The Sun.
London, England, 1855-04-26 00:00:00

LONDON, THURSDAY, APRIL 28, 1855.

The Representatives of the Western Powers
—whether in deference to " Germanism" or of
their own free will we leave our readers to judge
—seem to have displayed an extraordinary degree
of courtesy towards Russia at the recent Confer-
ences. There should, of course, have been po-
liteness of demeanour and a spirit of conciliation
exhibited, such as gentlemen will always evince
towards those with whom they may chance to be
brought in contact. But it should not be carried
to an exaggerated pitch, more especially when the
duty of the parties is to demand adequate redress
for gross and unwarrantable conduct.
It now appears that when the Third Point
came on for discussion no definite suggestion was
offered on behalf of the Allies, but it Was proposed
that the Russian representatives themselves should
take the initiative as to the means by which they
would give effect to the principle of that proposi-
tion. The result is known, and it could scarcely
have been different. Had it been the object of
the Western Plenipotentiaries to defeat the pend-
ing negotiations and to bring them to a ridicu-
lous and abortive conclusion, a more effectual
mode could not have been devised for the pur-
pose. Experience has shown that Russian Minis-
ters are incapable of appreciating such high-toned
and over-fastidious delicacy. They could not
conceive that men were really in earnest when

displaying so great consideration for the feelings (!)
of those from whom they were demanding conces-
sions. The conduct of Prince MENSCHIKOFF, on
his mission to Constantinople, before the invasion
of the Danubian Principalities, they could under-
stand, but not such extraordinary forbearance.
It is by no means improbable that this has
been the cause of the total failure of the Confer-
ence. It is, indeed, but part and parcel of the
same disastrous policy which, inaugurated by
" the dear and excellent" ABERDEEN, completely
deceived the late CZAR, and induced him to press
his unwarrantable demands by still more unjusti
fiable aggressions. Until the last moment, when
the victory of the Alma had been achieved, and
the assault on Sebastopol actually commenced, the
AUTOCRAT never supposed that we would really
take the field against his cohorts, or fancied that
there was more than a mere colourable resistance
to his ukase, sufficient to save the credit of the
ABERDEEN Government. He thought that, how-
ever emphatic might be our protests, we would
be satisfied with mere remonstrances, unti'
we submitted to what had been fait accompli,
and could therefore no longer be averted. The
unanimous spirit of the British nation, and the
inflexible resolution of our gallant Ally, however,
enforced a more vigorous policy than the senile
twaddler then at the head of the British Cabinet
anticipated ; and to his own surprise, as well as
that of the CZAR, the Earl of ABERDEEN was
obliged to assent to the invasion of the dominions
of " his friend of forty years' standing," and the
attack on the Russian stronghold in the Eux:_ne,
" the standing menace to Europe," and more espe-
cially to Constantinople ! We find that our re-
presentatives, however, still pursue the same
course, still induce Russia to hope that she may
avoid the disagreeable consequences of her own
aggressive policy.
It will also be seen from,the..answer of the
Earl of CLARENDON to Lord HARDWICKE, on TueS.
day evening, that no distinct statement can
be made as to the course likely to be adopted
by Austria in reference to the War. We
must totally dissent from the views taken by
the Noble Secretary for Foreign Affairs, that the
time not
called on to yet arrived when Austria could be
concert measures for carrying the
stipulations contained in the Treaty of the 2d De-
cember into ex •
e°l-Itßna- The Noble Earl justified
that conclusion, by stating that it was only on
g 000dwied
on the basis of the
Four Points that Austria
surely when the
negotiatiwasons bound to act. But
Cabinet
into at the
express instance of the
been broken up—when the Plenipotentiaries
Vienna have
France and Er, ;and have
derrlytelipoftentiaries of
on their homeward .route—wi,,, jetnia
• ted the Russia has peremptorily rejected demands of all the other
Powers, and refused to submit any counter pro-
positions, there no longer exists the slightest pre-
text for further procrastination if Austria desires
to act faithfully in accorclince with the spirit of
her engagement. Surely it would have been of
t importance that these terms should
have bees settled while Lord JOHN RUSSELL and
M. ipacnrinf Dn L'Hurys were on the spot, and
t*'l3 ab6e32" of any authentic information oa such
topio only Prwres :either that Austria is shirk'

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