The Press.
London, England, 1854-12-30 00:00:00

`PR kFil§fg

""":11' •"; f19111(lit
(From s Correspondent.)

"Li Prusse," said Napoleon 1., "est toujours egoiato
4otkionre fauitie et menteuse." Charles James Fox.
'etpinssed hiniself in the House of Commons without
-disguise :—" Prussia la a compound of everythilg
that is contemptible in servility, with everything
that is odious in rapacity." Such was the, general
estimate of Prussian moral at the heianning of Ow
pre lent century. •
i • ' •-.
The Prucze were of a Wendo-Gotlno extraotton,'
dwelling on the coast of the Beano between .the
Vistula and the Niemen, and were Christianised by.
the Teutonic knights whose possessions formed the ,
basis of the NI: sedan monarchy. Frederick of Nu-
remberg—a 'stifles of the Hohenzollern family in
Suabia—porcha.sed tho Margravate of Brandenburg
irten the Etriyiet.dr SlgisMund In, 1415, and' ill 1417
Male Elector .and Archchatuberlain of the
, Mao Empire in Germany. In IAU,I the
by of Pouts was added to the Suite by mar-
riage, and in 1701 the Elector Fretierick.lll.-cruesed
himself and consort with the permission of the,
' Emperor Leopold: • It was simply a Prussian tip
-Wititheut 'the' eokii4ent of Butepe, mid the price to be
paid' 'fcir ' 5 , t peilni-Nion—the issistanee of 'the
neopoollEl.o.'n the Emperor ai4tisc the Spaniards
—wao.o,t ' ' i.ii etually (110tharge4, ' This:, tranaition
from au • 40titto 4k. a,linoluopcb,y. Tv, ,a , dextrous
~ jogglery p me d. upon, s..tiottovernse Itturope, ,The
. King Frederick William Illou the. ally .ot -141fileul,
was the first -to recognise the Empator Napoleon ih
despite of such. alliance ;and in the mune years ltd, i
he entered 'into a secret treaty with -Ituitsia- again*
Napoleon. In 18115 the Kingsf 'Prtniiiitt VeAtttitts
Co operatewith the Emperor Alexia/let; Mid' rattle.
a treaty offensive and dtitensive with 't*oe, tii 04►
hesti inaiog of November in the same year, it,p7s,,' 00
Emperor .Alexauder having repairv-d to Berilh, th+
Sovereigns agreed upon and signed arompact forthwith
to commence hostilities against France. In the mid-
dle of the very same month of November the King of
Prussia again sent to Napoleon to make fresh terms;
and on the last day of that memorable November he
privately- consented, byspother end distinct stipula-
tion with Russia, to make hitt:initiate war upon
France. It is hardly possible to nonCerive such stolid '
and, fohl treaehery--yet 'so it ways.Tho battle of
• Austerlitz was gained. Frederick:William sent the
Baron Haugwitz to congratulate NaTio/eion,,and to
demand, as the wages of his Ler:Owl:nation against
the legitimate powers of Europe, the annexation of
Hanover to his dominions, which belonged to his
ancient ally of England.- This was-conceded. '4e
' King Once more betrayed the French Etnperor, Se
well as his ancient ally of England ; and the .battle
of Jena ptioished his. pe,rittly, Ey this righteous
visitation upon deceit aMI dislioneux Pruaaialosther
army, her,capital, and her kingdom, excepting Prussia
proper. The peace of 'Tilsit, through the interces-
sion of Alexander, restored • large portion of the
territories, and• afterwards, by the Convention of
Berlin, Napoleon remitted the war debt, sod withdrew
his troops from the Prussian fortresses. The King
Frederick William 111. was grateful for this kindness
ecetirding to his own code of faith and honour; Mid,
to prove his just appreciation, iustantly made com-
mon cause against Napoleon with tie allies of legi-
timacy. To moralise upon such transactious would
..be.e. waste of time. • .
•Theeame Punk policy has been pursued by Pres-
- sin iu a more moent-day with fatal consistency. In
her subtle restwenvres for the Imperial emelt' of
Germany, she upheld Schleswig and Hol.-telli in
revolt against their legitimate Sovereign. With an
' affected moderation she declined the proffered crowo,
„yet declared in an official note sent to the Frankfort
Ministry that " Prussia, with the consent of the
German Governments, is ready to undertake any
task that Germany may impose upon it." Thereupon
the German National Assembly elected the King of
Prussia " Hereditary Emperor of the Llermans."
• The Ozer, birsever' had been thoroughly informed
Of the Intrigues of his Prnsilan brother.iu-lati, by
his ether brotkier-ielaw the King of M'irtemburg,
and ,he explained to Ftederiek William 14, after
the Russiin fashion, the difference betwixt a menial
anti a tree agent. Nicholas I. would not permit a
rival either in power or title. The offer of the im-
perial crown of Clersitany wag made on March 28,
1849, and, after having received the order of his
master, the vassal declined the imperial investiture
on April 20.
The Kieg of Pressie is also brotherinlaw of the
late King of Bavaria Stud uncle of the tensest Sove-
reign. With his nepheiv he made a fenny arrange
silent, on September 8, 1849, to declare Mr linperial
etnistitntion, with Prussia forks head. Agernst this
attempt to deprive Athorie of Ker heteditary power in
Germany the latter fisrmally M•otested, and denied
poblioly and etheially the right smarmed by Prlissla
to make in operate ..illiiitide with the kings and
princes of Germany in her own favour and at the
expeNs ot Atistria. The eonte4t of Germanic rik.al-
ii ..ts was' still rife *heti Fritter,' *ad 13bogititta dedlkrtd ,
par against Russia...,,. , ~, I .I„,- ~(I 1..,