The Sun.
London, England, 1866-08-08 00:00:00

CORRESPONDENCE FROM PARIS.

(FRO3I OUR OWN CORRESPONDENT.)
PARIS, Tuesday Evening.
Peace seems to be considered as an " accom-
plished fact." The only question appears to be in
what locality the great and important treaty will
be signed. Some say that the signature will take
place at Carlsbad. Another supposition is that
the treaty will be signed at Prague. The spot
does not much matter. What is positive is that
the private negotiations respecting the future fate
of the Southern States of Germany will take place
at Berlin, at which city M. de Pfordten, Minister
of Foreign Affairs at Munich, and M. de Bray,
Minister Plenipotentiary from Bavaria to Austria,
have already arrived. In spite of the altered and
pacific appearance of affairs, the Austrian and
Prussian organs indulge in mutual recriminations,
and each allege violations of the armistice. As a

specimen of these bitter reclamations I may men-
tion that a Prussian journal of influence alludes to
Austrian proclamations calling upon the inhabitants
of countries in the rear of the Prussian troops to
exterminate them by all possible means. The paper
adds its belief that it was the Austrian Government
which excited these murderous guerilla operations
against the Prussian troops. In conclusion, the
Prussian journal says :—" Until we have positive
proof of the participation of the Austrian Govern-
ment in these enterprises we shall abstain from
giving a positive opinion. But what is certain is
that from the moment when the armistice was
agreed to the Austrian Government ought to have
used every endeavour to prevent its subjects from
impeding by a private war the march of the nego-
ciations in progress."
M. Baroche, the Keeper of the Seals and Minister
of Public Worship, has addressed a circular to the
archbishops and bishops, requesting them to order
a solemn Te Deum, followed by a prayer for the
Emperor, in the churches of their respective dio-
ceses on the 15th inst., the day of his Majesty's fete,
after the parochial mass. The circular states that
Europe, after being torn by sanguinary struggles,
has its eyes fixed upon France, waiting the result
of a generous mediation where pacific councils will
prevail. The populations will assemble upon the
feast of the Assumption to call the Divine protec-
tion upon his Majesty and also upon the Empress,
" who gathers in affectionate devotion the fruits of
heroic charity, and will join in prayers for the im-
perial Prince, who learns daily from august example
the duties which high doctrines impose upon him."
M. Drouyn de l'Huys, the Minister of Foreign
Affairs, yesterday distributed at the Sorbonne the
prizes to the pupils at the Lyceums and Colleges of
Paris and Versailles. The Minister made a simple
but impressive address to the pupils, on which he
insisted upon the importance and advantage of the
study of ancient languages, and the knowledge of
the works of ancient writers. " The Church," he
said, " supported the tradition as well as the Uni-
versities ; that was the best discipline to be observed
by the better portion of the rising generation.
Oxford agreed with our Sorbonne in this, and from
the north to the south of Germany upon this ques-
tion Ido not see any conflict. In antique letters
there was a secret virtue which acted upon modern
nations." M. Drouyn de l'Huys enforced his argu-
ment by referring to the Empror in these eloquent
terms—" In the midst of events which threatened
to overthrow Europe, a tutelar genius appeared,
and, hovering above the storms, restored serenity.
" Celsa sedet .olus arcs,
Sceptra tenens, mollitque animos et temperat iras."
By what regime was this calm and vigorous spirit
formed ? Was it not initiated by the profound
study of the annals of antiquity which taught the
art of governing men and things. Did not the
pen, which has just traced the preliminaries of
peace, write the ' Life of Csar?' Happy the
young Prince, who, finding at the same time a model
in the acts and a lesson in the writings of his august
father, is preparing himself to show one day to a
generation of which you are the elder—

" ' Quid mei; cite, quid indoles,
Nutrita faustis sub penetralibus
Possit.' "

The speech was received with applause and great
enthusiasm. The proceedings commenced by a
speech in Latin from M. Aderer, Professor of Rhe-
toric. The subject was the abuse of literary
criticism.

A widow lady, named Durantel, residing at
Roanne, has just died in her 103 d year. She was
in the possession of nearly all her faculties, and
appeared to be much younger than she was in reality.
She was born on the Bth of May, 1763, under the
reign of Louis XV. A sailor named Joseph Cabu-
chet, who was recently decorated by the Emperor,
is nearly 100 years old. He was born on the 27th
of May, 1767, and entered as a volunteer on board
the ship Seduisent on the 10th of May, 1784.
We are decidedly getting into the " sere and
yellow leaf." At six o'clock this morning the wind
was piercingly cold. About eleven the sun shone
brightly, and the heat was excesssive. Only an hour
afterwards the rain fell heavily, and it continued to
rain with but little intermission until the time when
my letter was posted.

The Journal des Debats, in commenting upon the
speech of the King of Prussia at the opening of the
Chambers, refers to the passage in which the King
says that the Government engaged in the war as an
absolute necessity in the interest of the country.
"We have no intention," says the Debats, "to
justify the conduct of the Pruasian Government. It is
certain that M. de Bismarck and his master rushed,
without consulting the country, into a perilous enter-
prize. 'That enterprize succeeded, but it might have had
a most pernicious result, and what terrible responsi-
bility would have fallen in that case upon those who
convened it. Success, however, leads to pardon and
forgetfulness for many things, and it is not probable
that the Chamber will be hard upon the Govern-
ment in the presence of facts accomplished with such
andwhicThhheainvteerreessutlotfedpirnustshiae
r are
aggrandisementgood
fortune,
of
Prussia.
onfilltbbee tpoeogpivlees with satisfaction
ntostbhoe
isl aiberbaolutto aspirationsannex
herself."

The ironclad French squadron has anchored in
the gulf of Juan.

MUNIFICENT DONATION TO THE LIVERPOOL
CHARITIES.—We understand that the sum of £30,000 is
beque.lthed is the will of the late Mr. J. Hamilton, of
Ventnor, Isle of Wight, to the Liverpool corporation, to be
applied to the benefit of the local charities. The bequest
s subject to a life interest in the property on the part of
Miss Hamilton, the sister of the deceased, who is 60 years
of age.