The Sun.
London, England, 1855-01-11 00:00:00

THE POSITION OF PRUSSIA.

The Constilutionnel publishes a long letter, dated
the 7th, " from au eminent statesman at Berlin."
The following is the most interesting portion of
it :

"After having, during thirty years, marched at the
head of progress, and having thereby obtained legitimate
sympathies, Prussia now puts herself forward as the stan-
dard-bearer of all the soi-disant Conservatives who make
the Czar their idol ; and Consider Napoleon 111. as the
personification of revolutionary principles. There is
not, it is true, a single man of sense at Berlin who has
confidence in such conservatism, but it serves as a
flag to unite an army opposed to Austria and France;
The consequence of it is, that if we examine the conduct
of our Cabinet since the commencement of the Eastern
question, it will be found that its participation in diplo-
matic conferences, its treaty of the 20th April with
Austria, and the additional article of the 26th November,
were only intended to thwart or paralyse the action
of the other great powers. As for myself, I doubt
greatly that even if Prussia should accede to the
treaty of the 2d of December, which is more than
problematic, she would give a serious and decided
co-operation to the common undertaking. My opinion
is based on a fact which has passed unperceived in
the newspapers, and which is as characteristic as it
is signiticetive. The conclusion of the treaty of al-
Eames of the 2d of Decepher, between Austria and the
Western Powers, was officially communicated to the
C.ibinet of Berlin in the evening of the 16th ult. The
day ;titer our Court celebrated at Potsdam the fete of the
Emperor Nicholas by a grand banquet, to which were
commanded (1) the most zealous partisans of Russia,
Such of the Prussian generals as are proprietors of Rus-
sian regiments put on the Russian uniform for the occa-
sion. Such a demonstration, at the very moment at
w!iich Prussia received the invitation to join the al-
liance of Austria, Franca, and England to combat
Russia, plainly shows the true sentiments which
dominate in our higher spheres. During the last seven,
months, the Cabinets of ;Berlin and Vienna have
done nothing, except to exchange despatch on despatch,
in order to come to an understanding as to the oblige.
tions which Prussia contracted in signing with Austria
the treaty of the 20th April, The Vienna Cabinet hoped
that the additional article of the 26th November last
had put an end to this controversy, and it was under
such a belief that it invited Prussia to mobilise the
first contingent of 100,000 men, which she promised.
Now, everything has to be recommenced, since our
Government pretends that Russia will not attack
Austria, if the latter will remain on the defensive ; and
that, consequently, there is no danger for the Austrian
possessions whioh the treaty of the 20th April has,
for its sole object, to preserve from a Russian invasion.
It is really curious to see with what impudence our
ministerial press supports this argumentation, which, if
it were to prevail, would render the treaty of the 2d
December illusory. M. de Manteuffel and M. Usedorn
have not, however, yet returned from their missions
to Vienna and London, where they were charged to
demonstrate the analogy between the position of Prus-
sia and that of the parties to the treaty of the 2d De-
cember ; adding that Prussia adhered to the general
tendencies of that treaty, and was ready to conclude a
similar arrangement. I quote the language of the de-
spatch of Baron Manteuffel of the 19th December
last. Who can conciliate such language with the refusal
of Prussia to mobilise the first contingent demanded by
Austria ? It seems that the Western Powers had a
presentiment of the new and sudden change of our Ca-
binet when, through the Plenipotentiaries at Vienna,
they refused to communicate officially the interpreta-
tion of the four guarantees, agreed to in the Conference
held at Vienna on the 28th of December last between
Count Buol and the Plenipotentiaries. The latter
left Count Buol to decide whether it suited the in-
terests of Austria to communicate confidentially this
interpretation to the Prussian Cabinet; but for their part
they positively declined any participation in a collective
notification, whether official or private. Our minister
at Vienna, Count Arnim, appears to feel that the false
position in which the interminable shuffling of our Go-
vernment places him, is no longer supportable ; and,
on the pretence that his health is bad, he insists on re-
tiring. There is a good deal of discussion here as to
the choice of his successor. The party of the Cross would
wish to see him replaced by one of its own members,
Baron Bismark, who is at present our plenipotentiary at
Frankfort. He seems, however, to possess but a slight
chance ; his stiff and troublesome character, and his
decided sympathies for Russia, render him but little
qualified to occupy a post for which suppleness and re-
serve have become indispensable. Others designate
Count Alversleben, an experienced and prudent diplo-
matist, but who is perhaps too able a man to accept such
an ungrateful burden under existing circumstances.
The ministry seems inclined to choose 31. de Canitz,
who has already figured at Vienna, and who belongs
to a good school. Whatever, however, may be the
choice which will be made, it will in no respect change
the system adopted by our diplomacy. Flattering
itself thatsit is more able than others, that diplomacy
thinks itself very clever in giving the great powers fine
phrases instead of war subsidies. Educated in the glori-
fication of the power of the Czar, it firmly believes that
Austria will be powerless to support the terrible shock
of the Muscovite armies ; that then Prussia, whose strength
will not have been diminished by the sacrifices which
the othergreat powers have had to support since the con-
flict with Russia broke out, can enter the lists, armed
from top to toe, and become on better terms than by
subscribing to the treaty of the 2:1 December the arbiter
of peace. Who lives will see ; but may our Government
not compromise for ever, at this dangerous game, the
destinies of our country !"
"(1.) When the high chamberlain sends an invie7-4ion to
the royal table, he always uses the phrase, toil. are
commanded (befallen) to attend the dinner of his 3 asesty
on such a day and at such an hour.' "

SHOCKING DEATH BY FALLING DOWN A Plt —On
Tuesday an inquest was held at Wolverhampton on the
body of Mary Moore, 14 years and 3 months old, who
was killed by falling down a stone pit, near Mosely Hole,
belonging to Mr. John Hayward . It appenred that on
pushing a skip
towards the tTinnnionugtlitast t
of the
hYie)cite,asaendd mainsteads of stopping
just before the skip got to the mouth of the pit, she con-
tinued to push it, and fell with it to the bottom of the
pit—a distance of 110 yards. The doggy, who had pre-
viously descended the shaft, hearing something fall, went
to the bottom, rnd found the deceased's body in a
lifeless state. The upper and back part of the skull was
cut through and divided froze the face. The jury re•
turned a verdict of accidental death, and expressed a
strong opinion as to the impropriety of girls of any age,
particularly girls of tender age, being employed upon
pit banks, as such an occupation tended to demoralise
them,