The Sun.
London, England, 1855-05-10 00:00:00

it is identical with that, of Poland to the Allies.
They would each have to part with their smaller
shares of the Polish robbery, but they would have
an ample reward. They, as well as Poland, would
regain their liberty. They are now both of them
tuediatised dependents on Russia. They live iu
Slavish fearof their over-grown military neighbour.
With consummate folly they have acquired only
comparatively small portions of Poland, adding little
or nothing to their strength. Russia, on the
contrary, has gained her sole military strength
against Europe by her vast seizures of Polish ter-
ritory. Poland independent would be a shield to
Austrian and Prussian independence. Poland
enslaved is the sole cause of their present slavery.

We believe that all honest Germans would
soon realise this a. fully as France and England
now do. Once France was the only dread of the
worthy Teutons. From France, however, they
had a civilisation to learn, and they did learn it.
Russia has nothing to teach them—her only boon
is their political subjugation to the odious tyrants
whose tottering thrones she bolsters up. Russia
is the nightmare of Germany, the death of her
liberties, and the life of her despots. And for all
this political infamy she has no compensation to
offer. No arts, no science, no literature, no genius,
nothing but the beauties of her serfdom and her
despotism, and the terrors of her military hordes
and fastnesses. Surely all Germans who have a
soul in their bodies must long to see their de-
graded Courts set free from the humiliating fear
of the Czar. If the Russians choose to deify their
despot, Germans at least believe in the First
Commandment. In truth the " god of the Rus-
sians" is the veritable SATAN of the Germans—of
the people we mean—and they would bless the
exorcist who should banish the fiend.

We have always held that Poland is the true
key to the present question ; and of course are
gratified with any indication of our leaders being
driven to the same conclusion. They have known
it, of course, long ; but " drifting" is the states-
manship, as Lord CLARENDON has told us, of our
Cabinet. Happy will it be for all Europe if events
carry our rudderless Government to the aid of
Poland.

The protocols so anxiously looked for, but so
unfortunately kept back, in consequence of " the
temporary illness of a person in the Foreign-office,
in whose department, it was to prepare transla-
tions," have at length been published. They are
indeed important documents, throwing much light
on the recent proceedings at Vienna, containing
as they do not merely the propositions put for-
ward by the different parties, but even the views
and opinions of the several Plenipotentiaries.
Their appearance renders the interesting and im-
portant question completely ripe for discussion.
We know what has been offered on either side,
and what rejected, and may therefore consider
whether the instructions furnished to the Plenipo-
tentiaries by the Western Powers are in accord-
ance with the voice of public opinion in
France and England, and likely to lead to a per-
manent and honourable peace. We may also
judge of the spirit .of Russia, as evinced
by her rejection of these exceedingly moderate
propositions, and of her inflexible determination
to persist, at any sacrifices, in the aggressive po-
licy which she has so long maintained, and for
which she has obtained such memorable notoriety.
We cannot help thinking that she has been greatly
influenced by this undue moderation on the part
of her adversaries, which she very naturally as-
cribes to "timidity" on their part, and an ear-
nest determination to obtain peace at any price,
or on any terms, however humiliating or preg-
nant with danger to the future tranquillity of
Europe. Nothing but such a conviction could
induce Prince GORTSCRAXOII to propose such
terms, which would, in fact, be cheaply purchased
by Russia by her entire expenditure on account
of the War up to the present moment ; and
the presumptive insolence whereof was en-
hanced by the cool impertinence with
which, even at the last moment, when his
suggestions were considered utterly inadmis-
sible by the other parties, he declared that " the
Plenipotentiaries of Russia had amply redeemed
their word by proposing several plans of solu-
tion I" They were, indeed, extraordinary plans,
which could not in any respect be considered as
based on a limitation of the Russian preponderance
in the Euxine ; but, on the contrary, seemed to
regard the impending danger to Turkey to be on
the side of her present Allies, and which could
be averted by the maintenance of a powerful Rus-
sian fleet ; or, in other words, that in accordance
with the old fable, the sheep should accept the
protection of the friendly wolves against those
dangerous traitors, the watch dogs !
It is unnecessary at present to refer to the pro-
ceedings at the earlier conferences, before the third

and most important point came under discussion.
A virtual postponement took place on the 26th
March, in order to await instructions from the
Cabinet of St. Petersburg, for although meetings
took place on the 29th March,and on the 2nd and
9th April, nothing practically was effected beyond
the adjournment of the discussion of the Fourth
Point, and the intervention of M. DROUYN DE
and A.Li PASHA, who showed that they
were authorised by their respective Governments
to take part in the discussions. On the 17th
April the diplomatic , struggle was renewed, and
from that moment the specious fallacies put for-
ward by Prince GORTSCHAKOFF proved, beyond
the possibility of doubt, the duplicity of Russia
ab initio, and that she had not the slightest in-
tentions of concluding a binding Treaty on the
terms to which she had clearly and unequivocally
assented. The Conferences might then and there
have been summarily broken off, for we
at once declared that " Russia would not
consent to the strength of her navy being re-
stricted to any fixed number, either by Treaty or
in any other manner I" This was practically a
disavowal of the very foundation of all these ne-
gotiations ; and it is only to be regretted that
Lord Jour; RUSSELL and M. DROUYN DE L'Hinrs,
in place of expressing "regret and surprise," and
declaring that " the chances of success attending
the negotiations for peace were greatly dimi-

nished," did not at once protest against the in.

sincerity of Russia and the gross deception prac
tised by that Power, and at once break off al

further negotiation. In place of so doing they,

- - -
however, took time to consider the propositions

to be submitted, and, at the next meeting,

brought forward the propositions which were so

contumeliously rejected on the part of Russia.
These propositions were of a twofold character.
The first related to the admission of the Sublime

between the different European
Porte to the advantages of the.
* henceforward
de-
claring that the Ottoman empire
sysstecamte3e,staaibl(liished
form an integral part of that system, with a
mutual undertaking to respect its territorial in-
tegrity and independence. From this just and
:sizable
" concesdion Russia backed out. She
to the to be
be prepared
to consider any act hostile
itorial integrity as a question of Euro-
pean interest" , but not to regard it as a case of
war. This illusory and ridiculous distinction
Was, however, passed over with a simple expres-