The Sun.
London, England, 1855-01-23 00:00:00

PRUSSIAN SYSTEJI OP TERGI VERSA TION.

The Constitutionnel publishes a curious letter written
at the time of Napoleon 1., by the Duke de Bassano, and
dated April 1, 1813, to Baron de Krusemark, the Prus-
sian Minister at Paris, in answer to a note from that
gentleman, announcing that " the King of Prussia was
about to unite his armies to those of the Emperor Alex-
ander." The communication of the Duke de Bassano
points out the numerous instances in which Prussia, he
declares, had violated the engagements which she had
entered into with France. Thus, in 1792, when France
was agitated at home and abroad, Prussia, thinking the
position of France exceedingly tottering, declared war
against her. Three years after, when France seemed on
the point of triumphing over the coalesced powers,
Prussia abandoned her allies and passed over to the side
of the Convention, and was the first of the great powers
that recognised the Republic.
Four years after that period, France having experi-
enced the vicissitudes of war—battles having been lost
in Italy and Switzerland, and the republic being me-
naced both in the north and the south—Prussia again
changed her views, and declared against France: But
some years after, when the English were driven out of
Holland, and the Russians beaten at Zurich, Prussia
again became the ally of France.
In 1805 Austria armed, and Russia having joined her,
Prussia signed a treaty in which she spoke of the eternal
hatred which she bore to France. But the battle of
Austerlitz having been gained by the French troops,
Prussia at once abjured her former engagement and
proved faithless to her new allies, as she had been pre-
viously to her other.. The year after, Prussia being
convulsed by the action of ultra-liberal opinions, which
she was unable to master or direct, endeavoured to find
resource in hostilities, and declared war on France.
Being completely worsted, Prussia had to sign the treaty
of Tilsit. In 1811 tie preparations of Russia menaced
Europe with a new war, and as Prussia, from her geo-
graphical position, could not remain an indifferent spec-
tator of events, she solicited the alliance of France in the
most abject terms. Napoleon 1., remembering the
former treachery of that power, hesitated long, but at
last, hoping that Prussia was made wiser by experience,
consented to the proposal of alliance ; but then, as be-
fore, Prussia broke her engagement. In fact, she was
then, as always, the letter declares, a subject of constant
disunion.

THE INDIA AND CHINA MAILIL—SOUTTIAMPTON,.
Monday.— By the arrival of the Peninsular and Oriental
Company's steam-ship Indus, Capt. John Soy, with the
heavy portion of the India and China mails, we have dates
from Alexandria, Jan. 8 ; Malta, 12 ; Gibraltar, 18. The
Indus has on board 44 first class passengers, and 9 chit.
dren, among whom are Lady Fitzclarence and the Hon.
Miss Fitzclareace, Captain Williams, &c. There are also
16 second class and other passengers. The body of Lord
Frederick Fitzelarence has been conveyed to England
by this steamer. During her homeward voyage the
Indus on the 13th inst.., observed the screw steam-ship
Sovereign steering N.W., and on the 17th the screw-
steamirs Taurus, steering S.E., the Orontes, . bound to
Alexandria, and her Majesty's screw steam-ship Princess
Royal, steering south-east. llcr Majesty
Malta were—the Britannia, Trafalgar, Neptune, St.'s ships at
George, and screw-steamers Jura
and Imperatrico. At
Gibraltar were the screw-steamer lissperud and her al
jesty's ships Ilecla and Retribution. The latter vesse
is bound to England with invalided troops from the
Black Sea. At Gibraltar the latest rates of exchange are
quoted for bills on London, DO days, at 51i ; Paris, sf.
40c; Marseilles, 0• .. 43c. On the Bth inst., the British
schooner. Ada put into Gibraltar in a leaky state, also
the Nautilus, with mainmast sprung, bulwarks carried
Ragged Staff during the night of the 12th
away, and other damages. The British brig Rufus got
last., an became became full of water. The. Indus brings on
freight 13 packages of specie, value $129,470, also 277
boxes of oranges, 228 bales and 137 cases of silk, and
sundry general merchandise.
The rate of exchange from Paris continues with an
improving tendency. At Hamburg and Amsterdany.4
the quotations were also firm, money at the former city:]:'[.
being obtainable pet from 2 to Yi Per cent,
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:fin* G-trAFic *147