The Portland daily press., 1870-07-19
THE WAR ON THE CONTINENT.
THE DuPIIcIIY OF THE FRENCH GOVERN
MENT BOLD SPEECH OF NJ. THIERs-FRANCE
AND PUBLIC OPINION.

New York, July 1S.-Mr. Smalley tele-
graphs to the Tribune from London that the
reports of Fridays debate in the Corps Legls-
latif by telegraph were no better than carica-
lures. After the Duke de Grammont's dec!ar-
alton, demand was made for The dispatches
and NJ. Olivier, after refusing to give them,
was compelled to admit that France had hnal-
ly declared war on account OF the Prusslan dis
patch communicating to the European courts
the Kings refusal to receive the French am
bassador, and that this Dispatch thus made the
basis of war, had not been seen by any French
minister The Government had in tact de-
cared war on what purported to be an abstract
of that dispatch supplied by Erench spies,
whose names were withheld When the war
was announced the Lett refused to join IN tne
shouts of the majority. When the majority
voted an extra war credit of 500, O00,OoO francs
the Left again sat silent. The majority tnere-
upon began vehement alteration. NJ. AuieTs,
after declaring his PATRIOTIC %a H r9
nobody will grant to the Government more
readily than the means of conquerlng. Our
duty is to reflect. The resolution you have
Just adopted is the death OF thousands OF men,
For one instant, beseech you, to reflect. Be-
think YOU of May 8, 1866. You refused then to
hear ME, when 1 sought to show you what was
to happen. Let that recollection persuade you
now. The principal demand of the Govern
ment has been conceded. My conscience tells
me fulfil duty in resisting the imprudent
passions and responding solely the countrys
interest. You are shedding torrents OF blood
for the question of form. I ask for the dis
patches upon which the resolution for war has
been adopted. regard this war as an impru-
dence and its occasion as i'll chosen"
After the dispatches had been repeatedly de-
manded and refused, M. Olivier said 81 will
read two dispatches, but not the signatures, for
our agents would be sent away" He then read
part Of one dispatch confirming the refusal Of
King William to receive the French ambassa-
Il and fxuyo dscna fn1,a frov,, &c
abroad giving the substance of Bismarck's cir
cuar. The circular itself NJ. Olivier did not
pretend TO produce He concluded by saying:
1--WE go to war with light heart ard confident
in our army. We will tell the whole truth.
What we could not endure was the semi official
communication to all Europe Of the rejection
of our ambassador, and all the more signifi-
cant because done in the most courteous
terms"
Mr.. Theirs again said EFT is to blunder
that we owe war. Prussia ought to have been
attacked when she desired to unite the Ger
man States. Then it would have been legiti-
mate, and we would have been sustained. I
blamed Sadowa at the time. To-day the world
demands legitimate complaints. Prussia also
has committed great fault in negotiating
with Spain; yet Prussia wished peace, and we
have war If we had still to require the re-
nunciation of the Hohenzollern candidature
should be with you; but now that we have OBJ
tanned that we demand something else. You
in form and substance both, yet you say Prus-
STA has not yielded in form and we have been
insulted. Public opinion will turn against us.
The journals of Europe will be against us.
Prussia never would have resumed this candi-
dature. 1t would have been madness"
The special further says that no one word of
this speech was allowed to reach England by
telegraph. There has been systematic effort
to deceive Europe about public opinion in
France respecting the war, and to deceive
ahArt ft,o spso &c Erro TI,a
press censorship was never more active and I'M
scrupulous. In spite of its first wavering the
English press now without exception charges
France with the responsibility for war. Duke
de Grammonts statement with all its false
hoods imposes on nobody The interview be-
tween Count Benedetti and the King is per-
fectly understood u premeditated insult by
Benedict and violation of every diplomatic
usage, while Prussia's digni6ed attitude under
repeated provocations has won her the sympa-
thy of Europe.
The Prussian army is concentrated at Treves
Cour and Mayence. Austria is forming mill
tary camp on the frontier of Prussia. The
| stock markets in London and Liverpool were
| purely nominal yesterday. There are no gen.
uine transactions. The panic arises from the
rumor that the Emperor of Russia pronounces
| in favor of Prussia and mobilizes the Russian
army. This rumor paralyzes everything. All
the Prussian merchant vessels in British ports
will remain and their crews are returning
home. Many of the German GOLFERS have been
ordered to remain lest their cargoes fall into
the hands of the French.
THE ENGLISH PRESS.
The London Times expects to be obliged to
chronicle Prussian reverses at first, owing to
the superior preparations and efficiency of the
French army. Prussia needs at least another
fortnight to get altogether in readiness. II
| also says that France, without the shadow Of
an excuse, plunges Europe into a war, of which
no person living may see the end.
The Morning Post says that any violation Of
Belgian territory ends England's neutrality.
The American Government is to be urged to
send the mails, now carried by the North Ger
man and French steamers, under neutral
flag.
From dispatches later than the above we Sc
France has sent threatening message to the
Governments of the South German States, de-
manding of them within twenty-four hours a
Uhofh vonffI nrr