The Press.
London, England, 1855-02-10 00:00:00

FEBRUARY 10, 1855.

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FRANKFORT, Feb. 0.
THE letters of M. Manteuffel and M. Drouyn de
Lhuys, and the condemnation of the Orleans Ministry
of England, with an inevitable change in its policy
towards Germany, have quickened the pulse of the
"Deutscher," and the discussions at the Casino are
far more vivacious than those of the Diet in the old

palace of Thurn and Taxis. The expressions of
M. Manteuffel are construed into an excuse for a

forthcoming declaration on the part of Prussia of
being forced by the three powers to side with Russia.

Prussia insists on her right to take part in any con-
ference at Vienna without signing the treaty of
December 2; and were she to be admitted on these
terms it would be merely a consent for Russia to be
doubly represented. Her isolation at the moment
is complete, and even her partisans in the Diet are
beginning to recognise Russia as the real though
indirect combatant for Germanic ascendancy. M.
de Bismarck Shiinhausen has for some time, in pri-
vate, menaced the Austrian party, and has threatened
a war for "Hegemony "—a coined word for the
guidance of Germany under one head. He insists
on the non-interference of other nations in such con-
flict exclusively German. It would have been wiser
for him to have moderated his tone, for precisely on
this point., and in answer to that remark, M. Drouyn
de Lhuys has intimated that France will not view an
international struggle in Germany and on her con-
fines without guarding French interests which must
be directly affected, and that France will act " motu
proprio." This, in simple English, means the occu-
pation of the Rhine lands by a French army. When
the Congress of Vienna sanctioned the territorial
passage of the Rhine by the Confederation of Ger-
many, for the object of keeping France in check,
it committed a mistake, and furnished that country,
whenever it broke the fetters of subjection, with a
pretext to raise the question of the balance of power at
a moment's notice. The German princes, with their
adherents and dependents, correctly interpret the
letter of M. Drouyn de Lhuys as a reply to the
equivocal circular of M. ManteuffeL Prussia and
Bavaria are the parties mainly interested ; then
Oldenburgb, with its diminutive principality of
Birkenfeld ; and Hesse Homburg, with an allotment
of about the same size, but of less importance than
Eton and its playing-fields. In September last the
subject of the Rhine lands had been disposed of,
and, in anticipation of a possible German war, they
have been already apportioned in petto. This was
well known at Brussels. A French army occupies
the Rhine lands, if ever it may, once and for ever,
and Aix is Chapelle will fall to the lot of a wise man
who sees farther than his neighbours.
The dismissal of Lord Aberdeen by the people of
England is one of those peremptory acts that tend
to elevate the character of constitutional power with
the agents of despotism, who inveigh against the
cumbrous machinery of representative government
and its essential deficiency of immediate action. No
Government of nicely-balanced parties can be strong
within or without unless there be a concentration of
common energy upon one single point. Even with
this given property, the Casino politicians can be
overruled by the press, and they hold up the Times
as the vanquisher of Lord Aberdeen. The conduct
of Lord John Russell is severely censured from the
especial want of fair dealing. Take it in any way,
no party can ever have confidence in him personally.
His only chance now is to reiterate the Chesham-
place compact, and bid democratically high for his
old recruits.
M. de Bismarck, in his German character, pro-
pounds as a diplomatic axiom that confederated
Germany can never be in strict amity with England
whilst the " entente cordiale " with France is perfect
and substantial. With a Russian and Orleans party
the German connection might still have been pre-
served. Until very lately, and even now with the
Fiquelmont clique, such is the opinion at Vienna.
The combination that causes the most care is that of
Lord Derby and Mr. Disraeli with Lord Palmerston,
and the joy was evident when the news arrived that
the great chief of the Conservative party had failed
to form an Administration. The defeat of the Rus-
sian adherents for the present is acknowledged, as
the majority of 157 in condemnation of Germanic
policy (which is one of the gravest errors of the late
Ministry) is conclusive. It is said that, if the Roe
buck committee of the House of Commons be sin-
cere and strict in its examination, and more espe.
cially searching amongst the private records of the
Foreign-office matter of surprise and much mischief
will be forthcoming, and a clue shall not be
wanting.