The Sun.
London, England, 1855-01-29 00:00:00

PRUSSIA AND THE NEGOTIATIONS.

The Meniteur of yesterday publishes the following
letter from Vienna, dated January 21, which it quotes
from the Journal de Frankfort of the 25th :
"Every German must feel grieved that Prussia can-
not be called upon to participate in the negotiations at
Vienna so important for Europe. The despatch of the
6th of January proves that Prussia herself feels this
deeply ; but it would be difficult to find any legal
grounds for Prussia to claim, under all conditions, the
right of active participation in those negotiations.
They relate to peace between Russia on the one hand,
and the Porte and its allies on the other, on the bases of
the four preliminary palate.
" Has Prussia accepted the four points vis-à-vis the
Western Powers in an obligatory manner, as the Court
of Vienna has done ! No. How, then, can she claim a
deliberative voice in their interpretation I Has Prussia,
like Austria, concluded a treaty of alliance with the
Western Powers to effect, in concert with them, a solid
and durable peace ? No. She has not adhered to the
treaty of the 2d December. She has taken ao respon-
sible engagement with the allies in that respect. On
what, then, does she found her claim to participate in
negotiations fur obtaining such a peace !
"It is replied that the right is hers in ♦irtue of her
rank as a great European Power. But all that results
in the first instance from that rank is that Prussia has a
great interest in every transaction of European import-
ance. To be able to take part in a special transaction,
to transform into a right the simple interest of partici-
pation, a great Power which claims such a right must
have taken at least some obligations thereto. It has
never yet been pretended that the simple fact of the
rank of a great Power conferred the right of participa-
tion in negotiations of peace.
"The great Power that claims it, and is not itself a
belligerent party, must either be responsibly allied to
one of the belligerent parties, or else have been called
upon to act as mediator. But, as Prussia has not eon-
eluded any private treaty of alliance with any one of
the belligerent parties with a •iew to the re-establish-
ment of peace, and as the part of mediator has not been
conferred upon her, she is therefore outside the circle
of peace negotiations. This is much to be regretted, bet
it is a positive fact. Prussia may at once modify it by
declaring her adhesion to the treaty of December.
" We think it therefore ♦ery ranch out of place for
the Prussian journals that Lear a semi-official character
to rake up all which, according to them, has been done
to hurt the feelings of Prussia, and which prevents her
adhering to the treaty in question.
"Thus the Berlin Zeit of the 19th instant says :---
`Even the minimum of what Prussia might pretend to
know—namely, communication of the interpretation of
the articles of August, decreed on the 2d of December,
did not take place ; Prussia is asked to adhere first to
the alliance and learn afterwards its bearings.' But
the secret ankle annexed to the treaty was coinmuni-
cated to Prussia at the same time as the latter.

"The three Powers did not Come to an agreement on
the 2,1 of December upon the interpretation of the four
points. On the contrary, the negotiations relative
thereto did not commence till after the exchange of the
ratifications. It is rot, therefore, true that anything
was kept Re.:ret from Prussia concerning this treaty. If
she had adhered to it she would have been called, ee ipso,
to tak• part in the deliberations relative to the interpre-
tion of the four points."

His Excellency Baron Von Thedom and the Baroness
Von Usedom have left England on their return to Ber-
hn. His Excellency sailed from Dover on Saturday.
His Royal Highness the Duke of Cambridge is ex-
pected to arrive in London to-day from the Crimea. His
Royal Highness reached Paris ycaterday.