The Sun.
London, England, 1865-01-26 00:00:00

prevail in that quarter, repressed as they were, and
due consideration of consequences, and the cer-

tainty that little or no effect would follow upon the
most earnest remonstrances and the most energetic

*complaints. Indeed the Ministers seemed to be at
great pains to assure both Houses that the intentions
of the CROWN were fully resolved upon, and that

no change or alteration would or could take place.

Such a course at the beginning of the Session is
very ominous, and one cannot but ask, What will
happen before its close ? However short-tried may

- -
be its term, thanks to the caprice of Royalty,

and the indignation of Ministers, it must sur-

prise many to mark the style in which Herr
- .

VON BISMARK has opened the campaign. There is

certainly no attempt at the suaviter in modo, and

so it is to be presumed that we have only to
look out for the fortiter in re as the type of the

picture and the signs of the times. Thus, in the
Upper House, we find M. BISMARK declaring that
it was impossible to end the " altercation" by
altering the present organisation of the army ;
and in the Chamber of Deputies the Minister of
the Interior corroborated the statement, by saying
that the " KING would not yield a single point
on the question of military reform." It comes to
this, that all constitutional government is virtually
at an end in Prussia. It is all very well
to talk and argue about the due respect en-
tertained in high places for the rights of
the Diet and the liberties of the people,
but such language is mere clap-trap, and cannot take
in those who judge for themselves and watch the
course of events. If it is once laid down as an esta-
blished law at the outset of the Session, that the
KING and his Ministers have considered their plans,
laid down their laws, and definitely settled their
coming policy, of what avail is the wisdom of coun-
sellors and what effect will be produced by any
actors, however eloquent, or any senators, however
sapient ? It is merely to keep up appearances that
the Prussian Chambers are opened at all, and most
likely when the game has been played out the whole
affair will be crushed up, and the curtain will fall
upon the farce of legislation, that may, who
can say how, shortly be developed into a tragedy.
It is melancholy to witness such a degradation of the
liberties of Prussia, and such a decadence in the
policy of a country to which the surrounding States
of Europe looked with confidence and even hope,
believing that the day-spring of enlightenment and
the march of mindhad dawned upon its course and
would adorn its progress. In all these bright ex-
pectations we can behold nothing but disappoint-
ment, and retrograde steps are fast undoing all that
had been effected in the right direction. It is in-
sulting to common sense for a Minister to address a
Chamber as Herr VON BISMARK (Nes, and he lowers
his own reputation by doing so, while he cannot
possibly take in those whom he harangues. It must
be a dull mind, indeed, that cannot under-
stand the mortifying fact that from the
much vaunted Minister of State he can gain nothing
satisfactory, and expect nothing creditable. In one
respect he is candid enough when he states that had
they not entered into an alliance with Austria there
would have been war between the Federal Diet and
Denmark, for the " former would not have taken
into consideration our plans for the organisation of
the Duchies." Certainly there may be a great deal of
truth in this, for it is not every one who could have
patience to consider these said plans, and to tolerate
the impertinent assumption that has formed them.
The state of affairs in the Chamber of Deputies
proved how very insecure is the position that all
hold in that assembly, and the proposal made
to present no address, " since it would
have no result, and only tend to aggra-
vate matters, speaks volumes as to the
sentiments entertained by the Chamber. It is
of no use for the few and far between defenders of
their rights to start up when such a fatal blunder
was made last year, in relinquishing the liberties of
home for the sake of promoting the war abroad,
and it will not be until after many a struggle that
the Prussians can reinstate themselves in the same
position that they occupied previously. Indeed the
chances are against their ever doing so, for already
are signs and tokens that herald an approaching
storm, and speak but badly for the future prospects
of Prussia, and her desire to keep her ill-gotten
possessions in security. France is not so supine
as England, and the day cannot be far
distant when new actors will appear on
the scene, and the tables may be turned upon those
who have so long set right at nought, and trampled
upon the liberties of their own people and the
sacred institutions of other States. M. DROUYN
DE LHUYS' last despatch concerning Schleswig-
Holstein is a portentous one, and may not be very
long in bearing fruit that neither of the allied Ger-
man Powers will much relish. He gives a hint
that means much, coming from such a quarter, that
France will not be satisfied if Austria and Prussia
agree to dispose of the Duchies without first con-
sulting the wishes of the German Confederation.
It is not probable that this communication will be
very graciously received by the august Powers to
whom it is addressed ; but there is no likelihood
that it will at all influence their decisions or change
their tactics. Spoiled by prosperity may well be
said of both these pretentious Powers, but more
especially of Prussia. It has been false kindness on
the part of her allies to allow her her own way
and she will soon be forced to tread in the paths
that have no affinity to those of pleasantness and
peace. Both at home and abroad this session has
opened very inauspiciously for Herr VON BISMARK
and his sovereign.

The influence of the Manchester School has had
so considerable an effect on our modern politics dur-
ing the last few years that the utterances of its
leaders can never be regarded with indifference.
Their principles, it is true, are pretty well known
by this time, and if the line of action to which they
would commit the country be somewhat narrow and
selfish, somewhat short-sighted and exclusive, it can
be so easily clothed in high-sounding phrases and
magnanimous platitudes that it passes muster very
successfully at public provincial meetings. There
ingenious
ofx
is, of course, a good deal of common sense and of
truth mixed up
infusion
witmatter,h less
andan
orators
well with the manufacturing
class,
but unprejudiced
lookers-on who have heard the same thing over and
over again for a good many years, begin to ask
what it all comes to ? How is it that these gentle-
men, if they have the great question of Reform sin-
cerely at heart, and have, as we can see, so much
influence in official quarters, cannot succeed in get-
ting a Reform Bill even talked about ? They have
wrested the repeal of the Paper Duties from the
always reluctant Chancellor of the Exchequer for
the benefit of an indifferent people, who, if they
had been offered the choice, would greatly have pre-
ferred cheap tea, cheap sugar, cheap beer, to cheap
paper, while the tax on prudence, in the shape of
the Fire Insurance Duty is far more ob-
i jectionable than the so-called taxes on
knowledge. It was certainly no regard for
the
papermaker that influenced the abolition,
since whatever Mr. GLADSTONE gave with the right
hand Mr. et
...MBDEN
took away double with the left,
and the papermaker,
would very gladly have been
rid of both their bar
gaanF4. But the Manchester