The Sun.
London, England, 1863-06-18 00:00:00

lesson has been learnt, the efforts of the Democratic
party are necessarily futile.
DAILY NEws.—All the world is watching the
present crisis in the lives of the Crown Prince and
Princess of Prussia. When England's elde t daugh-
ter left her country for a new home, it was with a
Lair prospect of a peaceful throne in a rising king-
dom, which, by a simple fidelity to constitutional
principles and usages, could hardly fail to become
the head of Germany, and the guide to a new period
of German greatness in Europe. The perils which
had beset the period of consolidation of the hetero-
geneous elements of the Prussian monarchy,
especi-
ally during the unsettled state of government iu
France, might be outgrown from day to ay by .a
firm adoption of the constitutional principle in
which Prussia seemed then far in advance of Aus-
tria. There could he no doubt of the constitutional
dispositions of the.Pruasian people, with the excep-
tion of the small reactionary party.who had spoiled
the late reign, but could easily be prevented fram
doing more mischief, and that prevention seemed to
be secured by the pledges of the King first, and
afterwards by the hearty concord between the heir
and the royal family and people of England. This
fair prospect has become drearily overclouded. The
heir to the Prussian throne has already seen his
future staked on a game as wicked and a hazard as
wild as is possible in these days; and at this mo-
ment he finds himself, without any act of his own,
forced to choose his side, and take part either with
his father and King against the Prussian people, or
with the people against the King. It is a cruel
position, but the mine must be made ; pains and
penalties are attached to either alternative ; no wig'
dom or courage can ward them off entirely; but
one thing is clear—that hesitation, weakness, or
paltering will bring on absolute ruin. At all cost
of personal feeling the Prince must stand by the
rights of the Prussian people, or his humiliation is
as sure as his father's. The only disclosure the
world has yet had of the Prince's state of mind is
:n the few sentences he spoke at Dantzic ; and in
them we see the very paltering which is his worst
course. He virtually disclaims all sympathy with
the degree of June 1 against the press; but he
adds an intolerably foolish anticipation of " glory"
to Prussia from the action of the King, which all
the world besides regards as insane and wicked.
Happily, the chance is afforded him of retrieving
this first step. He has been so far called to ac-
count by the Government as to afford him oppor-
tunity to separate himself decisivelyfrom his father's'
despotic policy ; and the people good-naturedly re-
gard as idle words of conventional propriety the
boast in which they know there can be no sin-
cerity. If the Prince has any true idea of the im-
portance of the juncture to himself, to his country,
and to all Europe, he must see that he has some-
thing else to do than to keep out of sight, and to
evade the obligation of saying what he thinks. In
the present unsettled and menacing condition of
Europe, the hope of civilisation is in the youthful-
ness of so many candidates for sovereignty; and of
these heirs he is the eldest and the first in the
world's eyes. It is a singular juncture when one
boy has refused, and another has acdepted the
throne of Greece ; when the two sons-in-law of the
Queen of England and her second son are to be
rulers in Germany; and when the sister of the
King of Greece is destined tia beEmpress of Russia.
When we consider the youth of the King of Portu-
gal, and that the Emperor of Austria is showing
himself not too old to learn and improve, we mai
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feel that the destinies of nations are confided to
new generation, at a period which posterity will re-
gard as most critical. Whether political progress
shall advance peacefully and prosperously, or
whether the confusions of the last and early pre-
sent century shall be repeated, depends mainly 00
whether this company of youths and maidens have
or have not the ability and good sense to study
effectually the lessons of political history. Nevi
is their time for such study. Some are so young
that they can at present learn only what they bar
pen to be taught; but with the Prince of Prussia
this is not the case; and if his political training
proves a failure, the sin, as well as the consequences
will be on his own head.