The Sun.
London, England, 1864-08-20 00:00:00

Nevertheless, it is possiole to drive a hard bargain
too far. If the Imperial Government is diecredited
acid betrayed, it may yet prove a troublesome credi-
tor to Prussia. Now, again, and it may be for the
last time, Austria stands at the parting of the WeYe.
Either way she will have to make a sacrifice, and
the chief question for her to consider is as to the
company she chooses to travel with. If, as judging
from her antecedents, is most likely, she elects to go
with the Power that has committed her to its peril'
one policy, Europe will immediately comptehenid,
what the step means, and her " nationalities" will
rejoice over an ant of suicide. Her splendid army
would then be virtually commanded from Berlin,
and Prussia would become the leader of the Ger-
manic Confederation. But eventually Venetia would
all the same have to be surrendered to Italy. No
matter what secret treaties are signed, Prussia would
not venture to send a regiment to help to garrison
the Quadrilateral when the French legions bad
crossed the Alps. Boasting is cheap, and the Ge"
man papers are suffered to use it freely ; but when
words have to be translated into deeds, we shall
hear another story. Prussia has done as much, and
no more, than she was permitted to do. That is the
sum of her vaunted exploits. She has acquired ter-
ritory which will hang like a mill-stone round her
neck, and she has gained victories that Europe gay°
to her. She has been allowed to sow a storm that
she may reap a whirlwind, and the whips she has
been flourishing about will be turned into scorpions
for her own back. It will not take long to demon-
strate, even to the infatuation of Austria, that the
spoliation of Denmark represents prophetically the
segregation of Germany. 'When the King of
Prussia returns to Berlin be expects, it is said,
to have the honour of entertaining the Czar,
and if frequent personal communication
could
bring about a perfect understanding between
the three Powers which have taken it ni)n
themselves to settle the affairs of the Contt-
new, their alliance—holy or unholy—might be
thought to be formidable. On the other hand,
however, these repeated conferences may e
indicatpre'
an appreciation of approximate danger, or the
Bence of obstacles to a satisfactory arrangeleent.
Never, certainly, did sovereigns meet together to
deliberate on a more stupendous undertaking, and
the very calm that prevails, the stillness and repose
that are everywhere visible, must be a source of eU"
barrassment to them. They would know how, i°
deal with insurrections; if passion was runntng
breast high they would be in their element. But
this silence, the absence of all agitation, end t"-
quietude which reigns around, are not to be so
easily explained and set at rest. Austria, it is true'
should recollect a time.when the theatres of Venice
were all closed, when the population put on Warn
ing attire, and when regularly every day mute Pro-
cessions passed through the streets, only pausing
a moment before the prison in which the pat,rl°,
leader of a coming revolution were confined. "°,;
that which may seem marvellous to Princes and.
Ministers, who turn a deaf ear alike to the instruc;
tion of history and the admonition of still recent
events, is no enigma in the Cabinets and countries
which are guided by a policy emanating from the
will of the people; and the Government of Vienna,
at all events, must be aware that the voice cynic
proclaimed in memorable words, " Austria e!
brought matters to such an extremity that she WI"
either rule up to the Alps, or Italy be free unto the
Adriatic," has lost none of the power which only
paused in a career of victory to avert a general holly
and, nd, with a consideration which has been w
ignored h°l7o
in the attack upon Denmark, to p
rurient
the European equilibrium by saving an
empire from imminent dissolution.