The Sun.
London, England, 1855-04-13 00:00:00

lIIGH WATER AT LONDON BRIDGE.

T .t+► nAT —Morning24 min.after 11 I Evening 0 min. aft. 0
To-Aoitaow M °ruing 56 cain.aftel 11 I Evaling 26 rain. at. 42

Tuv WEATHER.—Sun Onus, April. 13.
THERMOMETER, IN THE SHADE.
62—Jlighest since noon yesterday.
50 —lowest this morning and daring the night.
57—this day, at noon.

BAROMETER, 29.66.
WIND, S.W.—Light breeze, with dull rainy weather.

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LONDON, FRIDAY, APRIL 13, 1855.

The importance of the present crisis cannot be
exaggerated. Much more than Peace and War
hang on the decisions at Vienna. The welfare
for ages of the entire old world is there placed in
the balances. Yet those who assume to hold the
scales exclude the whole of the interested millions
from a sight of the weighing. No " Our Corre-
spondent" is allowed where he is most of all
needed. It is impossible not to fear foul play.
The weights which determine the worth cf every
proposal, every refusal or concession, bear the
stamp of dynasties of Autocrats, of Courts,
of Aristocracies, but not one of them bears the
people's mark. No consideration of the people
will come in except as to whether it may be dan-
gerous to ignore them entirely, or to irritate them
too much. What man in his senses believes that
national freedom, or, except in a very modified

sense, even national independence, will be placed

in the scales at all ? That was weighed in
- 1815 in the balances of the Holy Alliance and
found wanting. At the present, to us odious,
conference the point to be settled is just this—.
How much absolute authority each. despot can
keep over his subjects, compatibly with
tolerable independence of the other despots.
They would like, as autocrats, to king it at home
without help from abroad, yet rather than lose the
pleasure of incarcerating male patients and flogging
female ones they would uphold intact the power
of the Tartar barbarians before whom they now
tremble. They would rather be, as indeed Aus-
tria and Prussia have long been, lieutenants of a
Czar
than the monarchs of free nations. Des-
potism is engrained into the nature and is the
very life-blood of the whole brood cf tyrants east
of France. They live on and love crushing
liberty. We do not. think Lord JOHN tinctured
with their envenomed hatred of popular rights ;
but his absorbing love or aristocracy falls
w
in but too naturally with their practical
aims ; and we must fear that this circumstance
utterly unfits him to enunciate at Vietra views
worthy of Englishmen.
Mr. BRIGHT thinks that none of us know why
we have to War, or why we w_guld press the War,
because we at first asked only to thrust the Rus-
sians out of the Provinces. Setting aside that
many of us from the beginning looked as far as
We do now, is it noi; the regular, we might almost
ilaY the divinely-ordained, course of human things
that entrance on a. right course always dis-
closes additicnal demands on right principle ?
Why'
the Very Free-traders who caused the repeal
of the corn.laws
time with a would have been
and only
at one
their eyes 3to lvaat fined duty, an
8 e:
achoonwqeudestths,em only
.opened
truth strongly o as their first
is no discredit to the
has stronglythe way. It
convlii-ce—citghlish people that the War
and military power of Ric, era that all the naval
ought to be destroyea fer ev:in the Black Sea
tuted Poland is politically a reconsti-
Finland, Bessarabia,' cireass'.ndi that
sPensable ; that
&c., ought to be restored to free' doC4e°raia'
old masters ; that, in a word, Russr, or to their
Russia should 'be-
come Russia only. If the ex • perien,ce of the
War has taught them ,this, we only regret that
men like Mr. BRIGHT seem incapable of learning
anytLing from experience, but to be more obsti-
nate for their old oracles, and to be more deter-
minel measure all things by the price of a yard
of cotton.

The Rpollter3 on Peace declaim as if none but
themselves cared for the lives of soldiers and the

expenditure of public money-. The Patriotic Fund,
the innumerable comforts sent by individuals, even
Miss NIGHTINGALE and her corps, are proof to the
contrary. Tb e truth is that war, with all its hor-
rors, is yet a school for the noblest feelings. Not
to mention rt tilitary honour and glory, which many
Will undervalue,. although motives not inferior to

commercial glories ;—the love of freedom and the
hatred of slavery and oppression—the wish to see
our fellow-nations enjoying their national rights,
which is the soul of the present War—are amongst
the most unselfish, expansive, and elevating mo-
tives which can actuate a nation—infinitely nobler
than the ;mainspring of trade. We admit, in-
deed, that our aristocracy and their German Ally
will take us in if they can ; they will aim, at we
have said, to convert the War to the pur-
pose of despots' independence and of peoples'
dependence ; but that is not the object of this
country, nor if the War continues will that be the
only object gained. The re-establishment of
Poland alone would do more to restore the inter-
national morality of Europe, to shake off the pa-
ralysing nightmare of Russian savagism, to in-
augurate Continental freedom, and even to extend
Free Trade itself, than all the selfish energies of
commerce would accomplish in centuries. The
opposers of a Vienna, pace conceive, therefore,
that they sympathise with the sufferers by the
War as much as the commercial advocates of
peace, that they are prompted by far nobler
motives, and that their policy will elevate the
political morality of Europe, and forward even-
tually the inter ests of commerce itself.
We trust that, in the coming week, the people
will, in every becoming mode, let their sentiments on
the War be known to their august visitor. He may
hear at Court very different views from those which
animate the country. Englishmen cannot con-
ceive that France would endure an inglorious de-
parture from Sebastopol, and they take for granted
that Poland is a name and nation dearer to her
than to us. Let Louis NAPOLEON understand
that our " shopkeeping nation" appreciates the
crisis, and only asks for leaders and governors
equal to it. We think it may be laid down as
certain, that a peace vamped up now must be a
miserable and mischievous one. Austria and
Russia will be the sole gainers. Russia will
certainly retain everything of moment. Her
Black Sea forts, the means of creating a navy un-
ubservedly at any time, the navigable mouth of
'he Danube, and a share at least of the right to
interfere in Turkish affairs. She will merely
!lave received a temporary check. While
Warsaw on one side, and Sebastopol with Nico-
laieff on the other remain to her, she will triumph
again in her clever diplomacy, and the weakness
of the Allies. She will be as formidable to
Europe, and to Turkey especially, as ever.
Most detestable, above all, is the treating with
Russia as an honourable power. It is merely
compounding with a felon. She has been driven
away in the act of wanton and unprovoked ag-
gression. She committed the stealthy murder
of Sinope in seeking to get away. She had long
before at Warsaw and Cracow (Austria being ac-
complice) violated grossly her favourite Treaty of
Vienna, and it is sheer fatuity to treat with her till
we can dictate the terms. When France was at-
tacked by Europe she was required to yield to
the conditions of the victors. Let us at least
deal the same measure to the far more shameless
aggressor of this day. Of all the hateful diplo-
matic cant tolerated in these Conferences, is
Prince GORTSCHAKOFF'S declaration about con-
senting to no terms which shall " infringe on the
sovereign rights of Russia." Such language
from those who sent Prince MENSCHIKOFF to bully
the SULTAN ! From the delicate-minded power
which " infringed" on the rights of the Princi-
palities and the SULTAN with all possible insc-
lence and violence ! We almost despise the men
who can tolerate such language from a Russian
envoy.

There can scarcely remain a second opinion as
to the duplicity and niala fides of Russia when
~he assented to " ti eat" with the Western Powers
on the basis of "the Four Points." It is now
ertain that the new CZAR, however earnestly he
may have protested against the proceedings of his
;predecessor, is rather unwilling, or unable, to
i,i)andou the traditional policy of the Empire—
,6 policy indicated by the will of the first PETER,
-tnd never for a moment lost sight of by his suc-
cessors under any circumstances whatsoever. The
extension of " Holy Russia," the absorption of
neighbouring States, seems to be a fixed idea, a
species of " monomania." It is fashionable to
ascribe many misdeeds to such a disease with
Muscovites of all classes. Even the miserable
serfs, greater slaves than the " Uncle Toms" of
the Southern States of America, men who cannot
call their souls their own, who are subjected to
flagellation at any moment at the mere will and
pleasure of their Lord and Master, have the no-
tion instilled into their minds from their earliest
youth, and are educated in a fanatical notion
as to " the mission" of the AUTOCRAT to
make all people confirm to " the orthodox
religion," even at the point of the sword, and
"to own his gentle sway," without resistance, or
even remonstrance. Under such circumstances
it might be a dangerous experiment, even for the
AUTOCRAT himself, to agree to any terms, or
sanction any arrangement inconsistent with these
views. Although his mere will and pleasure is
accepted in place of law, or rather is the law for
the time being, there is a summary way of dis-
posing of any obstacle to the full realisation of the
wishes of any large section. There is CONSTAN-
TINE, too—the leader of the old Muscovite faction
—ready to assume the leadership at the earliest
call, and to assume the coveted position even at
the expense of his brother.

The-late AUTOCRAT consented to treat on the
basis of the "Four Points." We have since seen
" the cloven. . foot" appearing in every track.
Everything is directed-to the humiliation of Tur-
key—to the violent termination of the career of
" the sick man." No interference, forsooth, will
be allowed with the perfect independence of
Russia. She cannot, under any circumstances, be
induced to quaff the cup she so readily presented
to others. She will not permit the demolition of
a single fort,- or the withdrawal of a single
vessel of war from the Euxine. How, then,
is the limitation of her power in that sea to be
accomplished. Simply, so say the Russian Pleni-
potentaries, by her gracious permission to the
Western Powers to form naval stations, and bring
their navies into these waters ! Thus there may
be a counterpoise—if they are willing to under-
take the enormous and never-ending,
the
rmanpde,weanmenayt
add thankless, office of becoming
"police" of Europe. Bat how is this to be ao
eomplished ? Russia offers no portion
rood
of land
of her
territory ; she will not cede a single
jo the Crimea or on the European or Asiatic
coasts- Turkey must supply the needful fa,ci!i-
Litnes.t-ionson
She. must provide the means. Her chief
either side aro to be relinquished, so
that sh" will henceforward—should these extra-
ordinary propositions
be adopted—have three
e a to
isntrdiekpeen
miters with a footing in '
;h, immediate
vieiniy rnnocrae as nt
n t her dominions, and in
eaxniste Y
a d
of her capital, ready at
vital blow at her very
every inducement when itnnit
anation ! and withy
conve-
nience to participate in her partilujiotn their
What could any of the Moslems think
which
ayed they
r .sp
if such
an arrangement was the result fo
braved so many dangers and dl
unshrinking valour ? Never would the Govern_

meat of A BD-lIL-MEDJID consent to such deep
humiliation, such unparalleled injustice. And
how could France and England—either by direct
compulsion, or by the withdrawal of their
assistance, voluntarily rendered—endeavour to
enforce her reluctant consent ? It would be an
act of infamy that would reflect indelible disgrace
on the national escutcheons of France and Eng-
land—a disgrace to which the high-minded and
justice-loving peoples of these chivalrous nations,
who are not yet involved in the trammels of
Germanism, would never subject themselves.
But this is not all. It is not merely the
usurpation of the Turkish territory that is re-
quired. The Bosphorus and the Dardanelles
must also be thrown open—not only to trading
vessels, but to ships of war, sailing under every
flag—English, French, or Russian. The impreg-
nable
forts that protect the heart of the Ottoman
Empire are to be virtually dismantled, and
a powerful fleet may anchor in the Sea
of Marmora, or take up a position com-
manding the Seraglio and Stamboul itself,
there to dictate any terms without the possibility
of resistance ! While Russia has free access at
sll times to the Mediterranean, and has prac-
tically achieved her long-coveted object—an im-
pregnable port on its shores.
Can this be termed equitable ? Can such sug-
gestions be, for an instant, taken into considera-
tion ? Certainly not. Shame to the represen-
tatives of France or England, who could bear
them without indignant repudiation and an im-
mediate suspension of further diplomatic inter-
course with the unconscientious propounders. A
few days must, however, bring matters to a con-
clusion. Parliament will again assemble after
its protracted vacation on the 16th. Not an
hour should be lost by the community in giving
such utterance to the voice of public opinion that
it should necessarily penetrate to the inmost
recesses of the Royal Palaces at Westminster, and
prove that whatever may be the feelings of the
Government, the people of Great Britain are still
sound at heart and determined to act in a manner
befitting their ancient reputation.