The Sun.
London, England, 1870-07-23 00:00:00

THE WAR.

SPEECH OF THE EMPEROR N APOLEON.
The Emperor received the members of the Legislative
Body yesterday.
The President, M. Schneider, addressed his Majesty as
follows :

Sire,—The Legislative Body has terminated its labours,
after voting all the subsidies and laws necessary for the
defence of the country. Thus the Chamber has joined in
an effective proof of patriotism. The real author of the
war is not he by whom it was declared, but he who ren-
dered it necessary. There will be but one voice among
the people of both hemispheres, throwing, namely, the
responsibility of the war upon Prussia, which, intoxicated
by unexpected success, and encouraged by our patience
and our desire to preserve to Europe the blessings of
peace, has imagined that she could conspire against our
security, and wound with impunity our honour. Under
these circumstances France will know how to do her
duty. The most ardent wishes will follow you to the
army, the command of which you assume, accompanied by
your son who, anticipating the duties of maturer age, will
learn, by your side, how to serve his country. Behind you—
behind our army, accustomed to carry the noble flag of
Prance—stands the whole nation ready to recruit it.
Leave the regency, without anxiety, in the hands of
our august Sovereign, the Empress. To the authority
commanded by her great qualities, of which ample
evidence has already been given, her Majesty will add
the strength now afforded by the liberal institutions
so gloriously inaugurated by your Majesty. Sire,
the heart of your nation is with you, and with your
valiant army.
The Emperor replied :—I experience the most lively
satisfaction, on the eve of my departure for the army, at
being able to thank you forthepatriotic support which you
have afforded my Government. A war is right when it is
waged with the assent of the country, and the approval
of the country's representatives. You are right to remem-
ber the words of Montesquieu, that " the real author
of war is not he by whom it is declared, but he who renders
it necessary." We have done all in our power to avert
the war, and I may say that it is the whole nation that
that has, by its irresistible' impulse, dictated our de-
cisions. I confide to you the Empress, who will call
you around her if circumstances should require it. She
will know how to fulfil courageously the duty which her
position imposes upon her. I take my son with me ;in
the midst of the army he will learn to serve his country.
Resolved energetically to pursue the great mission which
has been entrusted to me, I have faith in the success of
our arms ; for I know that France has risen to her feet,
and that God protects her.
MANIFESTO OF THE FRENCH
GOVERNMENT.

The Due de Gramont has addressed a circular to the
French representatives abroad, dated on Thursday, with the
object of proving that the candidature of Prince Leopold
of Hohenzollern had been mysteriously promoted by
Prussia in the hope that France would be obliged to
accept it as an accomplished fact.
The circular states, " Already in 1869 M. Benedetti ha
informed the Prussian Cabinet that France could not al-
low that a Prussian Prince should reign over Spain. Count
Bismark declared to M. Benedetti that France had no

cause to concern herself about a combination which he
himself considered unrealizable. Herr von Thile (the Prus-
sian Under-Secretary of Foreign Affairs) gave his word of
honour that the Prince of Hohenzollern was not and could
not become a serious candidate for the throne of Spain. If
the sincerity of such positive official assurances could
be suspected, diplomatic communications would cease to
be a pledge of European peace, and would be but snares.
In drawing back unexpectedly from pledged words, Prussia
addressed to us areal challenge. We were therefore obliged
to insist in order to obtain the certainty that the renunciation
was this time final and serious. It is but just that
the Court of Berlin should bear in history the re-
sponsibility for a war which it had the means to
avoid, but which she really sought. Under what cir-
cumstances has Prussia sought this struggle ? It is
When France for four years has given proofs of her
moderation and constant abstention, with a scrupu-
lousness which was, perhaps, exaggerated, from in-
voking against her the treaties concluded under the 1
Mediation of the Emperor himself, but the wilful
forgetfulness of which is shown by all the acts of a Go-

vemment which had thought already to free itself of its
engagements at the very moment of subscribing to them.
Europe was the witness of our conduct, and could
compare it with that of Prussia. May it pronounce
to-day upon the justice of our cause. Whatever may be
the fate of the battle, we await without uneasiness the
judgment of our contemporaries as well as that of
Posterity."