The Sun.
London, England, 1870-07-21 00:00:00

LONDON, lIIURSDAY, JULY 21, 1870.

SIMULTANEOUSLY with the proclamation of Eng-
land's neutrality there was witnessed on Tuesday
morning in the Irish capital a most disgraceful demon-
stration. The London Gazette was announcing to
the world, in the name of the Sovereign of these
realms, the determination of her Majesty's
Government to observe a strict and impar-
tial neutrality between the belligerent Powers—
with each of whom, " we are on terms of friendship
and amicable intercourse," said the Proclamation—
when, in front of the French Consul's residence in
Dublin there was being enacted by some twenty
thousand excited persons, a demonstration of frantic
sympathy with France, which was nothing less than
a direct outrage to the Prussian King and his Govern-
ment. As it happened, this display of enthusiasm was
in direct contravention of the law, as it was at the
very moment being announced through the
official organ. Of that circumstance the Dublin
rabble were of course at the' time in ignorance. They
were there in front'of the French Consulate, uncog-
nisant of the contents of the damp copies of the
Gazette, just issued from the press, in which the Pro-
clamation of Neutrality appeared in extenso ! A royal
proclamation, in the course of which her MAIESTY,
by and with the advice of her Privy Council,
strictly charges and commands all her loving sub-
jects "to govern themselves accordingly "—that is, by
every means in their power to. observe the strict and
impartial neutrality which is enjoined. In flagrant
violation of all which, the multitude of insensate
Irishmen, assembled on Tuesday evening, ap-
peared with drums and trumpets in the streets
of Dublin, bearing in the midst of them a tricolour
draped with orange and green; and, having gathered
to the number of some 20,000 in front of the French
Consulate, there went through the ill-advised
absurdity of this outrageous political demonstration.
" Partant pour la Syria " was played—" France
the pioneer of liberty" was cheered—and although,
the police got into collision with the ringleaders
only a few of the drums were broken, not a single
arrest was made; and, after the mob had been addressed
by one or two incendiary speakers, the bands were
allowed to parade the streets of the
Irish metropolis, followed by immense crowds
cheering lustily. Now, all this is in the highest
degree ridiculous to begin with, but, in the next
place, it is flagrantly indecorous and reprehensible.
Henceforth, the Proclamation of Neutrality having
been formally published, any public display of this
kind must necessarily be suppressed as directly in
violation of the solemn and authoritative injunctions
of the Sovereign.

Being, as we are and as the proclamation expli-
citly states, on terms of friendship and amicable rela-
tions with the two belligerent powers, now con-
fronting each other along the frontier line at which
their territories are conterminous, it is discreditable to
ourselves when any demonstration like that of Tuesday
evening at Dublin is tolerated—we will not for
an instant say by the authorities themselves, but
by the more rational part of the surrounding
population. While it was designed of course as
a display of sympathy and good feeling towards
France, it was a direct and flagrant outrage in regard
to Prussia. Our course henceforth must, between
the belligerents, be, as far as is in any
way possible, equable and even-handed. They
are both of them our allies. We have no quarrel
with either. They are contending, it is true, in
opposition to our most earnest wishes and advice,
and in despite of our most strenuous efforts, to bring
about, even at the eleventh hour, their most desirable
reconciliation. TENNIEL'S masterly cartoon in the
current number of Punch, however, exactly and
most aptly and terribly depicts the situation. It
is a duel a outrance—a duel fiercely sought
but long delayed. Sword in hand and stripped for
the encounter, the antagonists confront each other.
Britannia, as befits her, endeavours as peacemaker
to interpose ! The Emperor, with impatient polite-
ness, saying to her, " Pray stand back, Madam ; you
mean well, but it is an old family quarrel
and must be fought out." As becomes the
dignity of a great neutral power—at the least we
need not strive to embitter the quarrel in which we
have no participation, maintaining throughout, to the
utmost possible extent, the bearing and aspect
of profoundly interested but strictly impartial
spectators.

AIR. DISRAELI has been wounded in the house of
his friends. Blackwood was the first to fall upon
the author of " Lothair." The Quarterly is hardly
less severe. In the number just issued the more
solid organ of Toryism pours the vinegar of its
criticisms into the wounds made by Mr.
DISRAELI'S almost savage assailant in the
monthly press. The Quarterly reviewer says
that " ' Lothair ' is a failure." " It was hardly worth
the while of the leader of a great political party in
the State to write a book which has been as sour
grapes in the teeth of all the Roman Catholicsin the
land." Mr. DISRAELI has " derided them in a book
which he calls a novel, but which is, after
all, a political pamphlet, and a bid for
the bigoted voices of Exeter Hall." "It sins alike
against good taste and justice." " Lothair " is " a
goose." Lady CORISANDE is "an aristocratic doll."
The book is thoroughiy "unnatural." It contains
" a vast maze of verbiage which can seldom be called
English, and very frequently is downright nonsense."
"So far as feeling is concerned ' Lothair' is dull as