The Sun.
London, England, 1865-10-10 00:00:00

Spain and Austria.

BRUSSELS, Oct. 8.
The Inde'pendance Beige of to-day publishes the
following diplomatic documents relative to the re-
cognition of Italy by Spain, and the manner in
which this act was viewed by Austria, of which a
summary has already been received by telegraph.
The first of these documents purports to be a
despatch from Senor Castro, Spanish Minister for
Foreign Affairs, to Senor Ayllon, Spanish Minister
Plenipotentiary at Vienna, and is as follows :
" Madrid, Aug. 3.

" Your Excellency,—The Austrian Charge
d'Affaires has read to me a despatch addressed to
him, under date of July 21, by Count Mensdorff, of
which, at my request, he has confidentially left me
a copy. As you may not be acquainted with that
document, I communicate it to you in the same con-
fidential manner. It is true that during the last
Ministry of the Duke of Tetuan the policy followed
by her Majesty's Government towards Italy was, up
to a certain point, in harmony with that of Austria ;
but it is no lees true that this conformity of views
did not proceed from any pre-existing agreement or
stipulations by virtue of which the two countries
were bound to follow the same policy in this ques-
tion.

" Spain and Austria have remained in accord so
long as they have been guided by their respective
interests. But neither Power lost its liberty of action
to take a different course upon this question as in
any other, so soon as their Government should
think fit.

" It is therefore difficult for me to comprehend
upon what reasons Count Mensdorff relies, in
affirming that the first act of this Ministry has
not answered his expectations. This assertion
would leave ground to suppose the existence of a
previous agreement confining within certain limits
the liberty of action which the Queen's Government
has always reserved in this matter, as in the general
conduct of its foreign relations.
" The bonds of mutual friendship and considera-
tion uniting Spain and Austria are numerous ; they
could only become still stronger from the moment
in which the Emperor considered it was in the inte-
rest of his States to modify the ancient institutions
of the empire in replacing them by others offering
great analogy with our own. There are also several
political questions on which the two Governments
may be agreed. Nevertheless, it would not be pos-
sible to admit with Count Mensdorff that Spain and
Austria have identical interests in Italy.
" We entertain a deep and earnest sympathy for
the princes of the Bourbon family who have lost their
States ; we have waited four yearsbefore recognising
the Kingdom of Italy, hoping that fresh events or
an agreement between the European Powers might
bring about a definitive settlement of so complicated
a question ; but when, during this period, the King-
dom of Italy has become consolidated, when the po-
litical and material interests of Spain counsel us to
recognise her, we do not think that it is possible ever
to bring against us a resolution which we have taken,
consulting before all the interest of the country, and
putting aside personal affection and purely dynastic
interests, which besides do not affect the royal fa-
mily of Spain. This resolution, on the contrary, can
only serve to prove the sincerity and disinterested-
ness of our conduct.

" As an exclusively Catholic Power, Spain takes
a deep interest in all that concerns the Holy See ;
but this interest, alien to any kind of political aspi-
ration, attaches purely and simply to the Holy Fa-
ther. Without doubting for a moment the just soli-
citude which animates Austria on behalf of the Su-
preme Head of the Catholic Church, it is neverthe-
less necessary to take into account that this Power
has interests in the Italian peninsula of another
kind, and this consideration would alone suffice to
establish that the identity of views referred to in
Count Mensdorff's despatch does not exist.
" Neither can I accept the opinion stated by the
Minister for Foreign Affairs, that the recognition of
accomplished facts in Italy should render it more
difficult for Spain to raise her voice on behalf of the
Holy See. In the conduct hitherto followed by the
Queen's Government one thing is positive, and that
is that all our efforts have hitherto been ineffectual
to attain the end we had in view. Besides, the re-
cognition of accomplished facts is not one of those
theories never yet put into practice.
4, Spain and Austria have always followed this
policy ; and, without going back to remote periods,
I will only revert to the fact that in 1830 and 1848
the two Powers recognised the facts accomplished
in France after the fall of the two branches of the
Bourbon family.

" And coming down to a more recent period, it
must not be forgotten that the Italian monarchy has
been recognised by all Europe, with few exceptions,
and that Austria herself has sanctioned the incor-
poration with the ancient kingdom of Piedmont of
one of the finest provinces of the new kingdom of
Italy.
" The motives which have guided our conduct
having been developed in the despatch addressed to
her Majesty's Ambassador at Rome, fresh explana-
tions on this subject are not necessary ; and I should
here conclude my despatch were it possible to pass
over in silence the obstructions contained in the
latter part of Count Mensdorff's despatch to the
Austrian Charge d'Affaires.
" I entirely share the opinion expressed by the
Minister for Foreign Affairs of his Apostolic Majesty
when he remarked that nothing was so delicate as
to put forward an opinion on the interior situation
of another Power. For this reason I should not
consider myself authorised to offer observations
upon the interior situation of the empire of Austria.
Therefore, while recognising the friendly intentions
by which Count Mensdorff has been guided, I ought,
perhaps, to abstain from replying to views of which
the Queen's Government must remain the sole judge.
M. de Mensdorff, however, insists so strongly
that the warm friendship of Austria for Spain is the
sole cause which has called forth upon his part reflec-
tions of this kind, that I think I ought in my turn
to reply to the friendly sentiments displayed by this
Minister by reassuring him as to the fears he seems
to entertain for the stability of the Queen's throne.
For this purpose it is sufficient to refer to history.