The Sun.
London, England, 1870-09-10 00:00:00

ENGLISH INTERVENTION ON BEHALF OF PEACE.

The Daily News remarks that some of our countrymen
who reside in Paris express in strong language a feeling
which is by no means wanting here, that
all the Neutral Powers are bound to inter-
fere at this stage, and give the King of Prussia to
understand that having advanced far enough, he
ought to take a money compensation for the lives
of his soldiers, and return by the way he came. " What,'
it is asked, "is the English Government about? Have
we no influence ? and when will the moment for media-
tion arrive if it has not already come ?" These questions
are most serious, and cannot be too well pondered
by those who have the honour of England and
the permanent peace of Europe at heart. Un-
duubtedly diplomacy, and English diplomacy in particular,
has an important duty to perform at this conjuncture.
Our statesmen will be inexcusable if they do not watch
this contest with the utmost vigilance to discover the
earliest possible moment when they can intervene amicably
between the' belligerents with a prospect of success. In all
wars there comes, sooner or later, a time when events have
unmistakably indicated the road to peace, but when one
or both of the States at war is withheld from entering
upon it by considerations and feelings which it is impossible
not to respect, but which require to be brought into
harmony with solid interests. At such a time a Neutral
Power, which has so acted as not to have
forfeited the confidence of either belligerent, may step in
between them both, and by a delicate but decided use of
its moral authority may facilitate a peace for which the
way has been prepared. If such a course is open to Earl
Granville at the present moment, there is not an English-
man who will not rejoice to hear that he has entered upon

it with energy, and hope that he may prosecute it to full

success.

THE WAR.

PARIS PREPARING FOR A SIEGE.

PARIS, THURSDAY.
It is certain that Paris will defend herself, and it is
significant that the Republican Government finds
in the more democratic quarters of Paris a
hearty support in the defence of the city,
which was altogether wanting to the empire. The ouvriers
of St. Antoine were less docile than the January Cabinet.
The story is told that when the fatal declaration
of war against Prussia was put to the vote
the voices were equally divided. They were four
to four, the Minister of Foreign Affairs himself being in
favour of peace. The difficulty was solved by Emile
011ivier, who after having always advocated peace voted
for war, in obedience to a signal from the Emperor. This
was consistent in the gentleman who at first opposed the
plebiscite but afterwards supported it, though neither he
nor his master are much the better for his docility at pre-
sent. The situation b serious enough.
The Prussian troops are crossing the frontier in large

numbers. There will be at least 600,000 men on French
territory before the end of the week. Those now en route
are the Landwehr, soldiers who have already served, and
the French levies now called for will scarcely be able to con-
tend with them. The Prussians opened the campaign with
• troops from Bavaria, Baden, and Wurtemburg, and yet
the flower of the French army was beaten. This cannot
be taken altogether as a test of the respective military
capacities of the two nations, for the only wonder is the
French could fight at all under such generalship, or lack
of generalship, as they suffered from. At Sedan, it is
said, the want of ammunition was such that it was neces-
sary to menage the firing, while the iron rain of the
Prussia:as poured into the French ranks with-
out ceasing. It was the Prussian artillery that
carried the day. General Cluseret has, it is said,
informed the Provisional Government that, should the
war be prolonged, America can supply France with a large
quantity of excellent arms. The General has addressed

an animated letter to the Marseillaise, urging the

people to resistance and blaming the government for de-
liberating instead of acting. He offers them himself now
one thousand cannons and one hundred thousand guns,
and three times as many if they will appeal to America,
and charges them not to continue under the Republic the
fatal system of disarmament. The Soir, in quoting this
letter, asks the General to be a little more specific as to
the whereabouts of these arms. The sympathy of
the Americans is confidently reckoned upon by
the French, who hope for a joint intervention on
their behalf by Russia and the United States. The
Journal de St. Petersburg states that the Imperial Cabinet
has officially declared that it will make every effort to
localise the war, and bring about a durable peace, but the
Russian Government will not allow any interference with
its liberty of action.
The Soir says that it has suggested some precautions to
the Government for the National Defence with respect to
the waterworks of Paris, and that it would pow call
attention to the woods—Chantilly, St. Germain, Razain-
vine, &c.—which, unless speedily destroyed, offer
excellent retreats for the Uhlans, those furious
devastators, who will try to cut the telegra-
phic lines and the provincial communications long
before the greater part of the Prussian army can arrive
at the ramparts. Of what avail will be the cannons
of the forts of Aubervilliers and the Couronne de
l'Est before the woods of Clancart and Bondy. If these
necessary precautions are not adopted, the authorities will
be trifling with the affair, and rendering useless the heroic
dispositions of the Parisian population. L'Avenir
National has published an animated address to the Re-
public, by George Sand. In this she declares
that the Republic has risen again from its
ashes, and come to life for the fourth time, This
proves that Repuhlicanism -is the normal state, and the
state desired by the human mind, It• is the inevitable
goal of the prodigious work of humanity. Rochefort has
written to the Con-stitutipund to say that at the very time
when all contrary opinions should agree, and' all the
citizens be united against the enemy, an. odious article
has appeared in the 43/m.Bd/fa/se, meaning General
Cluseret's letter entitled " The Reaction." It is a f
veritable call to civil war, and he wishes to remind
the public that he has nothing whatever to do with the
paper. The Constit-ationnel says that the fall of the
Imperial Government has completely changed the rela-
tions of France and Prussia. The Tower which was
denounced by the King of Prussia has fallen, and if he
will renounce the idea of conquest it will be easy to conclude
a permanent peace. There is no lasting cause of enmity
between the two nations, and Germany can pursue her ,
own course in peace, while France, in the development
Qf liberty and the progress of civilisation, may find works
of more consequence than those of military triumpher
The Liberte calls attention to the fact that during the
pad century, from the death of Louis the Fifteenth, six
sovereigns, four kings and two emperors, have ruled
France, without mentioning Louis the Seventeenth and
Napoleon the Second, who merely ruled nominally.
Only one of these princes, Louis the Eighteenth, died on
the throne. It may be observed that the sway of
Louis Philippe and that of Napoleon the Third was of
nearly the same duration, Louis Philippe having reigned
from 1830 to 1848, and the Emperor Napoleon from 1852
to 1870, the Emperor, however, having been head of
the State previously from 1848 to 1852 as Presi-
dent. The audacity of the Prussians in Paris is said
to be great, and mention has been made of the conduct of
a concierge, who on the receipt of the intelligence of
MacMahon's defeat which was so distressing to the
Parisians, had the bad taste to illuminate two windows
of the first floor which belonged to the apartments then
unoccupied.

THE NORTH GERMAN PRESS ON THE
WAR.

The National Gazette maintains that the proclamation
of the Republic in France must not arrest the course of
the Prussian army.
The North German Gazette, a semi-official organ, states
that the French Republic is due to the errors of the late
administration, which concealed the truth from the people
and buoyed it up with false hopes.

The Gazette de to Croix, a feudal organ, declares that
the French nation shares tho responsibility of the war,
and that it was entered upon not only by the wish of
Napoleon, but with the concurrence of the Parliamentary
Ministers and the Parliamentary Chambers.
The Dresden News, writing before the surrender of
Napoleon, says that he wishes to re-enter Paris with the
German bayonets, and that the Germans for their part
can gain better terms from him than 'from the Provisional
Government.

The Arenir of Berlin, a democratic organ, says that the
capture of Napoleon is the first contretemps that the Pruis-
sian army has met with in its triumphant course.
Could they not have contrived an incognito for him, and
have sent him to the nearest French outport ? The last
news is that Russia will propose a European Congress,
and, with all respect to their rulers, they do not expect
that they will conclude a peace with France without the
co-operation of the European Powers.