The Sun.
London, England, 1855-08-17 00:00:00

THE SUN, LONDON, FRIDAY EVENING, AUGUST 17, 1855.

te. rror. Between her and the races she tempo-
r.arily keeps down by her bloody despotism an un-
dying animosity has been engendered. This feel.:
ing is increasing in intensity, and Austria is so
conscious, of it that her vigilance grows with the
danger, and her rule becomes continually more

arbitrary. Is this an empire to oppose an effee.

teal barrier to Russian aggression ? Is it not evi-
d,ent that as respects principles of goverment her
interests and those of Russia are the same ?
Freedom in every shape must be equally hateful
to both. They are allies by nature ; and while
Austria guards the Russian frontier, the CZAR,
safe from attack on the most vulnerable side of
his empire—the side of Poland—will always be
' able to put forth enormous strength at the extre-
mities of his dominions.
How different would be the position were Italy,
Hungary, and Poland free, and Germany liberated
from the dead weight of Austrian despotism.
We do not speak now of the invigorating influ-
ences that would shoot through Europe, when the
vivid genius of the Italian, and the chivalric
nature of the Pole, and the highly ingenious and
enterprising disposition of the Magyar, were once
more animated by freedom, and were encouraged
by its holy and exhilaratine breath, to fertilise
countries which would then be their own, tb
spread their language-4o enhance their prosperity
—to multiply their numbers—to vivify those arts
and pursuits for which they have peculiar apti-
tude, but which are now crushed by that prostra-
tion of spirit consequent on a degrading sense of
brutal domination. We do not speak now of the
bounding and elastic life which so great a change
from bondage to liberty would diffuse through

Europe—of the jealousies and restrictions it would

extinguish for ever—of the new sources of trade
and intercourse it would open to art—of the
fellowship between States united by one great
bond of free government it would produce. We
do not speak of these things now (though never
was there a time more favourable to the libera-
tion of oppressed races, and to their erection into
independent States, from the solid establishment
of principles of unrestricted commerce as most
conducive to national prosperity), but we want to
view the question' in a political light alone. Is it

more for the security of Europe that the Austrian
empire, constituted as it is, and perfidious as it
has ever proved itself, should continue to exist, or
that the order of nature should be restored, and

that races should be called to the inestimable
blessing of national independence, whose policy
must be antagonistic to despotism, as fatal to
their life, and favourable to the closest union
with the free Governments of the West, as essen-
tial to their safety and welfare ?

this is the question for our people. Do you
prefer that that immense traot of country—fertile
in the richest productions of nature—now known
as the Austrian empire, should be under the rule
of a despotism and in alliance with Russia, or that

it should be under free and national Governments,
and closely connected by bonds of interest and
sentiment with the Western league ? We will
not believe that our people can be indifferent on
so momentous a matter, nor shall our pen cease
its appeals to them till they return us some direct
response.

The great NAPOLEON, when pining in St. He-
lena, and standing on that threshold of both
worlds, whence, according to the poet, an intel-
lectual view is most wide and piercing, foresaw
the danger which menaced Europe, and predicted
the shape it would assume, and the time when it
would occur, with wonderful exactitude. In
CVMEARA.'s 4‘ Voice from • St.-Helena," we find
that he said in 1817 :
" in about thirty-five years the Russians will either
invade India or enter Europe with a hundred thousand
Cossacks, and two hundred thousand Russians. Russia
must either fall or aggrandise herself."

The nunibers are, perhaps, very nearly those
which Russia has at present in the field against
the Allies. What follows is yet more memo-
rable :

"In the natural course of things, in a few years Tur-
key must fall to Russia. The Powers it would injure,
and who would oppose it, are England, France, Prussia,
and Austria. Now as to Austria, it will be very easy
for Russia to engage her assistance by giving her Servia.
and other provinces bordering upon the Austrian do-
minions, reaching near to Constantinople.
"The. only hypothesis that England and France may
ever be allied in sincerity will bein order to prevent this."
Is not the man who could thus far foresee so ex-
actly the course of events entitled to some cre-
dence for predictions not yet fulfilled,?,, The
sentence following that above is the most impor-
tant of all :

" But even, this alliance would not avail. France,
England, and Prussia united cannot prevent it. RUSSIA
AND AUSTRIA CAN AT ANY TIME EFFECT IT.'.'

This is the conjuncture
.we have to dread.
Events are fast hastening to the consummation
NAPOLEON foresaw. Austria and Russia are
drawing together. They calculate on the effect
which a War void of decisive results, and waged
on no principle, except it be to support the old
status quo, and to maintain despotism unimpaired
—must have in wearying the popular spirit of
France and England. When this has been ac-
complished, then will be' the time to strike the
world with terror by an Austrian and Russian
alliance for the partition of Turkey. The first

step has been taken by Austria's military occu-
pation of the Principalities.
Who, looking fairly at the facts, can doubt the
imminence of the danger ? How is the full com-
pletion of NAPOLEON'S prophecy to be averted ?
We answer unhesitatingly by the immediate pre-
sence of the Allied flags in the harbours of Venice
and Trieste, and by Austria receiving a peremp-
tory summons to evacuate the territories she has
too long usurped.

The complete and speedy demolition of " the
Gibraltar of the m North," as Sweabor has been
arrogantly a designated. by Muscovite and pro
Muscovite writers—the
overthrow of its quasi
impregnable •fortifications,. without the loss of a
single life or a single vessel to the assailants must
Baltic
con a grheoal at the
in
prove how completely the sa'aiat
Ru • '
lusrt Government
the Gulf of Finland std the
mercy of the Allied squadrons,
has only to will it, and the " standing menaces',
to the Scandinavian nations, the sources of Rus-
sian influence with the Northern Powers, win be
numbered with the past. Let tho orders be given,
and the proper means stepplied, and. Helsingfore
and Haugo, Revel, and even Cronstadt itself, will.
share the fate of Sweaborg ;. and the Groat
Northern Bear will learn.,
u•; with kingdomsas with individuals, ".;honesty is ever the
best policy:" jt is now, in the language
of the P. R. -. " Lonibard•-strect to a
China orange," on . wood versus granite i and
although much valuable time has been wasted,
sufficient still remains to enable us to profit, la*lY
Front the results of (It! tardy but decisive ex-
Pefinient. - : ••
r tThere are still six weeks during which the ope-
"Ma of the Baltic' Fleet may be continued,
And as Sweaborg cost only* two days we may easily
calculate
" work with
during that
Low mucliA,ll4.- be ' accomplished
period if -tlie 'parties arc really in
earnest, and
" a will in the good
cause. Let them '-:;;A.,-, -
Lthguos_iaasnat
oift
theearmneensdlys
pitch by the brilliant results
and :ealously, while the
c..;:cit.::d to the hill Le
c:7 al* ft4t scent AriValPll af, tla
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