The Sun.
London, England, 1870-07-20 00:00:00

THE WAR.

COMMENCEMENT OF HOSTILITIES.
The Times says a rumour of some authority reached
London late this morning that hostilities had been begun
by the French near Forbach.
NAVAL ENGAGEMENT.

A telegram from the Hague says that at Scheweningen,
at 1.30 p.m. yesterday, cannonading could be heard at
sea to the north by north-west.
OPENING OF THE NORTH GERMAN
PARLIAMENT.
SPEECH OF KING WILLIAM.

The North German Parliament was opened yesterday
by King William in person. His Majesty delivered the
following speech :
" Honoured gentlemen of the Parliament of the North
German Confederation,—When, at your last meeting, I
bade you welcome from this place, in the name of the
allied Governments, it was with joy and gratitude
that I was able to bear witness to the fact
that by the help of God success had rewarded my sincere
efforts to meet the wishes of the people and the
requirements of civilisation by avoiding any disturbance
of the peace of Europe. If, notwithstanding this assur-
ance, the menace and imminence of war have now laid
upon the Confederate Governments the duty of calling
you together for an extraordinary session, you, as well as
ourselves, will be animated with the conviction that the
North German Confederation has laboured to improve,
the national forces, not to imperil, but to afford a
greater protection to universal peace, and that, when we
call upon the national army to defend our independence,
we only obey the mandates of honour and duty. The
candidacy of a German Prince for the Spanish throne—
both in the bringing forward and withdrawal of which
the Confederate Governments were equally uncon-
cerned, and which only interested the North German
Confederation in so far as the Government of a
friendly country appeared to base upon its suc-
cess the hopes of acquiring for a sorely-tried
people a pledge for regular and peaceful Govern,
merit afforded the Emperor of the French a pre-
text for a " ca.sus belli," put forward in a manner long
since unknown in the annals of diplomatic inter-
course, and adhered to after the removal of the very pre-
text itself, with that disregard for the people's right to the
blessings of peace of which the history of a former ruler
of France affords so many analogous examples. If Ger-
many, in former centuries, bore in silence such viola-
tions of her rights and of her honour, it was only
because in her then divided state she knew not her own
strength. To-day, when the links of intellectual and
rightful community, which began to be knit together at
the time of the wars of liberation, join the more slowly
the more surely the different German races—to-day
that Germany's armament leaves no longer an opening to
the enemy—the German nation contains within itself the
will and the power to repel the renewed aggression of
France. It is not arrogance puts these words in my
mouth. The Confederate Government and I myself
are acting in the full consciousness that victory and
defeat are in the hands of Him who decides the fate of
battles. With a clear gaze we have measured the re-
sponsibility which, before the judgment-seat of God and
of mankind, must fall upon him who drags two great
and peace-loving peoples of the heart of Europe into
a devastating war. The German and French peoples
both equally enjoying and desiring the blessings
of a Christian civilisation and of an increasing pro-
sperity, are called to a more wholesome rivalry than the
sanguinary conflict of arms. Yet those who hold power
in France have, by preconcerted misguidance, found
means to work upon the legitimate but excitable national
sentiment of our great neighbouring people for the further-
ance of personal interests and the gratification of passion.
The more the Confederate Governments are conscious of
having done all our honour and dignity permitted to pre-
serve to Europe the blessings of peace, and the more
'indubitable it shall appear to all minds that the sword
has been thrust into our hands, so much the more
confidently shall we rely upon the united will of the
German Governments, both of the North and South, and
upon your love of country; and so much the more confi-
dently we shall fight for our right against the 7 iolence of
foreign invaders. Inasmuch as we pursue no other object
than the durable establishment of peace in Europe, God
will be with us as He was with our forefathers.
Previous to the delivery of the speech, on the arrival
of the members of the Federal Council, Dr. Simeon called
for cheers for the Head of the North German Confede-
ration, an appeal that was twice frantically responded
to. The King read the speech in a firm voice, but
displayed at several times much emotion, and was
often interrupted with vociferous cheering, espe-
cially when he spoke of the no longer divided Germany,
—a remark that was understood to allude to the co-ope-
ration of Bavaria. The other passages most cheered were
the ones referring to the peace-loving German people and
the misguidance of the French nation. At the close of
the speech Baron von Friesen, the Saxon Minister, called
for cheers for King William, which were repeated over
and over again.

Count Bismarck subsegnently informed the House that
the French Charge d'Affairs had delivered a declaration
of war against Prussia. Hereupon all present arose and
greeted the announcement with loud cheering, the persons
in the gallery shouting " Hurrah !" Count Bismarch
added—" After what we. have heard from the King
in the speech from the Throne I have nothing more to
say."

THE DEPARTURE OF THE EMPEROR.
The day of the Emperor's departure to take command
of the army is still uncertain. At a military dinner given
at St. Cloud on Monday night his Majesty evaded all
questions on the subject.

An orderly officer of the Emperor and an aide-de-camp
of General Lebceuf left last night with sealed
instructions for Marshal Bazaine and Generals Foully
and Lamirault, which are to be acted upon simultaneously
with the public proclamation of the declaration of war.
Within the next four days 350,000 men will be assem-
. _ _ _

bled between Strasburg, Metz, Nancy, and Birtsck.
Three army corps are now echeloned along the eastern

frontier.

THE LAST STRUGGLE FOR PEACE.
Diplomacy is making a final effort for the presevation of
peace by appealing to the Protocol of 1856, but success is

hopeless.

The 62nd Regiment of the Line has left Paris by the
Eastern Railway. Great crowds assembled at the station,

and numerous presents of cigars, tobacco, and money were
made to the soldiers. More regiments leave to-night
and to-morrow. The Zouaves of the Guard have
left, and part of the cavalry from Versailles. The
garrisons of Southern France are concentrating at
Bordeaux, Toulouse, and Agen, those of Central France
at Anjers and Le Mans, and are to be forwarded north-
wards by fast trains.

It is stated that Baron A. de Rothschild has resigned
his post of Prussian Consul-General in Paris. A paper
says that he previously went to Ems to solicit an audience
of the King of Prussia, and that it was refused him.
The Constitutionnel confirms the announcement that
Count Wimpfen has left for Berlin, with the French de-
clarations of war against Prussia.
Mr. Washburn, the United States Minister, has
accepted the protection of Prussian subjects in France,
after having previously requested the assent of the French
Government.

Le Peuple Francais has has an article entitled "Le
Times et la Prusse," in which the Imperial organ
says the Times forgets that England made
war on Louis XIV. to prevent a French
prince from occupying the Throne of Spain, and that in
1848 England was on the eve of a rupture with the Go-
vernment of Louis Philippe, because of the " Spanish
marriages." " Can it be said," asks Le Peuple Francais,"
" that a Prussian Prince on the throne of Spain is not as
great a danger for France as a French Prince in the same
position would be to England ?"