The Sun.
London, England, 1871-01-14 00:00:00

THE NEW PEACE PROPOSALS.

Every motive of policy, every selfish interest, every
generous impulse, says the Standard, impels us to use our
utmost endeavours to bring about a conclusion of the
Franco-German war. All interest in the conference must
be suspended until this first and greater business has been
disposed of. It is surely worth while to make another
trial of our vaunted moral force, so that we may be
spared the horrors of the bombardment and burning of
Paris. A proposal has come to us from Vienna, we do
know on what authority, containing certain terms which
seem to offer a reasonable basis of peace. They include the
surrender of 20 ships of war, the payment of a sum amount-
ing to about 150 millions sterling, and the concession of a
strip, of territory four German miles broad along the
left bank of the Rhine. These demands are more
moderate than any which have been yet propounded
from the German side, and show a considerable
abatement from the spirit which once would be
content with nothing less than the surrender.of Alsace and
Lorraine. It is not for us to say whether they are such
terms as France ought to accept, but we may fairly re-
commend their being considered. They do not involve
any permanent injury or serious humiliation to the
French nation, and if it is true that they have
emanated from Count Bismarck the fact is a
proof at least of a desire to negotiate. The
opening thus afforded for an armistice, with a
view to a permanent peace, ought not to. be lost by the
neutral Powers. We believe that nothing is lacking to
this end but the countenance of England. That coun-
tenance must be given, and something more, or else the
Government of Mr. Gladstone will have a heavy reckon-
ing to settle with the English people. Weak and ill pro-
vided as we are in respect to armaments, through the
treachery of our military managers, it is impossible but
that if we speak earnestly and resolutely, with all the force
which our real latent power ought to give us, we
must still be listened to with dread, if not with
respect, at the head-quarters of King William.
Germany will lose nothing of her just rights by
being compelled to stop the war at the present
point. She will ever have cause for gratitude in
that she has been enabled to secure all the legiti-
mate fruits of her victories, and to retire without further
loss. "France will be saved from a wound which would
leave a rankling sore in her side for all time ; and Europe
will be preserved from the shameful and disastrous
spectacle of the destruction of Paris.
A FORCIBLE PEACE.

Commenting on the general cry for English mediation,
the Daily News remarks :—Hopeless as the struggle must
be so long as raw levies are matched against well-tried
veteran troops, the determined resistance which defers the
moment of final submission, and prolongs indefinitely the
agony of defeat, can but win, as it has won, the sympathy
of Europe. We are, however, bound to ask, so
far as this country is concerned, to what ex-
tent that sympathy must go. There is a party
which is chewing its activity at the present moment
which, without altogether confessing its object, is for
forcing our Government into the fight. Had we told
France that if the invasion of Germany. was attempted
we should take the weaker side and help to punish the
aggressor, France would have hesitated before she
began the war. But we did not do so. Our

policy is non-interference: We no longer meddle
as our ancestors did in other people's quarrels,
nor fight other people's battles, but mind our own busi-
ness and try to pay the interest on the huge debt our
grandfathers incurred by their meddling policy. Having,
by unanimous consent, let the fit opportunity for effectual
interference pass, we are now asked to interfere without
any opportunity at all. What we are requested to do
is not to step between the combatants and try to
separate them, but at once to throw our cap
into the ring and fight the conqueror. Wo
are to stop this war by at once beginning
another ; to put an end to bloodshed by extending.
it ; to get France out of hot water by embroiling all
Europe. As to the cost of such an interference, that is,
of course, a fleabite. Many thousands of soldiers killed,
a few hundred million% added to the National Debt, a
complete stoppage of trade, starvation and misery in the
streets, would perhaps lead on to Professor Beesly's millen.
ilium, but England mightbe injured and France not saved.
We trust Lord Granville will go on as he has begun, will
keep on the even tenor of his diplomatic way, and in the
future as in the past keep us equally free from entangling
alliances and more entangling quarrels. Our attitude is
that of mediating neutrals, and our policy is peace. We
shall speak, when the time comes for speech,
with all the greater force, because our Government has
so admirably kept its friendly attitude towards both
sides. It is not for us to quarrel with France or Germany
because they have quarrelled with each other ; but stand-
ing altogether apart from their strife, it may be for us to
mediate between them, to impose moderation on the one
side, and to dictate wisdom to the other, when the proper
moment for our interference comes.