The Sun.
London, England, 1870-08-25 00:00:00

ASSISTANCE to the wounded at the least is not
'orbidden to neutrals. Hospital stores, lint and oint-
ment, splints and drugs are not contraband of war.
The very cartoon just now published, as the latest
thought of our chief political caricaturist, in regard
to the deadly struggle still raging between the banks
of the Aube and the Moselle, has its affecting signi-
ficance, "England's 'lntervention,'—(At least we
may help the sick and wounded)." The wounded
Frenchman kissing the hand of his coneoler Britannia—
the wounded Prussian grasping at the brandy-flask
she is proffering. Lint, linen, and hospital stores are
scattered around in abundance. The ambulance is
there with its attendants. Yet at the very moment
when we are all recognising in the graceful pen-
ceiling of Mr. TENNIEL, the feeling and sentiment
just at this moment, as one might have imagined, the
nearest to the heart of each, there comes a telegraphic
announcement through Paris—not through Berlin,
observe ! but through Paris—to the effect that "the
Prussians have unavailingly demanded permission to
remove their wounded by way of Luxembourg and
Belgium." More surprising to ourselves even than
this announcement is the deliberation with which our
contemporary, the Morning Post, argues coolly that
the decision thus arrived at by Belgium and Luxem-
bourg is in any way justifiable. The reasons advanced
by the writer in support of his astounding argument
are these two :—First, that by allowing some iorty-
thousand sufferers to pass to the rear of the invading
army, the Germans would be freed from the terrible
incumbrance of that mass of human anguish, which,
argues our contemporary, "must deduct from their
effective force many men detailed to look after the
wounded, besides any quantity of Waggons, horses,
mules, and their attendants." Secondly, that by
leaving the Prussians to send their wounded back to
the rear along the direct roads by which the army
has advanced to its present position, they would
thereby necessitate a delay in the advance of reserves
as well as of equally desirable supplies for themselves
of food and ammunition. Neither of these
arguments, as it appears to us, can be regarded as
holding good under the actual circumstances. In
regard to the first it ought surely to be borne in
mind that it is simply a free passage to the rear that
is asked through Luxembourg and Belgium. No
further assistance than that ! And that precisely is
what has just' now been refused. Then as to the
second the argument is in no way valid or tenable.
Trains bringing up reserves, and food, and
ammunition might surely without impediment con-
tinue to run southwards, while side by side in the
opposite direction northwards could run (if that
were the only reason) just as uninterruptedly the
trains conveying to the rear the sick and the
wounded. There is really no reason whatever that
we can at all co.nprehend why this free passage
should have been denied to the Prussian wounded,
through Belgium and Luxembourg, simply forsooth
because of their political neutrality. "At least we
can help the sick and wounded," says Mr. TENNIEL
on behalf of his own country, that is of
England, in her humane intervention. "At
least we may not help the sick and
wounded," seems to be the cold-blooded decision
arrived at by the Belgian and Luxembourg Govern-
ments. And the cruelest part of it is this, that
many lives will be thus wantonly sacrificed through
this heartless interpretation of what is meant by
neutrality.

MORE than one occurrence in connection with the
government of France during the war has testified to
the determination of the Legislative Body to secure
to itself the supreme control of affairs.
When the present Ministry succeeded the OLLIVIER
Cabinet it was on the express understanding that,
though all strong Imperialists, they were t.) regard
themselves as strictly responsible to the Chamber.
The deputies have just proven that they are not
disposed to forego this responsibility. When the
victories of Woerth and ii'orbach threw all
Paris into an extreme panic, and a siege of the
capital was anticipated, M. JULES FAVRE proposed

that a committee of Defence should be established.
The suggestion remained in abeyance for a little
while, but when the arrival of the Prussians on

the outskirts of the city appeared more
and more imminent, the Ministry decided
to adopt M. FAVRE'S idea, and the Committee was
nominated without further ado. But its personnel
was not of the kind that the majority of the Chamber
desired. General Tnocnu, who is President, Marshal
VAILLANT, and divers officers, engineers, and
other practical men were at first appointed to form
the Committee. No exception could be taken to

these names, but the . Chamber wanted something
more : it desired that nine of its deputies should
be added to the list, in order that the repre-
sentatives of the people might thus be able
to personally watch over the defence of Paris,
The Ministry wavered, then protested, and seemed
inclined to oppose the addition. But it
would not, do. The Chamber, although the nine
member amendment was proposed by a Republican,
showed an unmistakeable front in its favour;
and the War Minister, Count PALIKAO, has found
it needful to give way. lie is now willing
to allow that three deputies be added to
the committee. Such is the compromise
now before the Chamber. Parliament has
obviously gained more than half the battle. If only
three members of the Legislative Body form part of
the Committee, the principle that the national
representatives are to be associated with
the Imperial nominees in administrative work of
this kind, is conceded all the same. The addition