In the meantime Paris would be defended by its forts and its ramparts.

The former would be held by the sailors and the mobilized National Guards of Paris, the latter by the Sedentary Garde Nationale.

Which of these courses will be adopted, it is impossible to say; the latter, however, is the only one which seems to present even a chance of ultimate success.

With respect to the second, I do not think that the Mobiles could stand for days or even for hours against the artillery and musketry force of their opponents.

They are individually brave, but like all raw troops they become excited under fire, shoot wildly, then rush forward in order to engage in a hand-to-hand encounter, and break before they reach the Prussian lines.
In this respect the troops of the line are not much better.