The Sun.
London, England, 1870-09-22 00:00:00

THE NEGOTIATIONS FOR PEACE.

The Times says the Chancellor of the Confederation
and the French Minister have thus far confined them-
selves to considering the means by which any terms of
peace that may be provisionally agreed upon between
the King and the Government of Defence should be sub-
mitted to the Constituent Assembly for its sanction and
approbation. The terms of Peace themselves have not
yet been discussed. Count Bismarck has evidently made

it an essential point, before debating any proposed Treaty,
that some kind of guarantee should be given that the
Treaty will be accepted by the represehtatives of the
nation, or that, in the event of its rejection by them,
the German Powers shall suffer no loss of military
advantage by the delay. It would have been compe-
tent of Count Bismarck to declare that, as no substantial
proof of the power of the Government was forthcoming,
hostilities must proceed ; but this would have been fatal
to the convocation of the Assembly or to the hopes of a
treaty. Nothing like a general election could be held in
the midst of war, and if Tors were chosen as the
meeting place of the members who were elected,
Paris and the whole of the North-East of France would
be unrepresented in the Constituent Assembly. Two
days spent in fighting over the mode of guaranteeing a
Treaty whose terms are Tut yet stated raise a violent
presumption that the discussion of preliminaries is wilfully
protracted, and it is plain the cause of delay must arise on
the side of Count Bismarck. Why should he wish to keep the
negotiations hanging on ? He may desire that Paris
should have some little experience of what it is to be be-
leaguered, in the assurance that better terms will be
obtained in consequence. There are some facts which
lend a colour to this hypothesis. Something may be said
for the second explanation of the Chancellor's desire for
' more delay. It may very well be that there is no perfect agree-
ment atthe German headquarters on the termsthat should
be granted to France. Nothing, then,could be more appro-
priate or ingenious than a long preliminary discussion on
the method of ratifying the terms of a Treaty, so as to
postpone the discussion of the terms themselves, if the
victors have not yet agreed as to what the terms
should be.

The Telegraph is in a position to state that the negotia-
tions at Meaux are proceeding, upder circumstances which
attest thte earnest wish of both parties to attain a sound
basis of settlement. The discussions of the negotiators have
hitherto turned on one imDbrtant preliminary point—the
question what guarantees the Provisional Government
shall give that any treaty of peace concluded in the name
of the French nation will be actually accepted and rati-
fied by that nation. Meanwhile, it must be clearly
understood that the preliminary conversations do
not in the slightest degree directly affect the still
graver and more difficult questions of indemnities
for the past, and guarantees for the future—the real sub-
jects with which the negotiations 'leading to peace must
hereafter be concerned. And the Germans have plainly
shown that no attempts to effect a settlement by the pen
will retard their endeavours to effect a settlement by the
;word. It is now apparent that on both sides the ques-
tions at issue have been fully and frankly considered; and
the terms of final reconciliation may well demand the
utost serious thought of the negotiators. M. Jules Favjre
went to Meaux prepared for the largest possible cones-
sions. The Provisional Government, to the full mess e
of its power, was willing to bind the nation to the pay-
ment of a war indemnity amounting to 2100,000,000;
to the dismantlement of the fortresses; and
even, the Telegraph believes, as a last resort,
to the condition that Alsace and Lorraine should be neu-
tralised. On the other hand, there can be no doubt that
Count Bismarck's demands have been faithfully stated by
the mans of German opinion, and by his own " inter-
viewers f' and those claims are totally irreconcilable with
the French resolution to let no French soil be
transferred to German rule. Supposing the difficulty
about the endorsement by France of any treaty that may
be concluded overcome, the sincere desire of both uatioriff

for a peace that on the one side shall not be dishonourable
awl on the other shall not be fallacious and temporary,
may for some time prolong the discussion.

FRENCH REPUBLICANS.

The Daily News remarks if to secure peace it were
enough to be sincere in wishing for it, and willing to pur-
chase it by pecuniary sacrifice, then we might well have
good hopes of the work now undertaken by the French
Provisional Government. Not alone did Fevre,
and Picard, and Pellet an protest against this
war, but Rochefort had the moral courage to send forth
from his prises" the declaration that this and every war
not strittly Taefensive is a crime. Indeed, the
French Republics have always been pacific in their
original intentions. The first Republic was forced into a war
very much as we have just seen Germany driven into it.
The Republic of 1848, despite its magniloquent pro-
fessions of sympathy with enslaved nationalities
was for the most part prudently peaceful in
its ways. Of later years we have all observed
that the most extreme and uncompromising of the
French Republicans have been enthusiasts and
optimists in their worship of peace, and have given the
abolition of standing armies and the repudiation of all
aggressive warfare a leading place in their creed,
or, as enemies would have said, among their crotchets.
To do the Republicans of France justice they have
at no time identified themselves with the principle
which declares military glory to be a supreme
national right and need. A successful war is almost
sure in France to bring up to the front some
military dictator. It may be doubted whether
the existence of a French Republic is not, and will
not, for some time be almost absolutely incompatible
with the reign of the war spirit. Thus far, therefore,
the Republic is in a better position to make
and maintain peace than any other form of
government would probably be at present. It
may be taken for granted that the present popu-
lations now ardently desire peace. When the
peasants voted oui to the Plebiscite they voted for peace ;
they voted for the Empire, because it had got into their
heads somehow that the Emperor alone could save them
from revolution and war.

Count Palikao has hired a furnished residence at
Namur for three months.

MR. CHILDERS.—The Times has it on the best
authority that the health of Mr. Childers has greatly im-
proved, and that he is able to take long walks daily.
A fire broke out yesterday at the seat of the Earl
of Mexborough, Methley Hall, about seven miles from
Leeds. By the aid of the fire engines kept on the
premsies, the fire was confined to the kitchen and laundry,
the Hall itself not being injured.
RESIGNATION OF A COLONIAL BISIIOP.—The
Right Rev. Dr. Matthew Blagden Hale has intimated his
intention of resigning the Bishopric of Perth, to which he
was consecrated in 1857. The jurisdiction of the Bishop
consists of Western Australia. The income of the see
consists of the interest of £4,000, granted by the Colonial
Bishopric Fund, and invested in the colony. The Bishop
was formerly vicar of Stroud, Gloucestershire, and after-
wards Archdeacon of Adelaide, South Australia.
MR. THOMAS HUGHES, M.P.—The Boston
Commonwealth states that Mr. Thomas Hughes, who is
the guest of James Russell Lowell, at Elmwood, his
Cambridge residence, is besieged with letters from all
parts of the United States asking him to lecture. It is
announced that Mr. Hughes is unable to comply with any
of these requests.
FRENCH REFUGEES.—The Havre steamer brought
a large number of French refugees yesterday morning to
Southampton. A number of French convents have been
deserted in consequence of the war and the proclamation
of the Republic. Notice has been received at South-
ampton that twenty-five nuns belonging to a convent at
Evreux are daily expected. They will take refuge in a
convent of the same order at Taunton, in Somersetshire.
Two of the Evreux nuns are English ladies.
THE CIIICHESTER ACCIDENT.—The inquest was
resumed yesterday as to the deaths of the Rev. C. Hind,
curate of Milton-next-Gravesend, and the five boys. who,
on their passage from the Chichester training ship, off
Woolwich, to the Fisguard, were drowned through their
boat being run down by the Irish steamer Cormorant.
Some of the sailors on board the latter vessel, and the
pilot, were in attendance, and gave evidence, upon which
the jury returned a verdict of accidental death.

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