The Sun.
London, England, 1854-07-13 00:00:00

PRUSSIAN DUPLICITY.

Business
this day.

ss.
The alliance of France and England in the affairs
of the East being firmly established, and the hos-
tility of these powers to the claims of Russia openly
declared, the next consideration in these momen-
tous questions has been the conduct of the German
Powers, and the necessity of combating day by day,
and foot by foot, the influence which Russia has
exerted, and still continues to exercise, on some of
the Courts of that country. So tenacious is this
influence, that at the very moment when the
strongest hopes are entertained that the time of
hesitation is at length past some fresh oppostion is
started in one part or another of the Confederation,
and we are disagreeably reminded that even among
those States which have bound themselves by pro-
tocols and by treaties to the policy of the Western
Powers Russia still numbers her adherents and
secret allies. We do not mean to imply by these
remarks that we have any reason to doubt the con-
sistent resolution of the Emperor of Austria to ad-
here to the system of policy which he has adopted,
and to fulfil the engagementsaements he has contracted
with the belligerent engagements
; but the difficulties
and (hangers against which Austria has to contend
are incalculably increased by the obstacles thrown
in her way by those States which ought to be her
nearest confederates and allies, for the' experience
of the last few months has shown beyond question
that Prussia and some of the minor German Courts
have engaged in these negotiations chiefly for the
purpose of affording to Russia all the assistance
they could venture to give to a cause they had
ostensibly condemned. Early in the spring
the convention between the Four Powers which
Austria herself had proposed, was defeated by the
timidity of the King of Prussia and the machina-
tions of the Russian party in Berlin. The conven-
tion was changed into a protocol, to which Prussia
gave a reluctant assent ; and this protocol was
followed by a treaty with Austria, in which the
contingency of war was limited to one or two
occurrences which were thought beyond the reach
of probability. Austria then proceeded to nego-
tiate a further treaty of her own with the Porte,
whereby she engaged to occupy the Principalities,
and the order. was already sent to the Imperial
Generals to enter Little Wallachia, when Prussia
availed herself of this pretext to make an abrupt
and angry declaration that she should withdraw
from the treaty of the 20th of April if this occupa-
tion were carried into effect, as it seemed likely to
be, by the forcible expulsion of the Russian troops.
Meanwhile the answer of the Emperor Nicholas
was brought by Colonel Manteuffel to Berlin,
and, although all that is known of this commu-
nication is obviously inconsistent with every
principle laid down by the Four Powers, Prussia
affects to treat it as a suitable basis for further
negotiation, and has sent off her emissaries in
consequence to different parts of Europe. We
believe, however, that it is a mistake to suppose
that Colonel Manteuffel is despatched on a mis-
sion to this country, for Count Bernstorff,
the new Prussian Envoy to this Court, is expected
to arrive to-morrow, and will, no doubt, be the
bearer of the last contrivances of the peacemaker of
Potsdam. It is worthy of a passing remark that one
of the last conditions of Russia, to the effect that
France and England shall evacuate the Ottoman
territory pare passe with her own forces, is identical
with the proposition made by the Conference of
the minor German Powers at Bamberg, and was no
doubt suggested by those agents whose interest it
was calculated to serve.
It matters little whether the King of Prussia
is the dupe or the author of those intrigues, but he
is surrounded by an unscrupulous cabal of men
who are not ashamed to prostitute their rank in
the service of a German power to the exclusive
advancement of Russian interests, and who prac-
tise their arts with success on the vanity and the
enthusiasm of their Sovereign. In comparison
with the bulk of the German people, and with
the whole phalanx of men who are ready in all
ranks, from the heir apparent of the throne
down to the youngest subaltern in the army, to
do their duty to their country, and to defend the
honour of Prussia and the common interests of
Europe, this camarilla forms an insignificant
minority. It is the conspiracy of a faction main-
taining itself chiefly as the instrument of a foreign
Power, and supported only by the most reac-
tionary party in the Prussian dominions. But in
the present state of that country this faction is
omnipotent, and the apparent concessions they
have suffered the King to make to the policy of
the Western States were only designed to impose
on public opinion, to extort a loan on false pre-
tences from the Chambers, and to retain that
position in the Conference of Europe, which they
have used for the purposes of their Russian
master, at the expense of their German country.
We speak thus plainly because we are satisfied
that from first to last in these transactions
Prussia has been playing false to the Wes-
tern Powers and false to Austria, that all her
moves have in reality been dictated by Baron
Budberg or from St. Petersburg ' • and that, unless
some great change is brought about, we shall see
her play a still more ambiguous and hostile game
in the course of the important events which are
impending over Europe.
The interests now at stake in this war, and in
the great political questions which have been
opened, against our will, by the aggressive policy
of Russia, are far too serious to admit of this
trickery ; and Prussia, the least powerful and the
least secure of the leading European Powers, has
no claim to thwart and overrule the policy of the
mighty empires which have admitted her to their
confidence and friendship. Assailable alike by
each of the Four Powers, and on every point of
her frontier, Prussia appears to forget that she
owes her present territorial existence to the public
law of Europe rather than to her own strength or
union ; and, should she persevere in a course which
detaches her alike from Austria and from England,
she runs the risk of kindling a war in Europe by
which she would be the most certain and imme-
diate sufferer. But, without at obce contemplating
these extreme consequences, and assuming only
that Prussia retains that isolated and selfish posi-
tion which is occupied by her present rulers,
enough has occurred to release the other Powers
from any obligation to consult her convenience or
her opinions. At the present moment the Prus-
sian ports in the Baltic are reaping a rich harvest
by the indirect Russian trade, and they are lending
their active commercial assistance to the enemies
of England and France. If, however, the Prus-
sian Government should provoke the forbearance
of the Allied Powers beyond its utmost limits,
and attempt to use its position for the purpose of
checking the necessary operations in the East, and
of nullifying its own engagements, the maritime
States have the means at hand to check in turn
this species of clandestine alliance with their adver-
sary, and to insist upon conduct more consistent
with the principles which the Cabinet of Berlin has
at least professed to follow. We are confident that
the sentiments of Germany are with us in this con-
test. We are satisfied that no event could occur so
fatal to the independence, the national interests,
and the honest pride of the German people, as a
rupture with the Western States of Europe, or a
breach of the treaty so recently concluded between
the Courts of Berlin and Vienna. The union of
Germany and the stability of Europe depend on
the maintenance of those relations, for he who is
not with us is against us ; and it is impossible to
regard that " friendly neutrality" which Russia
demanded of her German allies otherwise than as a
wilful complicity in the policy of a Power against
which we have been compelled to draw the sword.
in
Prussia has formally recognised our good right
this war, and has even pledged herself to co-operate
for the attainment of the same objects • ' so far
we are willing to accept her
Western Powers and
engagements to ad-
vance in the course which the
Austria are gradually pursuing
in the position
in ; but, if she hold
back or betray us, we see not
of Prussia to entitle her any degree to influence
the decisions of Europe ; she will not retard by a
single day our military operations, nor advance by
_
a single day our diplomatic negotiations, and the
wisest and most dignified resolution, both for Aus-
tria and for ourselves, is to pursue the course
which our policy prescribes without reference to a
State which must eventually follow in our path.—
Times.

FAILURE,--The stoppage has been announced of Mr.
Mark Gopcevitch, the nephew and London cones-
pondent of Mr. Spiridone Gopcevitch, whose failure at
Trieste for a sum supposed to be equal at least to
250,000/., was mentioned on Saturday. It appears that
since the difficulties of the Trieste house transpired Mr.
Mark Gopcevitch has continued to meet his acceptances
to a considerable amount, but the absence of further re-
rnittances compelled him to suspend. On Monday and
Saturday bills to the extent of nearly 20,0001. were
duly met, but the acceptances still running here are
supposed to be from 120,000/. to 150,000/. They are,
however, rather extensively distributed, so that the
damage will not fall with extreme severity on any in-
dividual holders.
THE MORTALITY ON BOARD THE DIREGO--Up to
Tuesday evening 44 cases of cholera had proved fatal
on board the emigrant ship Dirego, lying in the Mersey-
and 10 more cases were under treatment, of which one-
half it was feared would not survive. The owners and the
emigration officer, Lieutenant Prior, have been unremit-
ting in their attentions in any way that can be useful.
They have engaged iron houses and procured a site at
Birkenhead for the reception of the patients, and have
taken every means possible to prevent the spread of the
disease. The Dirego was on her first trip, being quite
new, and before she left had undergone a searching
nex-
amination.and She was well lighted and ventilated,
a
well found in every respect. It is supposed that the
disease was communicated by a family that came from
Southampton, and were almost the Lut the 54°34:44"
before the noel