The Sun.
London, England, 1870-08-31 00:00:00

NOTHING IMPOSSIBLE.

AGUA AMARELLA restores the Human Hair
to its pristine hue, no matter at what age.
JNO. GOSNE LI, and CO. have at length, with tho aid of one of
the most eminent Chemists, succeeded in perfecting this wonder-
ful liquid. it is now offered to the public in a more concentrated
form, and at a lower price.
Sold in bottles, 3s each; also 65., 7s. ea., and 15s. each, nclud-
ng brush.
Red Bull Wharf, Angel-passage, f 3, Upper Thames-street, Lon-
don, E.C.

rrHORLEY'S HORSE Fuld CATTLE SPICE,
In Penny Pee: ets only, of all Corn Chandlers in London, and
Of all Grocers, Druggists. and Corn Dealers in the country.

NATIONAL INSTITUTION for DISEASES
of the SKIN, Gray's-inn-road and Mitre-street. Physi-
cian, Dr. BARR MEADOWS, 49, Dover-street, Piccadilly. Ave-
rage number of Patients under treatment, 1,000 weekly. Free
letters are available for necessitous applicants.
THOMAS ROBINSON, Hon. Sec.

TRUGGLES OF A VILLAGE LAD, THE.
Spewing that nothing is difficult when you try. Illuminatse
fancy cover, Is. ; cloth boards, ls. 6d. Pot_ free for stamps.
TWEEDEE. 337. Strand.

VGGS OF ALL THE BIRDS WHICH BREED
_1112.4 IN GREAT BRITAIN. By a Clergyman. The classical,
common, and local names with description of nest, and various other
interesting particulars; 170 outlines, printed on thick paper for
painting, offering a most instructive and delightful amusement to
young persons, Price 6d. Tinted, Is. Post free for stamps.
London—W. TWEEDIE. 337. Strand.

TEMPERANCE STATED AND ILLUSTRATED.
By Eminent Writers. This carefully-collated selection of facts,
testimonies, and opinions in favour of Abstinence is admirably
suited for circulation amongst persons of culture and intelligt.ece.
who may for the first time beinduced to investigate the claims of
the niuperance Movement. Cloth, lettered, price Is. Ed. Post free
for stamps. - . _

London—W. TWEEDJE. 337. Strand.

THEATRES AND AM USE NIE.N TS.

QuEßN's—At Seven, Nly Wife's Dentist. 'Twit; Ate and Crown,
VAUDEVILLE—ChiseIIing. Two Roses. Don Carlos.

CHRISTY MINSTRELS. St. James's Hall, Every Night, at 8 ; Wed-
nesiays and Saturdays, at 3 and 8 all the year round.
ZOOLOGICAL GARDIINS, Regent's-park. Open daily (except Sun-
days). Admission, ls. on Mondays, 6d. Children under
twelve, 6d.

MADAME TIISSAUD'S EXHIBITION, Baker-street, from 11 a.m. till
3.0 p.m., and from 7 till 10 p.m. Admission, ls.; extra
6d.

ii.repa,._ „„->ft
I'd ••'",
uzug Sun

EVENING EDITION.

LONDON, WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 31, 187,

ALREADY—before the upshot of the great war
now raging in the north of France can even be con-
jectured—England may learn, if she so pleases, from
this terrible conflict between the forces of the
Emperor NAPOLEON and King WILLIAM, lessons of
prudence as wholesome in their way as those derived
in past times from her own experiences on the
battle-field. Balaklava brought one such lesson
home to us, sixteen years ago, very forcibly. Tho warn-
ing then given, it might have been tho ugh t, would have
been sufficient to have putnot only our own nation but
all the other nations of Europe on the alert for at
least another century. That it did not, actual
events now occurring all around us, undeniable facts
now rife in the very midst of us, prove to absolute
demonstration. Si vis pacenz para bellurn, so often on
the lips of our legislators, proved at the time of the
Crimean - war to have been a mere
parrot cry, the wise 'significance of which
had been altogether overlooked or disregarded.
Omissions had to be made good, errors had to be
rectified, in the very presence of the enemy. And
yet it could not then hava been said that we had
been surprised into war. Our " historical con-
science"—to employ Mr. DISRAELI'S fantastic phrase
for once not inappositely—tells us that we had
"drifted into it." The expression is famous, and is
indicative of the slow and gradual movement which
had brought the Western Powers, at last,
in the fullness of time, into direct antagonism with
the serried hosts of the Russian autocrat. So has
the case been, now, precisely. France and Prussia
have been slowly and gradually, but inevitably,
drifting into war 'during these four last years—in
fact, ever since the close of the campaign of 1866 at
Sadowa. Wise in her generation, Prussia has all
the while been preparing. France dived that
she too was preparing quite as effectively. The result
has proved, however, that she was 10 no "adequate
degree in readiness. NAPOLEON, no doubt, trusting
to his administrators, thought otherwise. M

_ .
ROUHER, during the chief part of those four years
last past, his principal ministerial adviser, or agent,
call him which you will, was evidently under a
similar delusion—judging, that is, from his indiscreet
avowal immediately before the opening of the cam-
paign, when he publicly spoke of his imperial master
having for four years been preparing for the
present emergency. Emperor and Vice-Emperor were

alike deceived. Considerable sums of money had been
annually squandered upon the military and maritime
forces of the Empire during that interval. Insomuch
so that the MINISTER of FINANCE would, doubtless,
have corroborated to the very letter, had 'his testi-
mony been required, the boastful assertion of the
PRESIDENT of the SENATE. Whether it was that
the end came sooner than was anticipated, or that
the SOVEREIGN was completely hoodwinked as to
the supposed efficiency of the various war-
like departments—however this may be, the

fact, itself, is undeniable, that when the
die was cast, the falsification of their vainglorious
boasts, was completely and forth With realised. The.
EMPEROR'S protracted delay upon leaving St. Cloud
and going to the front was proof of this. After-
wards, when he had at length arrived at Metz, his
still further hesitation in making an onward move-
ment told a tale that those who ran could read.
France was not prepared. The Grand Army of the
Great Nation was not in readiness. Preparing so
long, squandering so many millions upon her arma-
maments by sea and land, she was not in a condi-
tion to cope with the Prussian forces flooding

;owards the frontier, and at last over it, to meet her

in her own territories. When the shock of arms
came, the conviction already arrived at by de-
duction, was only too terribly demonstrated.
The picked corps of the imperial army, led by the
heroic MAcMAHoN himself, was crushingly defeated
at Reichshoffen. This, at the very commencement
of the campaign. Since then, the drift of the war

has been steadily enough in one direction—a Paris,
and not a Berlin. Commissariat, Etat Major, horse,
foot, and artillery, tactics, strategy—on the French
side—all have been in the direst muddle and
confusion. Remper parat 143 was not implied

by the imperial N. Hundreds of millions of francs
had been lavished nominally in getting ready for the
emergency. But the emergency had come, and the
army was not in readiness. Sharp as the lesson of

Balalilava was to ourselves, sharper still to our gal-
lant neighbours, and through them to ourselves, is
the lesson derivable from thA campaign of 1870,
even as far as it has yet gone in Alsace and Lorraine
and Champagne.

TOPICS OF THE DAY.