The Sun.
London, England, 1854-09-06 00:00:00

useful assistance to NICHOLAS. Had they cordi-
ally co-operated ab initio, the war would, ere
this, have been brought to a satisfactory conclu-
sion, the pride of NICHOLAS humbled, and ample
reparatidn afforded for his past, and guarantees
for his future, conduct. But by their vacillation,
or worse, they encouraged him to persevere to
such an extent as must call down more stringent
retribution on his head. Prussia has, especially,
proved herself a most unwise and injudicious
friend. The representatives of both these Powers
will have an opportunity of beholding the discip-
lined troops of France available for any enter-
prise, and, still better, the bonds of amity subsist-
ing between the rulers and the peoples of the
Allied Nations. The spectacle will not be in vain,
but may help the German Monarchs to arrive at a
satisfactory solution of their doubts and difficulties,
to decide boldly in casting themselves into the
same scale with those whom they must believe to
be irresistible. Much good may, in this manner,
also flow from the Prince's visit to Boulogne ;
but nothing in comparison to its effects on the
hearts of Englishmen and Frenchmen, to the
earnest and alternate shouts of both nations of
" GOD save the QUEEN," and " Vise Empereur."

The divines of the middle ages had sharp con-
troversies on the question whether repentance
consisted most of sorrow for the past, or amend-
ment for the future. Common-sense folks did
not see how the two could well be separated.
Regret seemed useless without reformation, and
reformation appeared compulsory or mercenary
without regret for previous faults. All the mo-
ralists, too, confessed that the frankness and
honesty which preferred confessing an error were
the best guarantee of sincerity. On the other
hand, it has been allowed to some very dignified,
or naturally haughty personages, to confess their
errors by simply renouncing them. It has been
conceded that to them the mortification of actual,
though unavowed retractation, was a heavier
penalty than open confession. We must leave
our readers to appropriate these remarks as they
deem fitting to some of our contemporaries. A
few of them rank themselves among the dignita-
ries of the press, and, like those who enjoy "the
right divine of doing wrong," must not be judged
by the measures applied to ordinary mortals.
One fact, however, is notorious. From the
supreme deity of the press, whom, like the Jewish
Rabbies, we venture not to mention by his proper
name, to many of the humbler oracles who speak
with the authoritative " we," unavowed retracta-
tion is the order of the day. Most curious is it
to compare the leading articles of six or eight
months ago with those of the present. " Where
are our doves ?" asked one of them, bantering the
Peace Society, at the same time cooing itself with
turtle notes to the Dove of St. Petersburg—
though, prudently, addressing its most wooing
strains to the susceptible, unselfish creature of
Vienna, and turning most winning glances to the
noble-hearted monarch of Berlin. Yet this bland
believer in barbarian ingenuousness, imperial
honour, and royal single-mindedness, has given up
all of them by turns ; and, though still delighted
to magnify the disinterestedness of Austria
in occupying the provinces reconquered by OMER
PACHA, in expelling from them unfortunate re-
fugees, and in spreading over them the police ten-
tacula of her infernal Spielberg—yet, no terms
are now too strong to denounce the rapacity and
wanton ambition of NICHOLAS, or to expose the
meanness and duplicity of Prussia. At one time
the Allies were almost too hasty in commencing
operations ; now they receive many warnings that
something must be done for the ten millions so
readily - voted to Mr. GLADSTONE. Sebastopol
(the. august city) was formerly spoken of as if its
very name inspired reverence ; if the Russians
could but be got out of the provinces, enough—
it were useless folly to destroy our fleet under the
800 guns of the rock-defended fortress. Yetnow we
have been long waiting for the trumpeted sailing
of the fleet and army which are to demolish the
great fortress and the Russian Euxine navy—an
announcement preceded by many proclamations of
the essential importance of the undertaking itself !
Last, not least, comes the avowal that Sweaborg,
and even Cronstadt, must crumble before 10-inch
guns, and even before 18-pounders ! Grave
homilies for half a year had taught us the insane
folly of exposing timber and portholes before
granite and casemates ; but some good luck in-
duced the " man at the wheel" to permit an at-.
tack on Bomarsund, and it is discovered that earth
itself would have been more formidable than
granite !
One of the most amusing things is the contemp-
tuous, or more commonly ignoring strain, in
which both the recanted errors and their recanta-
tion have been penned. The Papal aggression could
not more completely treat as a nonentity the great
Protestant institution of these realms, than did
the infallible political guides of Europe the nume-
rous Protestants who denounced the Russianism
and the mismanagement of the ABERDEEN Vatican.
If an allusion were made to us, it was with an apology
for hinting vaguely at " writers our readers must
excuse us for noticing ;" occasionally the utterance
of the heretical opinions by some member of the
Upper or Lower House permitted an attack upon the
opinions of thorough-going English journals, with-
out the condescension of acknowledging their ex-
istence ; yet one by one nearly every opinion of the
ignored press has been adopted, and perhaps the only
1 remaining one, the only article of the vernal creed
still retained, is the loyalty and disinterestedness
of the last specimen of the ingenuous physiognomy
of the-Harsnußus. Nothing now will do but the
destruction of the once-dreaded Baltic and Black
Sea fortresses, the annihilation of Russian naval
power, and the most vigorous action of the allied
forces. Even gun-boats, boats suitable for the
Baltic, such as every common-sense man demanded
as soon as ho knew what was' known to our
Cabinet and our journalists from the beginning,
are also loudly demanded by those who scouted
the notion that Lord ABERDEEN and Sir JAMES
GRAHAM could have overlooked " any condition
important to success."
Well, we must be content, like our fellow anti-
Russian journals, with having dime our duty,
and with having contributed to force the people's
good sense on the notice of a reluctant Govern-
ment and its journals. Happily, events have co-
operated to the same result. NlcHoLes has proved
as proudly pertinacious in resistance hitherto, as
meanly pertinacious previously in cunning and
deceit. The Bulldog (we beg pardon of bulldogs),
the Bear, would only retreat growling as his ex-
pected prey proved to be master. Give in he
would not, while he could keep on his feet, and
while he could menace his pursuers with worse
consequences than ever if they turned their backs.
France and England must fight, however much
the Russianising faction in the latter country
would have spared their pet ; and we must con-
fess that there seems in certain quarters somewhat
of the wrath of disappointed affection. We only
hope that in this case, too, the Amantium irce
may not prove the redintegratio amoris. We
would fain believe the quarrel too far gone ever
to issue again in a holy alliance, and that the
CZAR and his barbarians are now cast out from
equal association with chivalry and its civilisation
till they render themselves worthy of it.
There is yet one further step in advance for
the quondam supporters of Russia. We wonder
whether anything on earth can induce them to
take it. We ourselves, though occasionally hint-
ing at it, as the only assured condition of Euro-
ir,an peace, have urged it less than we should
j; avo done, just because our Government and their
supporters are hopelessly below any bold or noble
c3nception ; their worthiest but involuntary
justly doinas being described as " drifting to war."
been rs
nwo osumld ail b
plague t sot
We refer to the restoration of Polish nationality.
Prussia's
gisNh_earuep
prussic _ouirt
has
herself ; and if not, Prussia has been no
reruadsyto
little one to the writers who
But then therecoaxedowrouldhave
her into respectable behaviour.
n wetake from her any.
Russia sends the
thingi is dear
she Aus tri
woulda .
wish How
t o ca
keep
troublesome nobles of her stolen provinces toSi-