The Press.
London, England, 1855-07-21 00:00:00

686

Germany has no pretext to interfere in the question
of the Black Sea, or of that appertaining to religious
toleration in Turkey. Their undi'guised animad
version upon the severity of the terms demander at
Vienna, even according to the Ausuian interpreta-
tion, ranges them against the Hapsburg empire, and
in favour of Russia. Germany is, therefore, per se,
clearly against Austria. On the other hand, Eng-
land and France have officially notified the insuffi-
ciency of the four points to satisfy their present
demands. Here, again, Austria is at pointblank
variance with the allies. M. de Buol, through his
emissaries at the Diet, has made free use of the
names of the French and English plenipotentiaries,
and hAs added another name, it may be supposed
with the consent of the same English Minister,
which has still more compromised high parties.
The Austrian Cabinet has been highly offended
with the speech of the Emperor of the French,
and explanations are vain to turn aside the deli-
berate and growing displeasure. It has found a
ready revenge in publishing in extenso the oration
of M. de Montalembert, and praising the pacific
sentiments contained therein, at the expense of
the more stringent expressions of the Imperial
manifesto, wherein the equivocal neutrality of Aus-
tria and the non-fulfilment of the December treaty
are properly censured. By the diminution of the
Austrian army on the northern frontier a large rein-
forcement of Russian troops has been despatched
for the Crimea; so that in reality Austria is directly
the cause of increasing the means of Russian war-
fare, and is affording aid in a most essential manner
absolutely contradictory of the spirit of neutrality.

The King of Saxony is amongst the most deter-
mined of the confederated princes against England.
Whether his opinion is supposed to represent the
entire house of Saxe is not stated, but the unanimity
of Germany is pretty well assured ; and the Russian
organ writes, "On pent dire que l'Allemagne unie
presenters une telle force que nous pourrons
attendre dans le plus grand calme tout ce que
l'avenir voudra decider."

The visit of the Prince of Prussia to St. Peters-
burg is said officially to be without political motive.
It would have been more prudent to have omitted
any mention of the occurrence, since it is known that
the Empress mother is seriously alarmed at the state
of affairs in Russia, public and private, social and
political. Many of the German party have taken
part in the late conspiracy, and some of the
staunchest friends of the Empress have been compro
wised. Neither have the ramifications of the secret
mano3uvres been confined to the nobles alone.
General Yermoloff has proved that the late Czar
Nicholas had cogent reasons for keeping him far
aloof from the Court. These various circumstances,
untoward and conflicting, render the position of
Russia most critical. It is perfectly untrue that
unanimity of opinion prevails at St. Petersburg in
regard to the war. Too many vital interests have
been injured to admit of such general consent.
J. E. L.

PS.—The news has arrived of the resignation of
Lord John Russell. The publication of the official
correspondence relating to the conferences has infi
nitely displeased the Austrian Cabinet. They main-
tain that it is impossible to treat with any degree of
success on delicate and important subjects with a
country wherein the liberty of the speech in Parlia-
ment, with the power to demand and to enforce the
production of secret papers, together with the liberty
of the press on all subjects, reign paramount. They
quote the speech of Prince Albert as corroborative
of this view, and say that the constitutional system
has been tried and found wanting for the higher
purposes of State policy.

AMONGST the Russian officers wounded on the 18th
of June at Sebastopol was Major-General Todtleben,
who was badly injured by a rifle ball in the calf of
his leg. This is the officer who planned and exe-
cuted the defences of Sebastopol. He is the scion
of a German family long resident at Riga. He was
a great favorite of the late Emperor, and appears to
be also in favour with the present Czar, who has just
granted him the distinction of having his name
engraved on the marble tablet in the dining-saloon
of the Military Academy, where he was educated,
on which are inscribed the names of those pupils
who, in later life, distinguish themselves by their
talents or courage in the field. In the autumn of
1854, before the commencement of the siege of
Sebastopol, Todtleben was only a simple captain of
engineers.
THE good-service pension vacant by the promotion
of Captain Michell has been bestowed by the First
Lord of the Admiralty on Captain the Hon. Henry
Keppel, who was captain of the Dido at the taking
of Woostme and Shanghae ; present at the opera-
tions in the Yangtse Kiang in 1842 ; and commanded
an expedition against a piratical force on the coast of
Borneo in 1844, and the St. Jean d'Acre in the
Baltic fleet in 1814.