The Sun.
London, England, 1855-11-29 00:00:00

RIGHT AND WRONG.

The Frankfort Post Zetung, of Vienna, which
is supposed to be in connexion with the Austrian
Embassy at Frankfort, contains a leader that can
hardly fail to cause some sensation, both at home
and abroad. The article, which is entitled " Right
and Wrong," passes in review the events of the
last two or three years, and is so much to the pur-
pose that a brief analysis of it must be given, if
only for the behoof of the peace party in England.
The German writer says :
" During three centuries the Romans, N% hen they met
in the Forum were accustomed to accost each other with
' What is doing in Africa ?' The Germans of the 19th
century are far from being as energetic, persevering, and
manly as the Romans, but still their memory for political
matters is not so short that they have forgotten which
party is right and which wrong in the Eastern difference.
Some of the North German papers have thought fit to
declare that the Western Powers were originally right,
but that they are wrong in persisting in carrying on the
war.' Has Russia, then, in any way atoned for the
wrong she has done ? The evacuation of the Danubian
Principalities still figures in the page of history as a mere
strategic measure.' The promise to act strictly on the
defensive has been repeatedly broken both in Europe
and Asia, and there has never been a question of mak-
ing any compensation for the Turkish fleet which was
de,troyed at Sinope under the very eyes of the protect.
ing Powers. In short, the policy of Russia is what it
was at the outbreak of the war. The demands of the
allies are confined to the four points, and as Russia
declared that the settlement of the third point mast
depend on the contingencies of the war, she ought,
now that her fleet has ceased to be, to consent to a
limitation of her power in the Black Sea. The last
Austrian propositions were brought forward at a
time when the result of the campaign was still very
doubtful, "a great part of the Russian fleet was still above
water, the bombardments of Sebastopol had produced
little or no effect, and it was not exactly clear whether
the Russians were besieged in Sebastopol or the English
and French in Balaklava and Kamiesch. As we have
since learnt, the Austrian project was rejected in Russia
as well as in the west of Europe. At present the allies
are in a position to punish Russia for refusing to con-
sent to a limitation of her fleet by destroying all her
maritime establishments, and by taking up various im-
portant positions on her coasts. Is it not generous of
the Western Powers that, under such circumstances,
they do not go beyond their original demands They
insist on a satisfactory solution of the third point, and
they have no choice but to do so. A despotic govern-
ment which can dispose of 60,000,000 souls as it pleases
can easily build a new Sebastopol. Indeed, it even
now boasts of the extreme importance of Nicolaieff.
Civilised nations like France and England cannot con-
tinually watch a dangerous enemy, and they are not
inclined soo❑ again to be obliged to sacrifice hundreds of
thousands of men, and to spend hundreds of millions
of pounds, in order to keep Russia in check. Civilisa•
tion requires that the lives and treasures of the nations
should not be spent in vain. Such a war as that now
waged can only be undertaken once in a century, and it
must therefore be continued until the results are such
that the necessity for another war shall be next to im-
possible. The right is on the side of the Western Powers,
and, in the opinion of the nations of Europe, they are
fully justified in taking advantage of it."
The rest of the article, which treats of Germany,
Austria, &c,, is not worthy of notice.