The Sun.
London, England, 1870-10-08 00:00:00

THE ATTACK UPON PARIS.

For a few days longer, observes the Standard, the
German armies will content themselves with the invest-
ment of Paris. The attack is postponed until all the
siege artillery set free by the surrender of Toul
and Strasburg can be placed in position, and it
can be made, as the German accounts phrase it, with
overpowering strength. A date is even fixed—with
what warrant we cannot tell—for the commencement of
the bombardment, and a term assigned—a very short one—
to the endurance of the besieged. The King of Prussia,
so the tale runs, means to spare Germany anniversaries.
The capture of Paris is to be celebrated in the Fatherland
at the same time as the battle of Leipsic. That battle
commenced on the 16th of October, and lasted
three days. The attack upon Paris, therefore, is
to commence on the 16th, and to end on the 19th at tho
latest, in the surrender or occupation of the French
capital. We should not be disposed to attribute to King
William such expectations or intentions, and we only
repeat the story because it puts with some clearness the
extent of the respite allowed Paris, and—what we
wish to lay stress upon—the time, the precious time,
which the other Powers of Europe still have,
and ought to employ, to prevent an attach which,
whatever its end, must cause devastation and
slaughter which will remain an eternal reproach to the
vaunted civilisation and humanity of the nineteenth
century. The bombardment of Paris will certainly
not commence for a week. In that week, if there were
the will to interpose, the Governments of the neutral
Powers might possibly succeed in bringing about some peace
and preventing a wholesale slaughter and ruin which are not
likely to have the slightest effect in accelerating the termi-
nation of the struggle. Grant that the attempt may appear
almost hopeless, it ought to be made. If England,
Russia, Austria, and Italy could concert together to
remain neutral and enter into formal engagements
to that effect, they surely ought to be able to concert
together to enforce upon Prussia moderation, and to
urge upon France a fair recognition of her position,
assuming she should not be ready to admit the dangers
of a continuance of the war. Why cannot some combined
action be taken in that direction ? Why should the
Powers of Europe crouch under the menaces of German
newspapers and English newspapers inspired by German
officials ?

.SILVER. CRADLE FO n THE MAYORESS OF CHESTER.
—The Mayoress of Chester, Mrs. F% A. Dickson, in ac,
cordance with an old custom, has been presented with a
silver cradle, she having given birth to a I.•ny during the
mayoralty of her husband. The cradle was subscribed
for by the citizens, and it way, presented to Mrs. Dickson
on behalf of the donors by the Marquis of Westminster
at a large public meeting, held in the Town-hall. Mr.
Dickson's is the first mayoralty during which the old
custom has been observed at Chester.

A commanding officer of volunteers, commenting
on Lord Elcho's last letter (an abstract of which we have
published) deprecates the difference between the volun-
teers and the militia. " If," he says, " volunteers con
tinue to exist, they must be much less volunteers -than
heretofore, and all class distinction between them and the
army and reserve forces should be utterly discountenanced,
and, as far as possiblo, put an end to. Our object should
be to associate all ranks and classes in the pursuit of min-
tary training and efficiency."