesterday it was five weeks since I settled the matter with Smith, and still no answer!

I believe the annexation of the German-French is now a decided thing. Had a revolutionary government been formed in Paris even last week, something could still have been done. Now it comes too late, and can only make itself ridiculous by parodying the Convention. I am convinced Bismarck would have made peace without cession of territory with a revolutionary government that appeared in time. But where France behaves as it does now, he has no reason to resist the pressure from without and his own vanity from within. It is a great piece of bad luck, but it seems unavoidable to me. If Germany were one state, like France, the thing would be rather more excusable. But as it is, where the conquered territory must be divided among the three border neighbours, it is ridiculous. Even more ridiculous that the Germans want to attach to themselves in the west a German-speaking Venetia. I shall try to procure the weighty pamphlet of the ponderous Blind, but it will probably come too late.

What do you say to Mack—Bazaine? Mack—Mahon was bad enough; now comes Mack (of Ulm) tout court. It really is becoming altogether too mad if 120,000 Frenchmen have to ground their arms, and they will probably come off scot-free. Old stone-ass Wilhelm, in his old age yet, to deflower Metz la pucelle! Such a dégringolade has nevertheless not been seen as this Second Empire is providing. I am merely curious whether the Parisians will not finally pull themselves together when they learn the truth about the last week. Of course, it can no longer help. The demolitions around Paris, to make it defensible, are so colossal that I cannot imagine they will be properly carried out. Since 1840 the population of the city has almost trebled, and the difficulties of provisioning likewise. Finally, all commodity traffic is now so much based on railways that, after blowing up a few railway bridges on each line, it will be almost impossible to bring any significant supplies by road into the city, even with only an incomplete blockade. The losses of the past weeks must be enormous. The Germans throughout the whole war have always attacked with the greatest resolution with the bayonet, and now the cavalry too against unshaken infantry—the men must have fallen like flies. The beautiful Wilhelm says nothing at all about it. So much is certain, however, man for man, battalion for battalion, the Germans have proved the most decided superiority over the French. First at Spicheren 27 battalions against 42 (at least) French battalions, who had an almost impregnable position. After the battle of Thursday, the demoralisation in the French camp will no longer be containable.

Whether Kugelmann is in Karlsbad? I do not know where I should send the portrait. Best greetings from Lizzie and me to you all. I hope I soon hear something good about the rheumatism.

Yours,
F. E.