The Sun.
London, England, 1870-10-03 00:00:00

RACING NOTES.

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The Sporting Gazette says that the principal portion of
Count de Lagrange's brood mares will be brought to the
haMmer at Newmarket during the Second October Meet.
ing.—Ethus was sold to Mr. Rupert before the October
Handicap on Friday, but remains in Mat Dawson's stable
for the present. The price was 5,000 guineas.—An offer
of £3,000 has been refused for Sterling since winning the
Rutland Stakes, at Newmarket, on Thursday.
Out of fifteen races in which foreign bred horses
took part at Newmarket last week, eight fell to their
share. Major Fridolin was successful with Gourbi,
Somno, and La Baronile, and the latter also won once for
M. Delatre on the same afternoon that the green jacket
figured in front of Blue Gown on Luisette.

CHARLES DICKENS'S TONIBSTONE.—Within the
last few days the plain and simple inscription on the
tombstone over Charles Dickens's grave in Westminster
Abbey has been exposed to view. Since the funeral of
the great novelist a few days after his death, the spot
where he lies buried in "Poet's Corner had distinctively
pointed itself out to strangers and others by a temporary
wooden enclosure which surrounded and protected the
wreaths which at the time of his interment were strewn
over the great author's grave. During aperiod of between
two and three months these memorials remained, being
frequently added to by the thousands of his admirers.
The faded wreaths and chaplets have just been removed,
and, strictly carrying out the injunctions contained in his
will, his tombstone now bears the following simple inscrip-
tion :--" Charles Dickens, born 7th February, 1812, died
9th June, 1870," the letters, which are in brass, being
sunk in the stone. The remains of Sheridan lie at the
I foot of Dickens's grave, with those of Johnson and
Garrick immediately adjoining, whilst they are surrounded
on the walls by memorials of Shakspere, Thomson, Gold-
smith, Handel, Gay, Southey, and others. The plain re-
cord over Dickens's last earthly rest-place is in striking
contrast to the " pomp and circumstance" with which
the genius and virtues of some of those around him are
told.

The Spectator observes that the German invasion has en-
tered on its aggressive stage. When M. Jules Favre was told
by Count, Bismarck that the " principle of territorial ces-
sion " was the sine gad, non of any peace—a principle the
meaning of which has been elucidated by the definitive
incorporation of Alsace and the so-called ".German "
Lorraine into the system of the German Federal Govern-
ment—the German war ceased to be a war of defence. It
is true that the German Minister still makes military pre-
cautions for the future his pretext. But similar
" precautions which take no sort of account of the
transfer of reluctant populations, who by Count Bis-
marck's candid confession to M. Jules Favre, will regard
their new Government as a yoke of oppression, might
always be put forward, and almost always have been
assigned, as reasons for the grossest acts of aggression.
From this moment, then, the war is aggressive on the
part of Germany, and defensive on the part of France.
No doubt it was an aggression which was to be expected,
and which France by her conduct had fairly earned. No
doubt, as human nature is constituted, great conquerors
will never stop short at the point dictated by reason and
justice. No doubt, Germany is only doing what England
in her place might have done, and what France in her
place would have not only done, but far surpassed. Still,
none the less, our sympathy with Germany must cease
from the moment when, having it in her power to secure
a glorions peace, with every guarantee except conquest,—
if conquest be a guarantee—for her own safety in future, she
determined to pursue the war for the sake of conquest alone.
The sin of the war proves, as usual, to be infectious.
Till now, asthetween the two peoples at least, it was an
undivided burden on the shoulders of France, and the
Germans were utterly guiltless. Now they are assuming
their share of the guilt, by the terms on which they insist;
and if France thinks that repentance does not involve the
surrender of her own hapless countrymen of the border,
. till Paris has at least fought and suffered, though it be in
to redeem them, that is so far a sign of the nobility
that lingers in the ,heart of France, and not a matter to
deserve our Pharisaic pity and contempt.