The Sun.
London, England, 1870-10-06 00:00:00

THE OPINION OF THE BRITISH CABINET.

The Standard criticises the remarks of Mr. Bruce, who,
the journal observes, apparently represents the mind of
the Cabinet. And what is that mind ? the Standard
asks. A sorry and stupid satisfaction at the
crushing disasters sustained by France, on the
ground that the destruction of French power to
do mischief complacently assumed by these
statesman to be complete and definite—secures
England against all danger of invasion. When
France was a great military and naval Power
England, says Mr. Bruce, ran a certain amount
of danger. Now that she is not a great Power
either way, in his assumption, she is not to be
feared ; and as for Prussia, we need not trouble
&Mut her, because she cannot find the means of
transporting her armies to our coast. Is this opinion of
the great Liberal party, appreciating it altogether apart
from the absurdities and the brutalities with which it
has been accompanied, a sound one ? Is it even
worthy of consideration by any man who knows
anything of the true character of the nations now in
Conflict or of the conditions under which the. fight is
being waged? Certainly not. Take it whicheoer way
the supporters of the Government like, the position is
made more perilous for England ; the interests
she has most at heart are most gravely preju-
diced. We will say nothing about a possible French
triumph of a French agreement with Germany at the
expense of others. Both these contingencies our states-
men and the Liberals, as well philosophic as vulgar who
support them, put out of the question. We will discuss
only the consequences of that Prussian triumph which
Mr. Bruce expects, and from which he and his
colleagues assume that England can henceforth dispense
with both army and navy ? We will grant, although the
admission is, perhaps, an unwise one, that the Germans
will never propose to invade England in order to
civilise the English barbarians, and teach them that
philosophy of history which Mr. Bruce, mangling
some Liberal "leader," declares to have been the study,
and the successful study, of the German nation. No
doubt Count Bismarck and the King do not dream
of any such exploit, but we are promised by
Mr. Bruce and his friends in the press that as
a consequence of this war Germany is to be
free as was as united, and that public opinion is to
triumph. Well, the public opinion of Germady has an
appetite of the most portentous kind, and if we may be-
lieve its accredited organs it would like nothing better
than to see Count Bernstorff installed as Prefect of
London, and sending communiques to all the London papers,
instead of, as now, only to our Liberal contemporaries. How-
ever, we need not fear invasion, although that inability to
find transport, which comforts poor Mr. Bruce, is a very
small security. The danger of that excessive aggrandise-
ment of Germany, of that growth of a spirit
of world domination now apparent, is not of a kind
to frighten the good folks of Kent or Essex. It
cannot cost us more than the sacrifice of all those
interests which we have the utmost importance to pro-
tect. Judging dispassionately, we may save shires by
abandoning our pretensions co the rauk of a great
Power.

TIIE HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. - The Fungus
Show at the Royal Horticultural Society yesterday,
proved very attractive. Notwithstanding the drought, a
great many fine and curious specimens were exhibited,
and as there was no collection in the first-class, which was
confined to edible fungi, the prizes were awarded to Mr.
G. Worthington Smith and Mr. James English, whose
collections were considered of equal merit, while the
second prize was given to Mr. Hoyle. Lord Londes-
borough exhibited a fine form of Dendrobium Chrysotis
in great perfection, and there were many other objects of
interest. W. Wilson Saunders, Esq., F.R.S., presided
at a general meeting held at three o'clock, and the follow-
ing candidates were elected Fellows of the Society,
viz. :--Aniold. de B. Baruchson, Rev. Arthur. R. 'Cole,
M.A., Major J. Grant Crosse, Airs. Darbishire, Edward
W. Green, Thomas Laurence Read, &c.