The Sun.
London, England, 1863-08-05 00:00:00

instruments ' • but in taking this view of the matter
he loses sight of the fact that alliance gives us the.
right and power of control, whilst, were we to stand_
aioof and take no part whatever in the affairs., or
Europe, we could have no right to interfere at the
last moment to prevent arrangements which migrlL
be eminently distasteful as well as disadvantageous
to us. On the other hand, there are those vab°
would rush Quixotically to arms for causes yet ief
determinate, but which they surround with a halo,
to them distinct, of " nationality" and liberty. We
must beg once more to be allowed to state the
question in the simple light in Which we see It-
Russia having, by bad government, provoked an
insurrection in Poland, and having disregarded the
quiet remonstrances of impartial observers, has
rendered nearly the whole of Europe inimical tct
her policy. That is the present position of affairs.
The conclusion is much too far off to be jumped at.
Things standing thus, it is evident we cannot
acquiesce in the right of tyranny which Russia
do facto claims, nor in the disregard of treaties
.vhieh she practically enforces. But we are far
from war. Our dockyards are tranquil, and
Woolwich undisturbed. Abroad the same exPec'
tation of peace stiii exists. The _French Minister
of War only the other day gave leave to fifteen
thousand men, and in Austria the bustle of mili-
tary preparation is still unheard. Nor can we yet
see why it should be otherwise. The moral force
of Europe is a thing not to be despised, and it is in
full activity. We have solid ground to stand upoa
in the treaties of 1815. Russia has admitted It
and if, in conjunction with our allies, we earnestly
push home our just arguments, and fair claims,
they can hardly fail to be attended to. At the pre-
sent moment we aro about to despatch a rejd.uder
to Prince Gortschakoff's note. It was, indeed, pro-
posed that France and Austria and ourselves should
present a joint note to the Russian Cabinet, but it
has been thought simpler and not less efficacious to
adhere to the plan hitherto pursued of addressing
separate notes identical in idea; and this plan is
therefore to be pursued upon the present OCCaSiOn•
The three Powers, allied for negotiation, will thus
preserve their individuality of action as well as their
unity of sentiment. The force of this joint de-
monstration cannot fail to make itself felt at St.
Petersburg, and we trust that the Emperor maY
listen willingly to words which deserve his best
attention. The Czar himself can desire no appeal
to the ultima ratio, an argument which none of
those who now address him wish to employ. The
end can surely be attained without a means so over-
whelmingly disproportionate to it. Russia is in
the wrong; surely sound reason can demonstrate
that Russia is isolated, a fact which may assist her
conviction. We hold it, then, very premature to
look forward to a disturbance of European peace
because the forces employed in negotiation are
ample in proper hands to secure the triumph ofjua-
tice and the cause of order. If three great Powers,
with many others to back them, cannot carry to a
successful issue a negotiation based upon the writ-
ten letter of living treaties, we may well despair
of diplomacy altogether, and think that we have
once more entered upon the age of iron. Cannon
balls might then succeed to winged words; but it
would be a disgrace to our age if justice to Poland
and to Europe could not be obtained without re-
course to brute force. We have boasted that opinions
are stronger than armies, and in this matter which
now disturbs us, if we can count triple phalanxes at
against the Czar, we can also reckon the weight of
unanimous reason against isolated wrong.