The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1870-10-01 00:00:00

CO gStourpribge 04serber.

SATURDAY, OCTOBER 1, 1870.

PEACE INDEPINITZLY
POSTPONED.

Comparatively very few people, perhaps, have
been surprised that the mission of M. Jules
Fevre has completely failed, but everybody must
deeply regret that this negative result has been
arrived at. There is some difference of state-
ment as to the exact terms which Count Bis-
marck insisted on, and M. Fevre, in the name
of the Government of Defence, refused, but we
will take the clear and concise statement of the
Government, as contained in their proclamation
to the nation. "Prussia wishes to continue the
war," it is said, " and reduce France to a second
rate Power; Prussia wants Alsace and Lorraine
as far as Meta by right of conquest, and to con-
sent to an armistice, she dares to ask the surren-
der of Strasbourg, T'oul, and Mount Valerien.
The inhabitants of Paris, in their exasperation,
would rather bury themselves in the ruins of
their city than accept such terms. To such im-
pudent pretensions we can only reply by fighting
to the bitter end : France accepts the contest
and relies upon her children... On the other
hand, it is officially denied, on the part of Pills. '
aria, that this is a fair statement of the terms
demanded and refused. It is denied that Count
Bismarck wished to reduce France to a second
rate Power, or that he insisted on the surrender
of Mont Valerien. "Ton], Verdun, and Stras-
bourg were alone demanded,- says an official
German dispatch. The discrepancy is certainly
serious, but even if this were the only demand
there is no doubt that France would equally
have refused it. But whatever the exact terms
may have been, France has definitively, peremp-
torily, and indignantly rejected them. No Ger-
man official explanation will have much influence
on France ; she knows that Prussia demands
the cession of important fortresses even before
she will agree to an armistice, and that further
demands will be made when the terrine of peace
came to be decided upon. France, therefore,
rejects the preliminary demands, declares war to
the knife, and proclaims her deterwinatton to
carry on the struggle to the bitter end. And
"the end is not yet."
ft is deeply to be regretted, we think, that M.
Fevre and his colleagues should refuse the terms
oil which Prussia insisted ; for an armistice I
would have afforded the opportunity for throw-
in the whole responsibility on the representa-
tives of France, and, what is more important to
the world, there would have been a good chance
.4 agreement on peruninent terms of peace.
Peaceful proposals are how, however, at an end
for the present. and the war is to be carried on
mere revengefully and more bitterly than ever.
We can now scarcely hope for ally other at-
tempts 011 the part of France to obtain peace till
the fate of Paris is derided. Unhappy France
hOW resolves to fight ii ith reckless desperation.
She defers the elections to the Constituent As-
-1401111.1y and her municipal elections sin.- die, mud
concentrates h. r whole energies on the prosecu-
tion of the war. " Now that she has the cer-
Linty before h .r," .sas the Stme/rm/, "that
victory 14101113 can avert ruin and starvati lii, bile
will hesitate 110 longer. France will now rush
to arms, and we believe that in another fortnight
the aspect of affairs will be steadily but assuredly
changing. When the time does come, woe to
the Prussians !" Quite agreeing with this view
of the deteriuniatien of France. we can (altar-
111111 no lieiivi III:II, i.rolnibility of the aspect of
Chairs changing in the sense of our contempo-
rary. The only eliatete, we icar, all be in fair
fields and vineyar,la I. lli&'% astated, towns and
villages burnt and ravnged, and hniiisit
slaughtered. lime struggle would Beet,' to to
hoo..iees ter ',ranee. 'rho Prus,:ians ere so ,
much better organised, so much more powerful
than the French, and Arrive alre.uly secured such
important advantages, thet their ultininte ilei. at ,
won d see!il t't CIO t!;,: ;•:tl,g••
pr0:J.161104. Franco, in. refusoag. the terms,