The Sun.
London, England, 1864-07-11 00:00:00

the first place, with feelings of regret to the absence
of Lord DERBY, and a very general expression of
regret seemed to be felt at the non-attendance of the
noble earl. Few of the most prejudiced partisans of
Government could fail to concur with the noble lord
when he lamented the violation of the Treaty of
1852. That he truly designated as a very bad pre-
cedent. Nothing can be more correct than this, for
the want of good faith exhibited by the Prussians,
and in a manner, sanctioned by the other Powers,
cannot be too much deplored or too deeply
regretted. All the trouble and anxiety that were
expended upon the formation of that Treaty are
thrown away, all the hopes that were indulged in
as to its efficacy are now frustrated, and there is
nothing but disappointment in the whole affair.
Well may statesmen and orators complain of such
a state of things, and declaim against the authors
of the outrage. Lord MALMESBURY reviewed the
complicated details of this vexed question with
great clearness, and also with considerable modera-
tion. There was great force in the allusions he
made to the want of policy displayed by the Go.
vernment. They went on in a vacillating manner,
and did not seem to have made up their minds what
line to pursue, until they reached that degrading
point when, as Lord MALMESBURY emphatically de-
scribed it, Earl RUSSELL had to propose himself the
dismemberment of a kingdom the integrity of which
was considered essential to the welfare of Europe
and dear to the feelings of the people of this coun-
try. This was not the worst, however, for when
he had submitted to the indignity of making this
proposition, he was obliged to endure a refusal from
the "triumphant Germans." Never, in modern
times, has there been such a flagrant instance of
incapacity exhibited in cur foreign relations, and
political opponents have seldom had a case out of
which they could make so much capital in the wry
of recrimination and abase. It cannot be said,
however, that this license was carried to ex-
tremity on the part of the Opposition in either
branch of the Legislature. The scene that occurred
in the House of Commons was entirely owing to
the mismanagement of the Treasury bench, and no
one to the left of the Speaker had to retract his
words, and own that his remarks were injudicious
and ill-timed: Lord MALMESBURY could not better
have wound up his remarks than by quoting pas-
sages from two speeches made by Lord PALMER-
STON, which are totally dissimilar in tone and pur-
port. One was the famous one of last year, in which
he declared that "it was an important matter of
British policy to maintain the integrity and inde-
pendence of the Danish monarchy," and the other
discourse was the extraordinary one lately delivered
to the House, in which he said that nothing short
of the war assuming the most frightful proportions
could induce this country to reconsider i;s present
determination of preserving peace. It will be a
subject of regret to many that Lord BROUGHAM
should have put himself up as the earnest apologist
of Ministers. Surely such a position is unworthy
of his past reputation, and inconsistent with the
principles of which he has always been
so strenuous an advocate. He seemed to go out of
his way to use terms of the strongest kind to express
his decision. He said that he had never entertained
more decided opinions than those which he felt
bound to express on that occasion. His attempt to
explain away the significant expression of Lord
PALMERSTON that Denmark would not stand
alone if any attempt was made to interfere
with her rights and independence, was
extremely feeble. The noble lord had endeavoured
to make out that this bore reference to France and
Russia quite as much as to this country. All that
need be said in respect to this remarkable interpre-
tation is, that it has come too late ; aid if it were
so, how is it that the Speaker himself did not thus
reply to the attacks made upon him concerning his
iaconsistency in making such a declaration, and
then acting in contradiction to it. Earl RUSSELL's
virtuous indignation respecting the charges that
were brought against him would have been ludi•
crous had the subject not been one of grave im-
port to many. This is a strange time to indulge
in boasts of endeavouring to promote peace and to
maintain justice, and a still stronger to choose for
exulting in the conviction of promoting freedom
in Europe and throughout the world. No one who
has studied politics attentively can say that there
is the slightest foundation for these grandiloquent
assertions, and for the sake of consistency it is
well that the verdict of the majority of the noble
lord's auditory was recorded against him.

The arrival of the Bombay mail shows us that the
Affghans are not yet tranquil. Sirdar MAHoarep
AZIM KHAN. the brother of SECERE ALI KHAN, the
Chief of Affghanistan, has made an attempt to re•
volutionise the country, dethrone his brother, the
AMEER, and seize the reins of government. In this
attempt he failed, the AMEER having, by some
means, learned his plans, and completely
frustrated them. AZIM KHAN fled to Kobat, where
he took refuge with the British Commissioner of
the district. His brother, the Ameer, has sent an
envoy to Peshawur, soliciting the aid of the British
Government in reducing his refractory relatives to
order, but this appeal has, perhaps judiciously, been
refused. Meanwhile, active steps are being taken
to bring the Bhootians to reason. The 10,000
rupees hitherto paid them on the frontier of Assam,
as subsidy, are to be stopped ; a tract of land at the
foot of the Bhootan hills is to b 3 annexed to British
territories, and the Bhoatan frontier is to be gar-
riscned by troops who are to prevent all supplies
from passing to the hill tribes from British India.
This is a very practical method cf bringing them to
theiresenses, since they are dependent en us for most
of their supplies. There is consequently good
reason to hope that this outbreak, which at one
time was feared would assume a serious degree of
importance, will be speedily put down, and our
authorities will be left to direct those matters of
internal administration and reform which are so
much needed throughout the whole country. We
have not succeeded in uprooting the savage fanati-
cism of the Hindoes, and we cannot hope to produce
a perceptible change in their tone of thought for
many years to come, but we can repress ita outward
manifestation. It is right, wise, and prudent to
show a kindly toleration to the ignorance and pre-
judice which no denunciations will enlighten, but
which we may hope to overcome by gradual and
patient endeavour. But we must not let our tole-
rance carry us so far as to countenance actions that
cre an outrage on our feelings and principles as a
Christian nation; and since we undertake the
maintenance of public order we have every right to
enforce our conviction in this matter. In many
instances, such as the disposal of the dead, it has
been thought wiser and better to defer enforcing
a much required change until the Hindoo mind was
more willing to accept it ; and however great may
be the necessity of sanitary reform, the decision
was not to be questioned. But the treatment of the
dead and of the living are two
very different
things; and our authorities have usually always
been careful to draw the line between harmless
prejudice and mischievous fanaticism. lira may,
therefore, hope that a cruel case of suttee which has
just occurred in Meywor will not pass unnoticed.
A eon of the Rajeh of Beygoon having died, his
body was committed to the filmes, but his unfortu-
Age widow was RIK) thrown on the pile and held