The Sun.
London, England, 1870-09-17 00:00:00

.SUN, LONDON, SATURDAY, SEPTEJBER 17, 187

PARIS, SEPT. 16, 6 P.M,

The commandant of the redoubt at St. Maur
announces that the patrols report no signs of the
enemy. It is supposed that the Prussians are still
at some distance.

BELGIUM AND THE REPUBLIC.

BRUSSELS, SEPTEMBER 16 (4.17 P.m.)

The Independance Beige of this evening says :
"We have reason to believe that M. Tachard, the
envoy from France, has asked and obtained an
audience of the King. The audience will take place
to-day, but will have no official character, M.
Tachard not being as yet accredited to the Court of
Brussels.

THE EMPEROR OF RUSSIA AND
THE SAXON ARMY. •

DRESDEN, SEPT. 16.

The King of Saxony received the following tele-
gram yesterday from the Emperor of Russia at
Tsarshoe Fel° :

"In honour of the successes of yonr brave
soldiers, I take the liberty of conferring upon your
son, the Crown Prince, my military order of St.
George of the second class; well merited by him
for having so brilliantly led them to victory. Your
Majesty, I hope, will perceive in this act a fresh
proof of my respect and friendship."

RAISING OF THE BLOCKADE.
BERLIN, SEPT. 16, 10 P.M.

The American envoy here has received a notifica-
tion that the blockade by the French fleet has ceased
only in so far as concerns the rivers Weser and Elbe.

THE PRUSSIANS PREPARING
TO ATTACK VINCENNES.
PARIS, SEPT. 16.
Official despatches announce that Prussian scouts,
few in number, have appeared at Villeneuve,
Dammartin, and Plessis (towns north-east of Paris),
preceding a column of 3,000 troops, which have
reached Villers Cotterets. -.Another column 10,000
strong is at Nanteuil.
Soissons is blockaded by Cavalry.
Private information indicates that the Prussians
are preparing an attack in the direction of
Vincennes.

EXPECTED ENGAGEMENT.

PARIS, SEPT. 16.

The Minister of the Interior announces that
Prussian scouts had arrived at Creteil. Their
advanced guard appeared to be between Creteil and
Neuilly-sur-Ma cne.
Private accounts also state that Prussian scouts
had appeared at Corbeil and the wood of Clamart.
A large body of troops left Paris yesterday even-
ing. It is considered probable that an engagement
will take place to-day.

BLOWING UP OF BUILDINGS
ON THE ROAD TO PARIS.
(GERMAN OFFICIAL DESPATCH.)
HEAD-QUARTERS,
MEAUX, SEPT. 115.
The enemy has blown up all the important
buildings on the roads and railways leading to
Paris. This destruction has been quite unneces-
sary, as the march of our columns continues without
even an hour's halt on the road.

from Liverpool at noon to-day, embarked passengers and
despatches, and proceeded for Boston at• 1:30.p.m., all
well.

SOUTHAMPON, SEPTEMBER -- 1 A
.

The Campagne General Transatlantic steamer Europe,
from Havre, has arrived here with a full cargo of cotton.
She landed 240 passengers.

(CENTRAL PRESS TELEGRAMS.)
THE LATE YACHTING ACCIDENT.

The bodies of Mr' Charles Echlin, the sailor, and his
sort, who were drowned on Thursday between Globusk
Point and Innisherra Island, through the capsizing of the
yacht Wasp, were recovered yesterday afternoon off
Globusk Point. At the inquest which was held McCabe,
the survivor, stated he was on the mast trying to reduce
sail, when the yacht dipped to leeward, on which side
Mr. Echlin was sitting, and before he could change his
position the craft turned over, shipped water, righted,
and then sank. A verdict of accidental death was re-
turned.

PRESENTATION OF THE FREEDOM .OF'
ELWIN TO THE RIGHT HON. ROBERT
LO WE.

he Right Hon. Robert Lowe, Chancellor of the Ex -
ohequer, was entertained at • a public banquet in Elgin
yesterday afternoon, and presented with the freedom: of
the city. The Lord Provost occupied the chair, and there
were present Mr. Bass, M.P., Colonel Vandaleur, M.P.,
Colonel Grant, M.P., the Right Hon. J. Whiteside, Lord
Chief Justice of Court of Queen's Bench in Ireland, &c.
The usual loyal and patriotic toasts hay in g been given,
the Lord Provost presented the freedom of the city to
Mr. Lowe,_ and proposed the health of the youngest

burgess. a
The CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER, on rising to re-
spond, was received with much cheering. Referring to
the war between Prussia and France, the right hon. gen-
tleman said :—The Government has been subjected to
repeated attacks in all quarters for the policy they have
observed in regard to -the great struggle now going on on
the Continent of Europe. Now, I wish to draw your
attention a little to the subject. We are neu-
tral in this war, but we are not only neutrals in the
technical sense of the word ; we are not only non-
belligerents, but we are neutrals in the right sense of the
word, inasmuch as we are really impartial ; we are well-
wishers. lam speaking of the Governments on both
sides. We are most anxious that this great calamity
should be averted, and we are most anxious now
that both sides come out of it with as little injury
and damage as can possibly be. Therefore, our Inv-
fession of neutrality is not merely a technical
term of law, but it is a real expression of the feelings anti
views with which we regard the struggle ; and that it is so
may be surmised from the fact that we have been heartily
abused by both sides. That being a point quite settled,
the question is, what should have been done ? In general
there are three kinds of interpo-ition : the first is arbitra-
tion, another intervention, and the third mediation; and
people jumble these things up in a manner that
must be my excuse if I endeavour to define these
three terms strictly, and to shew exactly what
meaning I attach to them. And, first, arbitration
means when a person takes upon himself to judge
between two competitors at their request and, as no
request has been made to us ly the two competitors, arbi-
tration is totally out of the question, and I may dismiss
it. Intervention by a neutral means, that the neutral
casts aside the character of neutrality, and goes in for one
side or the other. Now, w e have not the slightest inten-
tion —and I am. sure that you do not wish us to have
any intention—of doing so. The quarrel was none of our
raising. On the contrary, we have done everything we
could to prevent it ; and we are not going, if any power
can keep us out of it, to be drawn into it. I see no reason
whatever—and I speak with :the greatest confidence—l
think so, at least—to apprehend that we shall be drawn

into it. The third class of interposition is that of media-
tion; and mediation, I take it, means, not that you ex-
actly wait to be asked, but that you give good advice and
counsel, and persuade and entreat people to be reasonable
—to listen to gcrod advice, and to abstain from hostilities.
Now, gentlemen, that also requires consideration. As
long as the sword has been drawn—while the matter
is still in the stage of quarrel and discussion, and has not
reached the point of hostilities—nothing can be more be-
coming a great Power like England than even to be lavish
in mediation, at the risk of receiving, as we have re-
ceived, some mortifying repulses. She cannot go too
far in exhausting all the resources which are at her
command, in order to bring the two parties together,
and prevent the effusion of blood. She can do this,
because the question then at issue is a question of
the rights of parties, of which every man is a poor judge
for himself, but which just and wise men are always
ready to leave to the adjustment of other people, if
they are sincere in the belief that they are right. We
have exhausted every resource in that kind of media-
tion in vain ; but when you come to speak of media-
tion after the sword has been drawn, you get at a
totally different set of considerations. It is no longer a
question of the rights of parties, but a question of rela-
tive power. The sword is an evil mediator ; but it does
its work decisively and authoritatively. Werewe to go to
Pruisia and advise her to be content with less terms than
she demands, we actually should be taking the part of
France against Prussia, and would be no longer a neutral,
but would be throwing in our own moral weight in the
scale of France against Prussia- If, on the other hand,
we were to go to France and advise her to take terms
which she did not consider consistent with her dignity
we should be playing the game of Prussia, and taking
part against France That is exactly what, iti my

judgment, we ought to avoid. There is another reason
why, in my judgment, we ought at the present time to
abstain from interference and from mediation, and that
is this. It is impossible to do so without leaving a lasting
wound behind. For instance, supposing we were to re-
commend Prussia to do something less than she believes
necessary for her to do, it would always rankle in the
mind of Prussia that she felt herself compelled to listen
to our advice ; it would always rankle in the Mind
of Prussian statesmen that we had spoiled her game in
the moment of success ; and it would be a standing
grievance against us for ever. If, on the other hand, we
were to advise France to take terms from Prussia, sup-
posing she demands accession of territory, would it be
wise in our statesmen to associate England with what
_they
regard as miserable and humiliating to submit to. They
would at once say that England had a hand in the matter,
that she put pressure upon France to compel her to submit
to that which she ought not to have done. Theref pre,
gentlemen, I think I have shown you—though I am
afraid rather drily and tediously—that the only policy
if we really mean what we say, if we really mean
to keep England out of the conflict, is that of forbearing
from -!.; would call officious intervention between tht
parties.