The Sun.
London, England, 1870-12-22 00:00:00

THE BOARD OF TRADE.

It has been stated that Mr. Mansfeld will have Mr.
Bright's vacant post ; but we have been informed in other
quarters that Mr. Gladstone has offered the Presidency
of the Board of Trade to Mr. Chichester Fortescue, and
that the Marquis of Hartington will have the Irish
Chief Secretaryship. Mr. Fortescue and Lord Har-
tington are both said to be desirous of this arrangement.
—Advertiser.

A new postal convention has recently been signed be•
tween the British and Italian Governments.

CRYSTAL PALACE.—Oue Shilling Day,Wednnsday,
December 21, 1870.—Admission by season tickets, 2,371;
ditto on payment, 1,115; total visitors, 3,480.

OUR COTEMPORARIES—This Morning

*

THE sTituanr,r BEFORE PARTS.

The Times, in referring to the present terrible aspect of
the struggle between Franc., and Geemany,-asks: Is there
any necessity, on either si,l4, -for prolonging this terrible
and i:t-Irilous agony? Our sYmp %thy leads us to ask
the question again and again ; while our impartiality
To enabl us to examine it with stifle clearness. 'lt is our
duty insist that it is not even yet too late to avert the
worst consequences threatened by this struggle ; and
the utmost efforts ought row to, be made to induce the
leaders of France end Germany to reconsider their posi-
tion. Would it not be wimifor the Germans, by display-
ing a readiness to make a moderate use. of their victories,
to encourage the French once more to entertain the idea
of concession and of peace ? We shall not be misunder-
stood. Nothing, in our opinion; 'would be more unjust
than to ask the Germans to sun mder their claim to a
solid security for the future, and a substantial reward for
the thousands of precious lives they hate sacrificed.
They were driven into a war Of defence, and they have
enforced a just punishment in the disasters they have in-
flicted on the French. But the punishment has already
been exemplary beyond any recorded in history. They
have taken prisoner the Emperor who menaced them,
and the statesmen who shared his schemes are
driven into exile. They have destroyed or led into
capture the whole .Army which was his instru-
ment, with nearly all its Marshals and most re-
nowned Commanders. They have taken Strasburg and
Metz, with a number of minor fortresses; they have
overrun France and laid her provinces under contribution
fromthe Rhine to the Channel ; they threaten her beauti-
ful capital with fire and famine; their Sovereign
has occupied for three months the palace
of the man who was their greatest enemy,
and " all the glories of France " are humbled
under their flag. Is not such a punishment
enough for justice? May it not become a cruelty akin to
that of the Roman against the Gaul if Germany, with
her veteran army and her incomparable organisation,
continues to crush the gallant but undisciplined bands who
are now fighting in desperation to save some shreds of the
honour of France? All the healthy opinion of the world
went with the Germans in resisting and avenging an un-
justifiable invasion ; but it would leave them as soon
as they shewed a tendency to use their giant's strength
tyrannously. Moreover, unless the rage of war renders
them blind, they must ;realise too well their own tremen-
dous losses, and the grievous suffering which
every day's fresh slaughter inflicts on Ger-
many. They know the urgent need that their
bread-winners should soon return to their profit-
' able and useful occupation, lest German as well as
French land should remain untilled, and German indus-
tries suffer permanent injury. The difficulties, too, they
have already to encounter must be enough to warn them
against unnecessarily provoking the Nemesis which is
wont to punish excessive demands, or even neglected op-
portunities.