The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1870-07-30 00:00:00

THE 117 Ali.

THE PRUSSIAN EXPLANATION.

Count Big:mark has given the Federal Parliament of
Germany a resenze of the late negotiations with France.
Referring to a collection of documente which he said
would he immediately laid before the House, the Chan-
cellor of the Confederacy expressed himself to the fol-
lowing effect : --
Rarely, gentlemen, haa any important event occurred in
European hittitry where the documerts have been of so
scanty • description. From the French Government we
have received hut a single written communication in the
entire course of the proceedings, and that was the declaration
of war. 'Groan., hisses, and hurrahs.) To bring matters to
the pitch they have now attained Count Benedetti had re-
course to private conversations. which I need not tell you
were a mere confidential interchange of opinion, and, from
an international point of view, without any binding force.
Apparently engageng in friendly chat with his Majesty,
Count Benede'Ll endeavoured to extract declarations
which, even had they been given, wont I nsver have had
any official validity sa subsequently confirnied and rati-
fied by the King in his c ipacity if Sovereign, But tht firm,
nen 44 his Majesty's charsettr prevented ally such declara-
tions beteg made, As to the documents to be submitted to
you, No Its a telegram t our diplomatic repreentatives
abroad in which we recounted what ha.l passed nt Ems ou the
13115 It is the ionic telegram which has appeared hi the
public Press Yoe tire aware that this telegram has been re.
present. d by the French Cabinet, hi rt communication to the
Legislative Italy, no a Note. ant as a Note Issued to announce
our rupture with France This telegram the French Cabinet
have actually told their Legislative Body, constitnted and
proclaimed a breach of peace on our part, so that there re-
mained nothing for them butt . accept the challenge and go
to war. After all that has preceded you will scarcely t,rnect
me to comment upon this audacious perversion of facts Suffice
It to say that the telegram was a mere statement of what had
eccurred without a single remark appended. Nos 2 and 3 are
the reports of him Majests's Adjutants respecting occurrence.
at Ems. They, too, have already been made public through the
Pram No 4is a report of Baron Werther, cur representa-
tive In Paris, dated July 12 In it Baron Werther speaks
of a conversation he had with Messrs. 011ivier and tie
Gramont, who asked him to communicate to me their de-
mand that Ills Majesty should write a letter of apology.
My reply to our Ambassador ,No 5 was that he had no
doubt misconceived the meaning of the French Ministers.
and that he had better desire them to put their demand
down in writing and have it comnomicated to us, through
their Ambassador at Bsrlln. Ni.it is a lets r Irinun Lord
Loftus, the British Ambassador here, in which, 111 the name
of a friendly Government, he kindly offered me his good
offices in mediating. So, 7 lathe German translation of No,
; and No. Smy reply, likewise In German. As this latter
document has not yet been published, and as it will show
that we were nioderate and pacific to the last, I will read it
to you at once :

" 'Berlin, July IS, 1870.

I" I have hastene Ito bring to Ms Majesty's knowledge
your Ewell lie)'s letter of the 17th, suggesting that Prussia
and France should request the good offices of a friendly
Power for the maintenance of peace, Milt stating the
reargues., of the lit Visit Government to take such medi
tory steps. should they be desired. Ilia Majesty com-
mended me to express to your Excellency his sincere grati-
fication for your Tienelly and humane endeavours to avert
from two nations the cilamity of a War which must be-
come alike it jurions to the prosperity of all Europe. Ills
Majesty desires me to add that his sincere love of •,,...ice, so
well-known to the British Government. makes hiro over
disposed to enter upon negociati ms calculated to seem,
the maintenance of peace on a basis compatible With the
honour and national sit -resnect of Germany. Were
France to declare her read' 51110 enter upon such negotia-
tions, we should he happy to avail ourselves of your Ex-
cellency's proposal. France has taken the initiative for war,
and has held to it eve.) after the tlrst complication had, in
the eyes of England, as well as in our own, been virtually re-
moved. After thts, and the intense excitement caused in
Germany by the French menaces, were we to take the initia-
tive for the negotiations intended to be set on foot, our
motives would be liable to be misunderstood. Our strength
lies in the resolve of the nation to vindicate its honour, its
rights, and its national digeity ; as to the French Govern-
ment, it has proved itself tolerably ItWependent of any such
feeling among its sunjects. Thus acquitting myself of his
Majesty's commands, and requesting your excellency to bring
his Majesty's views to the knowledge of her British Majesty's
Government, I avail niyself of the opportunity.
" I BlsllanK.

Ills Excellency Lord Augustus Loftus.'
The French Government declined to entertain the British
proposal of mediation No. Bin the French text of the de-
claration of war, already known through the pnblic jamnals.
Then follow two circulars of the Federat Government to its
representatives abroa I, g ring a brief account of the events
which have led to war. The whole collection Is already in
the printer's hands, and will, I hope, be forthcoming at
once."

These communications were received with alternate
laughter, groans, ani cheers, according to the import
of their varied contents. Thongh there was little
new is them, yet to hear from the lips of the leading
statesman this account of one of the atrangest tran-
sactions that has ever occurred necessarily produced a
deep iulpression upon the House.