The Sun.
London, England, 1854-09-28 00:00:00

THE LAST AUSTRIAN CIRCULAR.

FRANKFORT, SEPT. 25.

The following is a literal• translation, in extenso,
of the Austrian circular of the 14th inst., of which
an analysis appeared in our journal of yesterday :

_
" AUSTRIAN CIRCULAR OF SEPT. 14.
"Addressed to all Imperial envoys at German Federal
Governments, except to those of the Mecklenburg
(who are not parties to the treaty of the 20th of April
ult.) :

" Vienna, Sept. 14.
"At the time when the Courts of Austria and Prussia
made communications in common, relative to the Orien-
tal question, to the Germanic Diet, in its sitting of the
17th of August, important communications in the interest
of peaceful negotiations were transmitted to the Cabi-
net of St. Petersburg on the part of the German Powers. .
During this we were informed, through the Imperial
Russian legation, of Russia's intention for the time being
to withdraw her troops from the principalities.
" Since then the explanations of the Imperial Russian
Court, relative to our propositions for peace, reached us
through despatches fro.n Count Nesselrode and Prince
Gortschakoff, of which copies are annexed. They are
decidedly repulsive, but they confirm the fact of evacua-
tio iof the principalities. I add to other annexes the
note addressed to our envoy at St. Petersburg, where-
with we reply to this declaration ; and a second des-
patch intended only as a guidance for the explanation of
Count Esterhazy, which has for object to place in a true
light the divers erroneous conceptions of the Russian
Cabinet as regards our part in the last negotiations.
" Before we communicated to our German federal
allies our views upon the state of things accomplished
we wished to ascertain how they appeared in the .eyes
of the Prussian Court. Being informed of its views, we
now hold it to be our duty to disclose fully to the allied
Governments the attitude whioh we have pointed out
for ourselves, and to furnish them thereby also with
opportunity for furt'ier consideration of the decisions to
which the German Confederation may think itself sum-
moned, under existing circumstances.
"His Majesty the Emperor moat profoundly regrets
that the Russian Imperial Court has not thought that
he could enter into negotiations for peace on the bases
which his Imperial (Austrian) Majesty, in accord with
the Courts of France and England, declares to be the
necessary conditions for the restoration of peaceful rela-
tions between Russia and the Porte, and in the aecep.
tance oof which hia Majesty the King of Piu-sia had
also interested himself. The Imperial Government can.
not on its side depart from these conditions, with which
hopes of peace and a secure ,future are, wow solely
linked, and it hopes tbortthe- iod,may not be distan
rovliee-ljtassif /deo -w ..
404 1;4;113 thql-Let-
gotiatioitil now iejedta on'thls point +
"On the other band, his Imperial Mnjelty does not
disacknowledge the political importance that is ititlobi-
t,bly to be attached to the declarations of Russia, in so
far es that they have set aside the direct thuiger of a
conflict between the two empires. The retreat of Rus-
sia from the principalities was at an earlier moment an-
nounced to us as an exclusive military measure, which in

no way bore the character of a political concession. The
Court of St. Petersburg renews, it is true, at present,
the concentration of its forces upon its own territory,
exclusively under the point of view of strategical ne-
cessities ; but it declares this retreat, at the same timP,
to be a second sacrifice offered to the interests of Aus-
tria and Prussia ; and; what more is, it expressly adds
that Russia is not disposed to bring about an increase of
complications, .but is resolved to defend its territory from
all assault whencesover it may come—to remain in a de-
fensive attitude within the limits of its territory, until
reasonable propositions allow it to give activity to its
love of peace. Hereby, indubitably, a political and not
exclusively military position is designated. The inten-
tion is proclaimed for the moment not only to abstain
from assault, be it upon the imperial territory or upon
the principalities ; but alone intent on the defence of its
own territory, also not to trespass upon the Turkish
frontier.
" The evacuation of the principalities may be re-
' garded as already completely accomplished, and thereby
an important event has been attained, for-the time being,
through a conjunction of causes, amongst which we re-
gard the development of our force as the most decisive.
The occupation of the principalities by Russia was de-
dared discordant with the interests of Austria and Ger-

many by German Courts. It appeared not less to the
belligerent Powers, it being the cause of war, as the first
and nec.,ssary obstacle that, under all circumstances, was
to be set aside for the attainment of peace. Russia has
now retraced the fatal step, and the weight of this fact
already falls, through its direct and immediate results,
and by the restriction of the theatre of operations by
land, into the balance of the hopes of peace. We cer-
tainly will omit nothing which can contribute to render
our exertions favourable to the objects of conciliation.
" We cannot deceive ourselves, on the other hand,
that the declarations of the Rusian Cabinet have nothing
in them of a definitive character, and that they carry
with them no sufficient valid security beyond the events
of the moment. When Russia occupied Moldavia and
Wallachia, and after the Porte had already declared war,
she announced her intention of remaining upon the de-
fensive, and of not passing the Danube. Circumstances
soon changed the resolution. Hitherto Russia has nut
abandoned one of her claims. She has offered no guar-
antees for European or German interests. Should cir-
cumstances turn to her advantage, she may again seize
her pledge, which, yielding at present to necessity, the
has renounced. In the face of these circumstance., we
must still continue to rely upon our force in order to
fulfil our duties towards the Powers who are united with
us for similar objects, as well as towards ourselves. We
have entered into no engagements to bring about a final
decision by active advance against Russia, but we must
remain strongly armed, and completely free al to our
decisions, in order to be assured that our important in-
terests shall be sufficiently protected under all changes
of events ; and hereafter, during the negotiations for the
re-establish rent of peace, that our efforts for the restora-
tion of legal security and a state of peace in Europe
shall attain their of jests.
" But if Austria has grounds for adhering, in defence
of interests shared with her by Germany, to the armed
attitude which she has assumed—if she wishes to nego-
tiate, in conjunction with Germany, for the attainment
of divers German objects—then also her claim remains
erect to expect sufficient future support from allied Go-
vernments.
" What may be the attitude to be assumed in case
a state of
.complications which we did not foresee, and
which we will endeavourif possible to avert, should render
it as a law for us to pass to a coercive state—this ques-
tion is not before us—and for this eventuality (fall) the
previous special engagements will be insufficient. But
Russia, so long as we do not attack her, cannot convert
our occupation of the principalities into a cause fur as-
sault upon us, without finding entire Germany united
with us. This, under the prolonged uncertainty of
events, we must undoubtedly desire to see acknowledged
in a completely binding manner. We might dwell upon
the question of what binding force remains in the addi-
tional article to the treaty of the 20th, under these cir-
cumstances. It appear& to us that, according to the
letter and spirit of this, article, there lays therein the
alternative either that complete assurance for the non-
extension of war and the evacuation of the principalities
must be forthcoming, or that our occupation of these
countries takes place under the protection of a solidarity
founded by the alliance. We think we may pass over
this point completely, since we are convinced that each
fresh examination of the legal point, on the grounds of
the stipulations of the principal treaty, must lead to the
same conclusion.
" By our entry into the principalities we defend Euro-
pean rights, and can thence in principleef7d the t exclude
n
others who are entitled. But'
wewill d
in-
tegrity of the Turkish empire,
taccordta with the Sultan
on the princi-
and his allies, against any a
pan
ties. We give thereby, andeattack
therebya alone, an ap-
propriate security for the protection of Austro.German
interests during the progress of events as well as at the
future settlement.
" The assent .of the DEO to this proceeding cannot
tail ur, thou& it 1:06 not is fact FacontlY en_oug4