The Sun.
London, England, 1865-05-01 00:00:00

in
We say nothing of the fact that Holstein belongs
the first place to the Federation, for the Kaiser mai,
at heart approve a savage snub to the Diet, and
nothing of the injury done to the Duchy, for Francis
Joseph cares very little about duchies, but we con-
fine ourselves to the slap on the cheek thus dealt out
to him. Is it possible that the Austrian House allows
property to which it has legal right to be dealt with
by the Parliament of its hereditary rival as matter
of purely domestic concern? And yet if it does not,
then we are driven back upon that secret alliance
which involves such extraordinary trickery for no
conceivable end. Austria and Prussia in settling
the destination of the Duchies violate
DO
tional law, break no promises which will hurt ,tat
consciences of Hohenzollerns or IIapsburgs, neglect
no principle the force of which they have ever ace
knowledged. As to external interference, they ha"
only to announce their union to make such Inter-
ference hopeless, or at least to place themselves in
wort,
position in whichi defence would not involve
risk than the prize is worth. 'Why, then, should they
be at the pains to act out an intrigue which call
deceive themselves and will deceive nobody else,,
We believe that the second solution is, despite al'
apparent difficulties, the true one, and that Aus-
tria, is really unable for the moment to run the
risk of any act, or even any remonstrance, laic l
might provoke the Prussian Court to an *pe!
to force. So numerous and inveterate are her ene-
mies, so wretched is the condition of her finances'
interne'
and so dispirited is her Court, that even withis
the support of the minor States she feels
unequal to a great war. The prosperity of e he
people and the popularity of the reigning hnua•ii,
possible sway in North Italy and certain poerea-
wer
Germany, have all alike been sacrificed to the erhe'er
tion of a magnificent army, and now, when •
rival makes a clutch at the one object of arabitie
left on earth to a Hapsburg, the old Imperial Cron
that army is found useless because incapable,1e
movement without a crash which would bring 1„
old fabric down. Never was there such a satire L'is'
military monarchy. The population of Austria
forty millions and that of Prussia barely nineteen,
her revenue is more than double, her army nearly
threefold in number, her German alliances at least
eight times as powerful, and yet Prussia takesal
a port which half belongs to her without gcnt
through the formality of first asking permissilll'il
is a strange position for the Muse of Hap Herr
and it involves this very important result .`";mit
von Bismark has only to come to some agreem-nd
with the French to swallow the Duchies whole, 1:de
see North Germany at his feet. All other pot' io
rivals have been beaten. Russia needs supPo!Ain
Berlin to keep the chronic revolt in Poland
bounds, is at this moment sending out acrid cireuw4,
about the danger to which the revolutionary Paf,t.
of Europe—i.e., the Bonapartes—continue t0 to
pose her. Austria, as we have seen, is powerlesaie,
interfere. Great Britain would be, on the vill°00
rather pleased to see Prussia become a consider% is
maritime power, and does not forget that when a a
said Berlin does not love the Pope. Italy -*vela:110f
anything which gratifies her well-founded dislik it
Vienna, and the Diet—well, the Diet, knowalbyout
cannot avoid being cooked, is chiefly anxionsagerr
the sauce. There remains France alone, and lt',„,ace
von Bismark can offer France compensation, -"-iie$
is not to be feared. We utterly reject all the st°he,
which exiles are always repeating of bargains to
tween Napoleon and the ci-devant Ambassau700
his Court, of concerted cessions and planned Bavaria,
campaigns for plundering territory from 133%ev,
and accept only the one visible fact. grw° Too,
both daring, both ambitious, both unscrue,
and both desirous for solid reasons of territorialfy
grandisement, can, if they will but agree, grthati ose '
their passion. One does. not perceive under be
circumstances what the " balance of power" can
considered worth.