The Sun.
London, England, 1864-08-04 00:00:00

the words of Lord Bur.eigh, used "as charit ably a 5
such a thing can be," it was because policy cowl'
soiled discretion, and not through the exec 'cise o
any' " moral influence, 'which would have bi 'en en-
tirely thrown away. It is indeed just possible that
the King of Prussia saw the necessity of imposing
some restraint upon his haughty Minister. E'ren
Charles V. forbade the destruction of the tomb of
Luther. Be this, however, as it may, the gut stion for
European reflection is not so much the terms of the
transaction as its character. It is not prima riles that
Prussia has dismembered Denmark, but th the
ratification of her aggression by treaty es tab lisbes
a dangerous precedent. The securities for t he peace
of Europe have been signed away in the Confer-
ence at Vienna, and the confidence which lias su
sisted between the Powers is virtually at an
hn end'
Instead, therefore, of experiencing any fe6
approximating even to satisfaction, we must cis"
upon
the arrangement which has been determined
with considerable anxiety. It is based upon
ciple which can hardly fail to lead to a general nod,
The theory of nationality, as it is now explained'
means, if it moans anything, that a political nuifY,
constituting a State should include all who arc o!"
the same race, who speak the same languaffet an
a prin.
who
,have the same national character ; tijt/
peopies who live under a Government not of their
race are to be regarded as the victims of intolerable
oppression. Now, no country, not even France, bs9
ever realised this condition, and England
edly has under her sway the largest number of sun
ject races who are aliens by birth and langung9'
We have a confusion of tongues, every form of refl.'
gion is professed amongst us, and there is thereoll-
mon law for the whole population. Then is
Austria, made up of foreign dependenciee. Italians,
Hungarians, Poles, and Croats, her soldiers for the
undoubst:
moat part understand no more of the German lane
guage than is comprised in the words of comnianuf,
and the rank she holds has been assigned to her nchi
as. a German but as a European rower. Count
Bismarck, too, ought to pay assiduous worship
Nemesis ; for Prussia has. on this principle, an 90c
count to settle in Posen, if not on the Rhine.
.t
course it will be said that any attempt to carry 0111,0
doctrines soesubversive of all government Wonihda 31
instantly resisted. But by whom They have -11
carried out in Denmark, and Earope has wa.tch
the operation with philosophical equanimity•
however, if France or Russia were to undertake
same mission ? Russia did, in fact, set up a elf dai l 3
claim in appearing as the champion of what risSr,;: 0;
scribed as the rights ab antique of the
in Turkey ; bat then England and France nif'►eut
tamed the dominion of the Porte, and, 137, of
their blood and treasure to uphold the la. ^ted
Europe. At present that law has been vin '9iou
with impunity, and an act of lawless aggrt °Ay
is about to be consummated in a t
which will, ,we apprehend, be formally' ,nn rLe.
nicated, to, and acquiesced in by, all the Pia o
'I here is certainly one consolation. Austr is to
Prussia will assuredly be the first to suffer ue cler,:3o
new order of things they have inaugurateei- be
measure they have meted out to Denmark w'hsve
brought home to them with interest. It' 331; the
sown the storm and they will have to i! nary
whirlwind. It does not require any extra c' a:bey
prescience to bee what the end will be as "116 old
are concerned. A resuscitated Holy Alliau.,ce 'll tof
be blown down like a card house before th e 0,9614
Italian, Polish, and Hungarian nationals at•
their suicide can be a very serious and co stlYsviliorft
ter for Europe. The immediate effect of tbte lithe
they have been allowed to accomplish is la
re %red-
Powers must hold themselves in a state of PP; the
ness for war; while, as for the future, as tar
verging
eye can reach, everything appears to be eon is.
towards the great arbitrament which th 0 eniald
fu-
sion and the sufferance of wrong have rt. adore
evitable.