The Sun.
London, England, 1854-10-14 00:00:00

and the circumstantial addition respecting the
breaches effected on the 6th in the Quarantine
Fort does not in any degree abate its verisimili-
tude. It is just what might be expected to have
taken place—what a keen observer might easily

guess, and thus obtain a reputation for early in-
formation, when his declarations were really
founded on judgment rather than knowledge.
But that from St. Petersburg is palpably
inconsistent with what was previously established
beyond the possibility of doubt. The advance of
the trenches to within 1,500 yards of Sebastopol,
the construction of batteries of heavy guns, all
" conjointly bent" on the defences of the devoted
city—was surely something " new," and worthy of
notice—even had the troops remained inactive
for the three following days, a matter that would
require some higher authority than a telegraphic
despatch from St. Petersburg, before it could be
swallowed even by the most credulous Marine.
We are therefore induced to recommend, that the
accounts from Vienna should be carefully ex-
amined, and only credited so far as they coincide
with all the reasonable chances of the case, while
those bearing the impress of the CZAR'S wishes
should be totally disbelieved.
As to the position of Prince MENSCHIKOFP, we
must remember that a large body of Russian
troops were cut off from Sebastopol after the
sanguinary conflict of the Alma, and that when
the British troops were emerging from the forest,
near "MACKENZIE'S Farm," during their brilliant
movement on Balaklava, they came on the flank
and rear of a Russian division, proceeding towards
Bakshi-Serai. They retreated, or rather fled, with
the utmost expedition, and left "a vast quantity
of ammunition, and much valuable baggage to our
soldiers." A body of 6,000 Russians also at-
tempted to cut off the small party under Captain
LUSHLNGTON, when engaged in affording help to
their wounded comrades. It is, therefore, by no
means improbable that MENSCHIKOFF may be in
the Interior, and possibly not very far from his
old position on the Alma, which he would be de-
sirous of occupying for many reasons, particu-
larly as it would enable him to slur over his for-
mer defeat, and even to claim great successes,
which might serve to mystify the Muscovite serfs,
if it could not deceive the infuriated AUTOCRAT.
He would be enabled also, in such a position,
to receive any reinforcements that might arrive
in the Crimea. We do not, however, place much
reliance on the arrival of such reinforcements in
sufficient numbers to impede the operations of the
besieging forces. Our own reserve has long since
arrived. We may, therefore, rest patiently for
the authentic accounts that will doubtless convey
the glad tidings of the fall of Sebastopol, and the
total destruction of the Russian Fleet in the
Euxine.

Too late, too late. Austrian meanness and
cowardice have overshot the mark. " Austria con-
gratulates the Emperor of the FRENCH on the vie.
tory of the Alma." Valuable congratulations those,
from the young legitimist to the elected of his
own people ; from the Court which intrigued him
out of a royal wife, and liked better Vienna confe-
rences than French victories, to the Emperor who
could gain a fascinating Empress and a splendid
victory without it. Anything more tasteless
even in the insipid interchanges of diplomacy,
or more shameless even in the REYNARD annals
of HAPSBURG than these same congratulations,
we have never known. All Europe grins
with pleasure at the sight of Austrian humilia-
tion. To be compelled, not through military
disasters, to beg for mercy—that were some
ground for sympathy ; but to smile, and fawn,
and pretend to be pleased, and that to cover con-
fusing recollections of past misbehaviour, and
coward fears for the future ! Never was a would-
be great power made to look so silly. While
Europe is amused, or filled with unutterable con-
tempt, what must be the feeling of the French
EMPEROR himself 7 He will laugh or loathe, ac-
cording as the comic or revolting side of the
affair turns uppermost. The marvel is how the
old diplomatists who surround the scion of
HAPSBURG did not know what a fool they were
making of their master in the eyes of all the
world. To have kept him so deferential to Russia
ever since the MENSCHIROFF Mission, and at the
ame time so cautiously polite to the Western
Powers—and then, as soon as one side gains a
decisive victory over the other, to bid him be-
praise and wish well to the conqueror ! Even
Prussia has done nothing so superlatively silly,
so little, so lowering as this.
If a victory over the barbarian cas worthy of
congratulation when gained, it was worthy of co-
operation to gain it. If Russia needed to be
driven from Sebastopol, much more from the
provinces. If the great Russian fortress ought to
be destroyed, Silistria surely had a claim to relief ;
yet Austria could be close at hand, while the pro-
vinces were overrun by Russian serfs, while
OMER PACHA had more than his hands full on the
Danube, and while Silistria, in its prolonged de-
fence, was consigning to triviality any military
glories of Austria. No congratulations were sent
to the SULTAN on that splendid triumph. It was
not yet sufficiently plain whether the CZAR would
be seriously struck by the Allies ; not quite
certain whether he would quit Moldavia
and Wallachia because the remnant of his
troops had to run away from Silistria. Even after
the armies of Austria had walked into the pro-
vinces as fast as OMER PACHA cleared the ground
for them, it still was doubtful whether the occu-
pation was to be totally for herself, or to be repre-
sented, in the final adjustment, as a covert kind-
ness to Russia or a real service to the Allies.
This thoroughly selfish and cunning Power cleverly
adapted her position to any possible result, and--
we regret to believe it—English diplomacy forced
the SULTAN to sanction the transparently selfish
knavery of °his worst enemy. Well, our diplo-
macy has got its reward—Austrian congratulations
over Russian disasters, via the French Consul, and
all Europe in a titter at the fun.
The apologists for Austria have fluctuated in
their defence, and well they might. The neces-
sitiesopozoess uhkjeoeptset
of her position—that is, the necessity of an
oppressor's keeping heavy fetters on
his
of course, the grand ex-
cuse. Her obligations to a confederate oppressor
another. Noble apologies certainly in their way ;
yet these excuses would not always serve. At
one time even the journal which outraged all
English feeling to aid in trampling Hungary
under HAYNAU and FRANCIS JOSEPH was com-
pelled to rate its pet soundly for undisguised
selfishness and meanness ; and another, one
of our ablest weekly contemporaries, in tho•
roughly commercial style, broadly illustrated
the almost avowed selfishness of her
policy from first to last, and was fain to repre-
sent it as a merit that it was such open selfishness
—that there had been no pretence of any care
whatever about right, justice, national law, or
any such phantoms of metaphysicians and senti-
mentalists. Then, again, when emboldened by the
success of the Allies, Austria writes a little more
boldly to Germany and Prussia, forthwith she is
lauded to the skies as beginning to act a dignified
part, and to hold firm language !
We, for our part, are unable to see in the
whole
ofeonduct of Austria a single deed not fully
worthy
a HAPSBURG and a trembling des-
pot ; now in dread of Russia, now of France
and England, now and chiefly of his own sub-
jects, yet bent at the same time on becoming, if
possible, of great consequence at last, by availing
himself of the fruits of others' victories. As we
pointed out at first, and as those who sneered then
at " certain journals" are
now compelled to con-
fess, her sole policy in entering the
to constitute herself stakeholder in provincessettling wasthe
terms of a peace, if not to secure the chief influ-
ence there for herself. A generous or loyal action
is an impossibility for Austria. A paltry arch-
duoby in herself, not so populous as Holland, but