The Press.
London, England, 1854-09-16 00:00:00

should wait for Austria. When Mr. DISRAELI,
on the 20th of February, called upon Minis-
ters to demand from Austria and Prussia a
distinct and categorical declaration of their
intentions in the coming contest, Lord PAL-
MERSTON replied with the ambidextral as-
surance that if war was inevitable " Austria
" and Prussia would not remain idle or pas-
" sive spectators of the conflict." The result
showed that war was inevitable ; and, with
these anticipations as to Austria unfulfilled,
war was declared.
Still it was expected that " she would see
" her own true olicy, and be mindful of her
" best interests"; and thus went on a period
of hourly expectation on the part of the nation,
and hourly procrastination on the part of the
Ministry. At length, on the 19th of June,
Lord LYNDHURST gave, more suo, a resume of
the history of events, and denounced the cant
of " confidence " in the good faith of Russia;
and Lord CLARENDON had only to reply that it
was Austria's interest to join us :
After the philippic (be said) of my noble friend against
" confidence," 1 am almost afraid to venture on a declare.
tion of any confidence in Austria. • • • • * Sbe
believed that her wishes and her interests would not be
disregarded by Russia, and that the Emperor of Russia
would not turn a deaf ear to her entreaties (1 ). She did
not think that the Emperor of Russia would abandon his
conservative character, and be himself the disturber of the
peace of Europe.

The truth, then, is, that we have been com-
pelled, by the policy of Lord ABERDEEN—
whose belief in the " conservative " desires of
Russia was so often pointed out, ipsissimis
verbia, in the PRESS—tO wait for Austrian
co-operation, we now see with what result.
While Austria was holding out these hopes
she entered on a separate and distinct nego.
tiation with Turkey for occupying the Princie
palities with her troops, and establishing
her Protectorate in them. This negotiation
could not have been unknown to our Govern.
ment, though it was unknown to the county
until the announcement that a treaty to early
out the object contemplated had been signed.
By this diplomatic success, Austria removed
the war from her own frontier, and obtained a
position which would give her immense ad.
vantages, whatever course she might find it
expedient to adopt in future. It is admitted
that she alone has profited by the hostilities
of which the allies bear the burden; and we
are entitled to know by what extraordinary
diplomacy it has happened that she has been
enabled to constantly prompt the action of
our Government to her own advantage, and
to delude it with merely vague expectations of

assistance.
Contrasting all the assurances given by our
Ministers of their reliance on Austria with the
result obtained, what can be thought of the
statesmanship which could thus make itself
the willing victim of deception? That time
which was on our part wasted in purposeless
negotiation enabled Austria to secretly achieve
her ends, and Russia to complete her pre-

parations.
Our Ministerial press, which so vehemently
denounced the policy of Prussia, has little to
say on the attitude assumed by the Court of
Vienna, yet the policy of the former has been
by far the most open and consistent. One
reason may be that Lord ABZEDIEN still
fondly looks to Austria to assist him in
continuing his miserable game of subterfuge
and delay. The interest and honour of the
country are sacrificed ; the safety of its fleets
and armies compromised ; that he, with the