The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1870-09-24 00:00:00

Etc 3tour4ribge 04serinr.

SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 24, 1870.

THE EFFORTS TO OBTAIN PEACE.
Is is said that Prussia is now beginning ear
neatly to long for peace; that the terrible losses
they have suffered, though far less than thoee of
the French, are making them weary of the war;
that the Prussian soldiers, who are mostly mar-
ried men who value the comforts and claims of
home, are becoming anxious to return to their
household gods. But, whatever may he the
feeling of Prussia, there can be no doubt that
elsewhere the desire for peace is strong. We
speak not now of France, hut of other European
nations, and of the United States. The chi-
used nations of the world must now feel that
this awful war has lasted lung enough, and that
if terms of peace can be agreed upon it is in the
interest of the world that these terms should he
arranged. As to France herself, there can be
no disputing her desire for peace; it would be
waste of words to insist on it. But it has un-
fortunately happened that at the very time when
that desire may be said to have arisen, diffienl-
ties in the path that had not previously existed
started up. The capitulation of Sedan, and the
surrender of a body of men who, in themselves,
composed a large army, together with the sur-
render of the Emperor, united to strike such as
heavy blow at France that from that moment
she may be said to have desired peace, if peace
could be procured on her terms. It was most
unfortunate that soon after this M. Jules Fevre,
the Provisional Minister for Foreign Affairs, re-
solutely declared, in the name of his Govern-
ment, that France would not cede one inch of
her territory nor a stone of her fortresses. How
much this resolve has rendered peaceful nego-
tiations more difficult we need not insist. A
second manifesto has been issued by M. Fevre,
in the form of II circular, explaining the decree
which expedites the election to the Constituent
Assembly. This manifesto has been spoken of
as though it expounded a very different policy
to that to which we have referred. We cannot
regard it in this light. We find but two phrases
in the whole circular which would bear out the
view that M. Fevre retracts his unfortunate re-
marks about territory and fortresses. In one
place he says, "we have been wrong,- and in
another that France is "ready for the utmost
sacrifices." But in the former instance he
merely admits that France was wrong in toler-
ating a Government which led her to ruin; and
in the latter the "utmost sacrifices" are to be
made for the "homes and independence " of the
country—a phrase certainly not symptomatic of
any readiness to yield territory. On the other
hand M Fevre says that France has the ambi-
tion to be "mistress of herself ;" that she " pre-
fers her disasters a thousand times to dishon-
our ;" and that if Prussia takes advantage of the
misfortunes of France to overwhelm her, she
will oppose a desperate resistance. Now, how.
however much we may admire these utterances
in the abstract, and though we may admit that
the whole spirit of this circular is nobler and
better than that of the first manifesto, we can.
not hail it with satisfaction as encouraging the
hopes of peace. And we regret to be forced to
the conclusion that but slender hopes of peace
can be founded on the somewhat dubious " mis-
sion" of M. Thiers. That he has received from
Lord Granville assurances of England's desire
for peace, and of the readiness of the British
Ministry to do anything in its power in that
direction, we cannot doubt; and that, mutates
matandis, he will receive similar assurances in St.
Petersburgh and Vienna is equally beyond doubt,
but the misfortune is that, even supposing M.
niers is officially accredited from the Provi-
sional Government, that Government itself has
not been and is not recognised by either Eng.
land, Russia, or Austria, and consequently that
these neutral Powers have, according to all pre-
cadent, really tin Government with whom to
treat.

It is sad to this difficulty increased when
we turn to Prussia, and 6bservo the Ilttitiliie ,110
takes. The Berlin Correspondent of The Times
telegraphs: "Neither officially nor senii-otfieially
has Prussia given any indiceation that she will
only treat with the French Regency. But she
is not likely to treat with the existing French
Government while its authority is only based
upon the acchunations of an accidental gather-
ing of people, and while it is repudiated at
Lyons and other places." The same correspon-
dent subsequently says: " In still regarding
Napoleon as Emperor, Prussia has no other ob-
ject than to interns the various political parties
and Royal candidates in Frame that she will
recognise that government which accepts her
terms of peace. The Republic ignoring tier
terms, Prussia, in return, ignores for the pre-
sent the liepubli-.' Ibis is quite borne out by
a correspondent of tho Nittadard, writing Irons
Rheims. the headquarters of the King of Prus-
sia. On this correspondent asking Count Ilis-
niurck personally about the prospects of peace,
.` tth whom ? Through whom ? asked the
Co not ; " with the gentlemen of the pavonient
and their representatives ? " Daring this im-
portant conversation Count Bismarck pretty
Plainly expressed his hatred and contempt of the
Freneh Republic, and intimated that if France
Possesses any Government at all it 114 Still the
Government of the Empress as Regent, or of
the Finperor, at the same time declining to re-
cognise M. Jilles Favre as Foreign Minister, or
as capable of binding the nation. Thus the
&thank. of negotiating for peace is consider-
able, owing to the absence of any recognised
negotiators on the part of France. But it is
inereasrd owing to the determination of both
sides with regard to the question of territory.
M. Fevre has asked COMA Bismarck whether it
would be "possible to open negotiations for
peace " on the basis of the integrity of the
Freneli territory," and the Count scoffs at the
idea, expressing his aurprise " that he did not

isk if Germany would not defray all the expen•
:es of the Altogether, therefore, the sit-
iation is for from hopeful. The Constituent
lssecubly of France will not he elected before
he 2nd of next month, and meanwhile Prussia I
memo determined not to recognise "tie gentle- I
nen of the pavement... ai Count Bismarck con-
i,iptuously calls thr