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

PR,ussi.

'We have received communications from several cor•
respondents in which it is alleged that for the facilities
afforded to Russian commerce, at Memel and on the
Vistula, the British and not the Prussian Government
is to blame. The writers of these letters leave entirely
out of view the fact that the Prussian Government has
at least twice allowed large quantities of lead to be
shipped from Bromberg to Warsaw on account of the
Russian Government for the mannufacture of bullets :
by allowing the shipment, therefore, the Prussian Go-
vernment has connived at or sanctioned the transmission
of contraband of war from its ports to the interior of
Russia.

As for the exportation of flax and other Russian pro•
duce from Memel, that is attributed by the correspond-
ents we allude to entirely to the recognition by the British
Government, at the commencement of hostilities of the
principle " tree flag makes free goods." They who make
this allegation forget to ask themselves whether the Bri-
tish Government could avoid recognising the principle ?
In the present as inmost wars, there are three parties to be
considered—the two belligerents and neutrals. Neu-
trals have rights as well as belligerents ; and one of these
neutral rights is that the belligerents, while fighting out
their quarrel, shall inflict as little annoyance or hindrance
upon the trade of the neutrals as possible; Unless the
principle of "free flag makes free goods be admitted,
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he
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search has been found extremely liable to abuse. Ors
this account an attempt was made (for the first time)
about the middle of last century, to establish the
principle " free flag makes free goods," which must
have the effect of limiting the right of search to
such vessels as could reasonably be suspected of carry-
ing. contraband of war. The benefit of this lninta-
tion to neutrals is obvious ; for what concerns bellige-
rents its operation is "as broad as it is long." If "free
flag makes free goods," it follows of course that "unfree
flag makes unfree goods." Any advantage which neu-
tral traders, under the application of the principle, may
have over traders the subjects of belligerents is a neces-
sary consequence of the one being at peace and the other
at war. In equity the British Government could not re-
fuse to adopt the principle "free flag makes free goods ;"
as a matter, of policy it could not refuse it. The history
,
of the armed neutrality" ought to convince every rea-
soning man that, by refusing to recognise the principle,
England would run the risk of converting all the Powers
now neutral (the United States included) into enemies.
Had the Prussian Government only allowed its sub-
jects to avail ththemselvesof the advantages derivable
from the recognition of this principle it would only have
been acting in its own right. But what is iniquitous in
the conduct of Prussia is its allowing its subjects at
Memel to lend themselves to transactions by which pro-
duce the property of Russian subjects is made to appear
the property of non Russian subjects. It is boastfully
recorded by a Russian journal that the trade in Russian
produce on the Niemen is principally carried on by the
parties who have hitherto been engaged in the
extensive smuggling operations carried on along
that frontier. It appears from the extraordinary
precautions which the authorities have been obliged
to take since the fire at Memel, to prevent depreda-
tions, that the trade in Russian produce has drawn
together a dangerous number of irregular characters in
that town. These circumstances corroborate the strong
suspicions which have gone abroad that the duties for-
merly imposed upon Russian produce crossing the Prus•
sian frontier have not been faithfully collected since the
beginning of hostilities, and that Custom-house certifi-
cates of goods being the property of non-Russian sub-
jects have been issued without proper evidence having
been demanded as to whose property they really were.
These are the acts on the part of the Prussian Govern-
ment and it functionaries which are justly complained of
as violations of neutrality.