The Sun.
London, England, 1870-09-19 00:00:00

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TB SUN, LONDON, MONDAY, EPT.iLl:,]\ I BER 19, 18/0.

THE FOREIGN AMBASSADORS
AT TOURS.

frontier disguised as peasants were arrested by the
Belgian authorities as soon as it was suspected that
they were soldiers.
The Independance, whilst admitting that these.
arrests were evidentiy in the interest of neutrality,
and the motive for them respectable, asks if they
are compatible with the Belgian principles of in-
dividual liberty, and even justifiable from the point
of view of our obligation as neutrals.

TOURS, SEPT. 18.

Nearly all the Ambassadors, and foreign Ministers,
including Lord Lyons, arrived here this morning
from Paris. The English mail of.yesterday has not
yet arrived..
Military preparations are being made in all parts
of Tours and the environs. 25,000 armed volunteers
leave to-day for the north.
Travellers who have arrived here from Paris this
morning state that the woods of Clamart and Meudon
are occupied by 80,000 French troops, under the
command of General Ducrot.

THE EXPLOSION AT LAON.

BERLIN, FRIDAY.

The injury received by Duke William of Mecklen-
burg, *om the explosion of a magazine in the
citadat Laon, is not serious, but only a contusion
of the foot, which does nct prevent his following
the troops in a carriage.

Yesterday an engagement took place before Fort
Ivry between the Prussian troops and three French
regiments of the line, some battalions of Garde
Mobile, and a battery of artillery, under the com-
mandant of Fort Ivry. At the last moment the
Prussians appeared to be falling back. •
News has been received from Marshal Bazaine to
the 16th inst., according to which the engagements
which took place on the 31st of August and- Ist o
September at Servigny and Nosserville were. advan-
tageous to the French. The sanitary condition of
the troops was excellent, and provisions were still
abundant at Metz.

The Russian Czar, on receiving the news of the
battle o!,Sedan, at Moscow, on the 3d September,
gave a (timer. When having drunk to the health of
his Royal uncle of Prussia, he broke the glass
according to German custom, which prescribes that
none shall drink main from a glass which has been
used for solemn toasts. .

CIRCULAR OF M. JULES FAVRE.

THE SIEGE OF STRASBURG.
CARLSRUHE, SEPTEMBER 18,

The Germans have 'succeeded in erecting a
battery on the left bank .of the Rhine, 6pposite
to Kehl. Last night a sortie was made from the
citadel against this battery, when sixteen hundred
French were engaged on one side, and four hun-
dred Badeners on the other. The latter held
their ground till reinforced by the Prussians,
when the French were driven back with heavy
loss in killed, wounded, and .prisoners. The
crowning of the glacis is completed, and a breach
has been made. Whilst making approaches near
Schilttigheim the burial ground of St Helens
Church was passed, and the besiegers worked amid
coffins and skeletons. Colmar .has been occupied
by the Germans. They are marching on Mulhouse.
The Mayor.of Chalampi (?) and six inhabitants have
been sent to Rastadt on the charge of firing on the
troops.—Daily News Telegram.

M. Jules Favre has issued a circular, dated September
17; in order to explain the decree which hastens the elec-
tions to the Constituent Assembly, and the resolution to
convoke that body' as soon as possible. M. Jules Favro

says :
" I will sum up our entire policy. In accepting
the perilous task which was imposed upon us -by
the fall of the Imperial Government we had but
one idetfus-namelyr to • defend Pm% +erektexy. ,tp , save our
honour, to give back to the nation the power emanating
from itself, and which it alone could exercise. We should
have wished that this great act might have been completed
without transition, but the first necessity was to face the
enemy. We have not the pretention to ask disinterested-
ness of Prussia. We take account of the feelings to
which the greatness of her losses and the natural exalta-
tion of victory have given rise in her. These feelings
explain the violence of the press, which we are far from
confounding with the inspirations of statesmen. These
latter will hesitate to continue an impious war, in which
more than 200,000 men have already fallen. To impose
unacceptable conditions upon France would only be
forcibly continuing the war.
"It is objected that the Government is without
regular power to be represented. It is for this reason
that we immediately summon a freely elected Assembly.
We do not attribute to ourselves any other privilege
than that of giving our soul and our blood to our country,
and we abide by its sovereign judgment. -It is, there-
fore, not authority reposed in us for a day. It is immortal
France uprising before Prussia ---,France divested
of the shroud of the Empire, free, genbrous, and ready to
immolate herself for right and liberty, disavowing all
political conquest, all violent propaganda, having no
other ambition than to remain mistress of herself, to de-
velope her moral and material forces, and to work fra-
ternally with her neighbours for the progress of civilisa-
tion. It is that France which, left to her free action,
immediately asks the cessation of the war, but prefers its
disasters a thousand times to dishonour. Vainly do those
who set loose a terrible scourge try now to escape the
crushing responsipility by falsely alleging that they
yielded to the wish of the country. This calumny may
delude people abroad, but there is no one among us who
does not refute it as a work of revolting bad faith.
"The motto of the elections in 1869 was peace
and liberty, and the Plebiscite itself adopted it as its pr.o-
eramme. It is true that the majority of the Legislative
Body cheered the warlike declarations of the Duke
de Gramont ; but a few weeks previously it
had also cheered the peaceful declarations of M. 011ivien
A majority emanattng from personal power believed
itself obliged to follow docilely, and voted trustingly.
But there is not a sincere person in Europe who could
affirm that France, freely consulted, made war against
Prussia. Ido not draw the conclusion from this that we
are not responsible. We have been wrong, and are cruelly
expiating our having tolerated a Government which led
us to ruin. Now we admit the obligation to repair in
a measure of justice the ill it has done. But, if the
Power with which it has so seriously compromised us
takes advantage of our misfortunes to overwhelm us, we
shall oppose a desperate resistance ; and it will remain
well understood that it is the nation, properly represented
in a freely elected Assembly, that this Power wishes to
destroy.
" This being the question raised, each one will do his
duty. Fortune has been hard with us, but she has
unlooked-for revulsions, which our determination will
call forth. . Europe begins to be moved, and sympathy
for us is being re-awakened. The sympathies of foreign
Cabinets console us, and do us honour. They will be
deeply struck by the noble attitude of Paris, in the
midst of so many redoubtable causes for excitement.
Serious, confident, ready fox the utmost sacrifices, the
nation in arms descends into the arena without looking
back, and having before its eyes this simple but great duty
-7-tixe defence of its homes and independence.
"I request you, sir, to enlarge upon these truths to the
representative of the Government to which you are at-
credited. He will see their importance, and will thus
obtain a just idea of our disposition."
The Ambassadors of Austria and England, and the
Charge d'Affaires of Russia, left Paris on Saturday moil-
ing for Tours, in order to be able to keep up uninterrupted
intercourse with their Governments. They will net
cease to be in communication with the Minister for
Foreign Affairs. in Paris. The Ministers of the United
States, Belgium, and Switzerland have informed M. Jules
Fevre that they will remain with him.

RUSSIA AND FRANCE.

ST. PETERSBURG-, SEPT. 17.

The Journal de St. Petersbourg of to-day, in an
article upon the best means for bringing about a
conclusion of peace, says that France must not
oppose the demolition of her fortresses. The
conscience of Europe and the civilised world
declares that her honour does not require her to
expose herself for. such a cause to fresh catastrophes.
In the Constituent Assembly there will be found
men to say :—We will not refuse to have our
fortresses destroyed, for that course will, after our
misfortunes, seal a pact of reconciliation and mutual
respect, the bravery of the French soldiers having
been openly acknowledged by the enemy.
The article adds :

"If the French had been vieforious, would they
have been satisfied with a pecuniary indemnity F A
sincere answer could only be in the negative."