The Sun.
London, England, 1855-12-17 00:00:00

THE _RUMOURS OF PEACE.

(From the Morning Post of this icy.)
It appears from an important despatch which we
publish elsewhere, that Count Esterhazy, the Aus-
trian Ambassador at St. Petersburg, was to leave
Vienna yesterday for his post, the bearer of the
ultimatum, which Austria has resolved to press
upon the acceptance of the Czar.
The tenour of the contents is no secret. We have
repeatedly alluded in this journal to the terms
that must be required from Russia to effect a peace
that shall be safe and honourable.

The annihilation of the maritime supremacy of
Russia in the Black Sea, by the exclusion from its
waters of all ships of war—by the dismantling of
her fortresses on its coasts—and by the residence
of Consuls, who may certify that no purposes but
those of legitimate commerce aro ever attempted '
to 1.43 compassod—would free Turkey from all
danger by sea from her great neighbour ; whilst
the utter renunciation of all rights of interference
with the Sultan's dominion over his subjects, and
of protectorate over the Danubian principalities,
together with the cession of a portion of Bessarabia,
comprising the mouths of the Danube, would se-
cure the Porte in undisputed possession of its
European territorial rights. These conditions,
when confirmed by material guarantee as well as '
by treaty, would solve the Eastern question.
All the world knows that, in these matters, there
are many crevices by which a subtle diplomacy
may escape, and it may be expected that Russia
can now, as before, tamper with our demands, and
elude their objects. That cannot be. It has been
provided against. Never was there a document
so distinct and unmistakeable as the paper which
Count Esterhazy is bearing to St. Petersburg, and
to it there are but two answers possible, namely, a i
positive refusal, or a positive acceptance. No!
evasive answer —no conditional acceptance nol
counter-propositions—will be received.
it is stated to be the intention of Austria, in they
event of a refusal of her uttintutum by the Czar, to
withdraw her Ambassador from St. Petersburg.
it will probably take Count Esterhazy about five
or six days to reach St. Petersburg, and if we may
judge by precedent, some fourteen days will bel
allowed to the Emperor of Russia to consider hisi
resolution, and to give his answer.
This is no idle comedy, nor what of late has bee 1
its synonyme, a vain negotiation. Austria urge
upon Russia the only terms upon which she can
obtain peace. If she can humble her pride, sh
L
may say " Yes." Then immediately follows ani
armistice and a settlement. If, however, she can-
not entirely and at once accept the bitter conse-i
quenees of her own ambition and foolishness, then
must she face the extraordinary force which will
be brought to bear against her in the next cam-,
paign, and which, under Heaven, will certainly
reduce her to a state of which the terrible necessi-
ties will make her yield to our terms.
____

The Cabiuet of Si. Petersburg may not, however;
see matters in this light.

(From the Morning Herald of this day.)
It might be a curious question to investigate at
the present moment whether the people of England
bo ine most gullable or the most insincere of human
beings ; certain it is that they are apparently the
most inconsistent and least practically wise in Eu-
rope.
Go where you will throughout the land and you
will hear the same assertions. In the railway, in
the steam boat, at the meetings of members and
their constituents, it is always the same song—
" A vigorous carrying on of the war, and a perma-
nent and honourable peace ;" yet no means are
taken by any of the talkers to insure that we shall
IA the one effectually as a means of obtaining the
other.

The nation seems to think that their duty is done
when their representatives hare voted away a sum
of 109 millions for war purposes, but never seem
to consider that they have any interest in its dis-
posal, or any right to superintend its application.
Lord Palmerston is the Premier of their choice
because he asserts that he is War Minister par ex-
cellence ; and the fact that every proceeding of his
Government gives the lie to his statement seems to
this self-governed nation a matter of the most pro-
found indifference. Never was there such extra-
ordinary and unreasoning folly exhibited by a
people usually considered sane and practical, even
though not gifted with brilliant genius.
Lord Palmerston is all for "carrying on the war
with vigour ;" yet his Cabinet, chosen by himself,
is composed almost exclusively of men who for
" peace at any price," and who can outvote him in
Council any day they please. Lately he had an
opportunity of infusing some energetic blood into
it, yet he made offers of place to none but those
notoriously opposed to his own professed opinions,
and when he could not get a member of the peace
party to join him he poked out from the used-up
rubbish of the old Whigs a man of whom it
had
would_
be ridiculous to suppose tht.t he ever held, or
point
capacity to form, a decided opinion upon an
whatever—a gentleman only celebrated fyorone
enunciation, which was, that when Ireland was
polluted by the blood of assassinations, perpe-
trated at the rate of two or three per diem, he, as
the representative of Government, took the trouble
of informing the infuriate murderers " that it was
the prescriptive right of every
Irishman to carry
arms." A well-chosen adviser in tirae of peril.
Again, Lord Palmerston is all for "carrying on
the war with vigour, yet ho has chosen. for his
gents men whose sole qualification in common is,
aitlat it is quite impossible they should know any-
thing whatever about the necessities or require-
ments of a war.
The names of Panmure, Peel, Monsell, and
Wood are surely quite enough to provoke a smile
on the lips of Heraclitus, were it not for the ter-
rible consequences attendant upon their gross
inefficiency.
Lord Palmerston " is all for carrying on the war
with vigour," yet he has practically destroyed our
militia, and by neglect of our recruiting has re-
duced the regular army 50,000 men under the
number voted by Parliament.

These last are matters of the most enormous im-
portance, not only to the carrying on of the war,
but to the continuance of the Anglo-French alli-
ance, on which must depend our power to continue
it at all.

The war was never verypopular among the trading
classes in France, and now that financial difficul-
ties are threatening, of course the dislike to it
must increase. What, therefore, must be the effect
on their minds of the defalcations of England as to
her share in the exertions necessary for the support
of the contest ? We will tell our readers what are
,
the rieutiDants of three-Aqua% of th° tradesmen