The Sun.
London, England, 1854-03-24 00:00:00

SPIRIT OP THE PUBLIC JOURNALS.

THE WAR IN VTR EAST.
(From the Times.)
Although no authentic information has yet been
received of the Emperor of Russia's answer to the
ultimatum of the Western Powers, and the intelli-
gence published by several journals on this point
has been in anticipation of the event, several cir-
cumstances of comparatively minor importance
mark the steady and gradual progress of events to
that catastrophe • which the passions and the ob-
stinacy of a single man have unhappily rendered
inevitable. The announcement contained in this
journal that the Governments of England and
France had resolved to summon Russia to pledge
herself in six days to evacuate the Principalities,
on pain of a declaration of war, appears to have
reached St. Petersburg before the courier who was
the bearer of that message ; for, although we •did
not publish the fact until after his departure from
this country, the circumstance that he was 'di-
rected to go by way of Vienna, and was slightly
detained there, caused him to be longer on the
road than the ordinary course of the post. It is
said, arid not without probability, that the Empe-
ror Nicholas exclaimed, an learning the nature of
the communication addressed to him, that he could
answer it in six minutes as well as in six days ;
but we shall not be surprised to find that he has
availed himself of every pretext to gain time, and
we have reason to believe that considerable impe-
diments were offered to retard the journey of the
British courier on his way from Vienna to St. Pc-
tersburgh. The interval has been used by Russia
to increase and improve her preparations for de-
fence in the Baltic provinces and in Finland, while
she has exerted all her diplomatic influence, not
without some appearance of success, in Berlin and
Vienna.
Meanwhile, however, the fleets have been
steadily approaching their destination. Sir Charles
Napier having first conveyed his powerful squad-
ron to Wing° -Sound, favoured by a south-west
wind, which took the ships to the coast of Sweden
in little more than 48 hours, has now arrived at
Copenhagen, where he landed at once to pay his
respects to the King of Denmark. It is probable
that ere this the whole fleet has entered the Baltic,
by the Belt or by the Sound, and we have infor-
mation that four French ships of the line, including
the Austerlitz, a screw-steamer of 100 guns, are on
their way from Toulon and Brest to join Admiral
Napier's flag. - In the Black Sea the Retribution
and the Caton have been despatched to reconnoitre
the mouths of the Danube, and it is said to re-
move, if necessary by force, the obstacles which
the Russians have raised at Sulina to prevent the
exit of merchant vessels from the river. It is
difficult to conceive a greater abuse of the rights of
war than this attempt on the part of Russia to
obstruct entirely, at its mouth, the navigation of
one of the greatest 'rivers in Europe, not by
blockade, but by endeavouring to imprison be-
tween the banks of the Danube such neutral ves-
selsas may chance to
be there, Russia herself
having previously given an assurance that the
neutral trade would not be molested in such vessels
as had not touched at Turkish ports. We shall
be happy to learn that among the first operations
undertaken by the combined fleets are the measures
required to re-open the Danube, for nothing more
thoroughly characterises the loni-cherished and
selfish designs of Russia than the artifices and cal-
culated neglect by which she has sought to choke
up the mouths of that great stream.
The correspondence and diplomatic communica-
tions between the German Powers have gone on
with extreme activity for the last few days, and
Colonel Manteuffel, a relation of the Prussian
Minister, has been passing to and fro at express
speed between Berlin an &Vienna, and even Munich.
But all this activity on the part of the Prussian
agents is in support of a passive and motionless
policy—this affected energy is the apology for ex-
treme weakness of purpose—these efforts are in-
tended to account for the absence of real and
timely exertions. All that is required to complete
the absurdity of such a position is a solemn
league and covenant between the German Powers,
binding themselves to do nothing. The demand
by the Prussian Government of a loan of 5,000,0001.
for military purposes has been referred to a
committee of twenty-one members of the Lower
Chamber, of whom six or eight belong to
the Liberal party ; and it is expected that, if the
Government seeks to obtain a unanimous vote in
favour of the measure, it must be more explicit
than it has hitherto been. If this large sum of
money be placed at the disposal of the Minister of
War, with no stronger engagement than that it is
to be used against the enemies of Germany, what
security has the country that these resources, which
have been raised under a pretence of neutrality,
will not be employed for purposes even more con-
trary to the true desires and interests of the nation?
Thispolicy is a faithful repetition of the disastrous
and dishonest system which Prussia commenced by
the Treaty of Basle and ended on the plains of
Jena. For ten, years she succeeded, it is true, in
preserving her neutraliry during a Eurtpean con-
test, in which Austria twice braved all the hostility
of France, and England only desisted for one short
interval from the efforts of war. But in that
interval Prussia had successively betrayed each
of her allies, and allied herself to each of her
enemies. She tendered her congratulations to
Napoleon after the battle of Austerlitz, and she
availed herself of the favour of France to seize
Hanover, which then formed part of the dominions
of the King of England. These shortsighted and
treacherous actions were expiated on the field. of
Jena, and Prussia learned by the defeat of her
army and the annihilation of her power that a
State which lae withdrawn itself frem the comma