The Sun.
London, England, 1871-01-16 00:00:00

A GERMAN VOICE FOR PEACE.

The Bavarian journals report a remarkeble speech by
M. Kolb, member of the. Second Bavarian Chamber, in
the course of the debate on army estimates. Expressing

•
his conviction that Germany, though victorious, stood in
need of peace, he said :—" The representatives of a free
people have never, gentlemen, allowed themselves
to be deprived •of the right of freely de-
claring themselves for peace. The case has often
occurred in England, the finest pages in the history of
Fox being those in which he struggled for peace. . . .
I have said victorious Germany is in need of peace. The
opposite side replies, Yes, but we must have an honourable
peace. Gentlemen, has there ever been a question of any
other ? . . . Is every peace dishonourable which
does not include a conquest ? I am not at all of that
opinion. I rather consider, especially in the case given,
that conquest and annexation are as unjust, as imprudent,
and prejudicial to the interests of Germany. I regard
the annexation of a people who do not wish to be
annexed as an injustice. Since I have been able to form
a political judgment I have been a partisan of the princi-
ple of the individual suffrage of nations, I have declared
that I consider such annexation as disadvantageous to
Germany. You cherish the hope of securing to it a safer
frontier in the future. Is it, then seriously believed that
the peace and tranquillity so much desired will be
secured thereby ? I think the whole world is
convinced of the contrary. And now, gentlemen,
are the claims we advance on behalf of peace
unjustifiable? The military annals of Bavaria are rich
in descriptions of sanguinary wars. None among them,
with one exception, has caused so much blood to flow
as this. If the struggle • for which supplies are asked
continues two or three months longer, you may be per-
suaded that it will have cost more blood than the
Russian campaign. In the face of these human heca-
tombs, gentlemen, I lay aside every other consideration.
I will not dwell longer on the other evils of this war, it is
enough for me to shew the barbarous and savage
customs its brings in its train, and which are about to
invade society. How much trade and industry have to
bear is not for me to tell. What perturbations
are not produced in civil life by the interruptions to the
traffic on our railways? It is also a mistake to think
that the devastations committed in France injure French-
men only. Their retroactive and disastrous effect will
soon reach our lands, and we shall suffer for long years
from the ruins accumulated there. I have but one obser-
+ vation to make in passing. No indemnities for the charges
of the war are assured to us ; the expenses increase from
day to day, and from day to day the French people will be
less in a condition to pay the enormous sums required if
the war continues."

In the Paris bills of fare at restaurants appear, "con-
soma ale chien a /a Bismarck," and " ass's ears d la
Faxon."

One French Officer, imprisoned at Dresden, successfully
wooed a rich burghers daughter. The Verlobuny was
announced in the papers, the wedding day fixed, when a
wife with three children appeared on the scene to forbid
the banns.

The anti-German element in Alsace, says a Strasburg
letter in the Carlsruhe Gazette, is thinking of emigration
into the interior of France. Former French officials,
Chauvinist agitators, and other opponents of Germanism
are daily leaving.
An enterprising house in Lille advertises coats of mail
for those who are about to march against the enemy.
They are said to possess all the suppleness necessary for
yielding to any movement of the body, and to be shot
and bayonet proof, besides being within the reach of any
purse.
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A report has been current for the last two days in the
north that a large number of troops are expected daily at
Dunkerque from Cherbourg, to the number, it is stated,
of 25,000, to reinforce the Army of the North. It is
considered probable by some correspondents that this
statement is true.

A letter from Alsace says :—" The anti-German spirit
comes out in Alsace in every shape ; the ladies in Stras-
burg wear all tricolour ties and cockades; but these pro-
testations are powerless ; and when I see the Prussian
employes so coolly settled amongst us—when I think they
occupy one-third of France, I would fain veil my face for
shame and grief."

The device proposed for General Moltke's patent, on his
being created a Count, was, according to a Berlin paper,
" Echt und recht bei Rath und That"—" Honest and right
in counsel and action." The King, however, altered it to
" Ent ?Dagen, dann wagen"—" First consider, then
venture ;" or, to keep the play on the two words wagen
and wager,—" First weigh, then up and away."

The French officer who made his escape into Russia has
been handed over to the Prussian authorities. Five offi -
cers interned at Liegnitz have been sent to the fortress of
Glogau on account of their having joined in the protest
against the restoration of Napoleon which was promoted by
the InNpendenee Beige. Why did not the Prussian
authorities punish all the 3,000 who signed these protests ?

According to the letter of a Bavarian engineer soldier
before Paris, a subterranean telegraph was recently dis-
covered between Forts Vanvres and Issy. He was
digging a rifle pit when he found, at a depth of about 18
inches, a cable resembling those laid across the Atlantic.
In the centre were seven copper wires surrounded by
indiarubber, with a coating of iron wires, hemp, and
thin cord.

The North German field post transmitted, between the
16th of July and the 31st of December, 67,600,000 letters
and corresponding cards, or an average of 400,000 pet
day. This represents the correspondence of the troops
with their friends at home and vice versa, and also that
between soldiers of different regiments with one another.
The money orders during the same period numbered
27,885, the amount being 40,424,800 thalers ; of this sum
38,025,000 thalers were forwarded to, and 2,399,800 by the
army.
A correspondent recently spoke with some of the French
prisoners in Germany :—My first question naturally was,
what they thought of the Emperor ? The answer was
unanimous, he was "un traitre fieffe!" "un coquin sans
pareil." All the changes were rung on this theme. I told
them that it had been proposed in certain quarters to
restore the Emperor by the aid of their bayonets. They
laughed, the idea to scorn. Most declared they would not
purchase their liberty at such a price ; some few said they
would endure even the Empire for the sake of peace.
Most were from Sedan. They agreed in thinking
MacMahon a great general, only he had been ham-
pered by the Emperor, and if he had not been wounded
that morning, the fortune of the day would have been
different. Those from Metz were pretty well unanimous
as to Bazaine's treachery; but one or two stuck up
for him.

The Times correspondent in Paris makes pretty much
the same calculation respecting food supplies as those
ficnished by other writers. "As to food, from all I can
gather from competent authorities, we have horseflesh,
bread, and wine up to the fiat week in February ; and we