The Sun.
London, England, 1870-09-15 00:00:00

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THE LATE EDITION of " THE SUN" at
Mr BEAUMONT'S. " The Wellington," Wellington-street.

Straud

LONDON, THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 15, 1870.

THERE is a significance in the course pursued by
these terrible Prussians throughout the whole of
their proceedings since the war commenced. Pouring
steadily towards the frontier line, immediately war
had been declared against them, they only crossed it
after it had been crossed by their antagonists. It
was after the ostentatious attack made in the
presence of the EMPEROR and the Prince
IMPERIAL, on Saarbriick, that the CROWN
PRINCE won his first victory at Wissemburg.
It was because not only Saarbriick, but Kehl,
had been shelled by the French, that bombs were
thrown by the Germans among the roof-tops of Stras-
burg. They have always in fact acted rigorously— in
retaliation. So invariably have they done this, so
systematically have they given a quid pro quo at
every turn in the dreadful contest, that our
very first thought on reading the announce-
ment of that explosion at Laon, with the
King's comment upon it, to the effect that it
was unquestionably the result of treachery, our very
first thought was as to how the Prussians would
retaliate. In every instance it is as if they took a
leaf out of the book of their defeated and still de-
feated enemy. Fas est ab hosts doceri, they have
seemed to say to themselves. So it has been,
in point of fact, throughout the whole of the
military operations. So it has been in regard
to the ulterior aim and object of the war.
Germany has said, through her Kaiser, " We don't in
any way enter upon this conflict with a view to ter-
ritorial aggrandisement. We aspire simply to vindi-
cate the integrity and independence of our common
Fatherland. But—as you, the French, appear to be
bent upon seizing what you have long coveted,
that is, the Rhine Provinces, we will not only
prevent your having them, but we will take security
to ourselves that you shall never be in a position to
enter again upon any similar course of proceeding,
namely, by ourselves taking possession of the whole
of Alsace, and of a considerable portion of Lorraine.
Strasburg and Metz have been formidable ob-
stacles in our way, we will take forcible posses-
sion of them also, and keep them henceforth as our
own permanently." From first to last, the Prussians,
in this way, have so kept within the law
that the French may be said to have inva-
riably taken the initiative, the Germans contenting
themselves, so to speak, with reprisals, but
reprisals of a most formidable character. It
is thus in niggard to the very attitude assumed
by them towards France, towards her ostensible
Government, towards her capital and its inhabitants,
and last of all towards surrounding neutrals. The
KING'S avowed policy has, no doubt, had its modifica-
tions since the war commenced. His MAJESTY'S decla-
ration at first was that he made war on the Emperor
NAPOLEON, not on the French people. The EMPEROR
has since then fallen into his hands as a prisoner,
but the war of the KING with France is still con-
tinued. The KING now says, " You, and more
especially you the Parisians, were the real insti-
gators. You, it was, who made night and day
hideous by frantic cries of ,a Berlin,' and by
yelling in chorus along the boulevards the revolu-
tionary hymn of the Marseillaise: We will teach
you to do notning of the kind in future. How ?
Even by taking Paris itself by violence—and in
Paris d'etating the terms of a thorough and per-
manent pacification. As for intervention
on the part of the neutrals, we will
have none of it. They have held aloof
so far. Let them hold aloof a trifle longer." Among
the many wild rumours recently afloat in Paris
there was one to the effect that the King of
PRUSSIA had gone mad. But, at the least, there is a
terrible method in his madness, will be admitted
we should suppose, by this time , even by the
Parisians.

SCIENCE has small chance of being heeded just
now. In the din of war the opening address of the
President of the British Association will have fewer
readers than usual, though the President be no less
distinguished a person than Professor HUXLEY.
And yet the address which he delivered
last night at Liverpool was not without inte-
rest. Following the example of his immediate
predecessor, Professor STOKES, he preferred to deal
chiefly with that branch of inquiry which he has
made more peculiarly his own, instead of giving a
view of the whole domain of science. The origin of
life is a problem that has been deeply studied by
Professor HUXLEY and by philosophers long before
him, from LUCRETIUS downwards, and indeed be-
fore LUCRETIUS. Such a problem was sure to fasci-
nate thoughtful minds. At the same time, only
ultra-materialists could hope to solve it. Philosophers
might ascertain the conditions under which life
might exist, or under which it might be pro-
duced, but the actual creating cause, the prinzum
mobile, was sure to remain veiled from their eyes,
and to be visible only to the faith which believes in
a personal Deity. Not the less do the experiments
which Professor HUXLEY and others have made
add to our stores of knowledge. We gather from
them these conelusions—lst, that a fluid eminently fit
for the development of the lowest forms
of life, but which- contains neither germs;
nor any protein compound, gives rise to living