The Sun.
London, England, 1870-08-01 00:00:00

THE SECRET TREATY.

TnE more the Secret Treaty becomes public, the
less is it able to bear publicity. Its very existence
was denied at first by the Government most
deeply implicated in it. When it became clear,
beyond all dispute, that the Treaty was not
a forgery,. but actually was set down in black
and white, the Paris journals attributed its author-
ship to Count BISMARCK. That position had to be
given up when it was made manifest that this docu-
ment was in the handwriting of M. BENEDETTI.
The next movement in retreat was very awkwardly
executed, and certainly did not improve the French
position. This Treaty in the handwriting of the
French Ambassador; was written at the dictation of
the Prussian Premier! A glance_at the contents
of the document was sufficient to prove the
absurdity of that statement. The proposals of
the Treaty were overpoweringly in favour of France;
Prussia was offered the moral support of France
while working its will in South Germany, provided
France was allowed to annex Luxemburg and to
conquer Belgium. This was on a par with the pro-
posal that France would send 300,000 troops against
Austria in 1866 if Prussia would cede the Moselle
and Rhine provinces of Germany to France.
So far as the Luxemburg and Belgium
proposal is concerned, we have Count
BISMARCK'S statement that he has reason to know t h at
this proposal would have been made again within
the last few days, and but for its publication in the
Times, Prussia would have been asked to make peace
and join her army to that of France in order to over-
run Belgium, and to bid defiance to the other pro-
tecting Powers, England, Austria, and Russia.
Whether 131smAncies statement be well founded
or not it is all but certain—and . the Cologne
Gazette now lying before us asserts it as an incontro-
vertible fact—that the proposal was made last year,
when the dispute about the Belgian railways turned
up. We find no difficulty in believing our contem-
porary, for we remember only too- well how bitter
were the reproaches hurled against Belgium in the
spring of 1869 by the Paris press, how eagerly the
wolf was seeking a cause of quarrel with the lamb.
We are promised more revelations with respect to
'his most scandalous affair. On the one side they
seem to be forthcoming without difficulty or hesi-
tation. BISMARCK is ready almost every day with
some fresh surprise, some new and startling piece of
evidence. On the other band the communications
we receive from Paris are tardy, inconsistent, and
contradictory. More than one exculpatory statement
has had to be withdrawn; we have no security that
others will not share the same fate. We suspect
that future efforts will be of the to quoque
kind. France will not be able to resist the over-
whelming evidence convicting her of shameful
treachery towards friendly Powers, so she will endea-
vour to make out that her accuser is as bad as she is.
It is possible that this may be the case ; but as yet
there is no proof of it. That BISMARCK may
have listened to BENEDETTI'S proposals is possible;
but that he ever meant to entertain them
seriously does not appear probable, when
we remember his decisive conduct with regard
to Luxemburg and the Belgian railways. We are
disposed to think that so far as he entertained the
French ambassador's scheme at all it was in order to
place him thoroughly in the wrong. If that was Brs-
, mmicK's object he has most completely succeeded. See
what has happened. France, in the person of either
the EMPEROR or BENEDETTI, first proposed to
attack Austria with 300,000 men, and thereby has
estranged from her that power. Then she proposed to
seize Luxemburg and Belgium, thereby making, if
not enemies, at least " cold, very cold ' friends of
England and Russia (who are pledged by treaty to
uphold the integrity of. Belgium), to say nothing of
Belgium and Holland themselves. France offered,
if this proposal were accepted, to allow Prussia to
work her will in South Germany, and thus showed
the falsehood of her pretended regard for the interests
of the States Aouth of the Mein. Finally,
for we must not lose sight of Prince NAPO-
LEON'S proposal to take Piedmont and the French
cantons of Switzerland, France has intensified the
hostility against her which has been felt in Italy ever
since Mentana, and has evoked an army of observation
upon the raLco-Helvetian frontier, TT'estertt
liorning News.

Next Friday is fixed for the trial of Sir Henry
Edwardes at the York assizes for bribery.