The Sun.
London, England, 1854-12-09 00:00:00

4ittAkt
.44,444

LONDON, SATURDAY, DECEMBER 9, 1854,

"The Treaty" still forms the subject of genera
conversation, to the exclusion of all others. Occa•

sionally an anxious pater familias, afflicted with

a heavy family and a light salary, may commence
a Jeremiad touching the high prices of provisions
and the consequent difficulty of making both ends

meet, together with vague speculations respecting
the prospects of a further increase of the Income
Tax, and his incipient doubts as to the accuracy
of the reasoning with which the Chancellor of the

Exchequer crushed his daring correspondent, Mr,

J. LLOYD PHELPS, of Birmingham, and executed
a war dance over his prostrate body. But he is

invariably snubbed and silenced, and the conver-
sation is restored to its ordinary channel, thruugh

which the stream rushes like a torrent—what are
the terms and conditions of the new alliance, and
how far has the phlegmatic German been enabled
to humbug his more lively brethren of the West;
for that he has, in some degree, humbugged them
more or less, appears to be the almost universal
conclusion arrived at.

So far as the contracting parties themselves
are concerned the secret appears to have been

well kept. It appears that the details have been

kept strictly private until the " ratifications'

have been completely exchanged. All that has
been announced is, that a Treaty has been con-

eluded and provisionally signed. Everything
beyond that is left to the imagination of the diffe-
rent parties to guess at ; and these guesses greatly
depend on the previous feelings and prejudices of
those3striving to obtain a correct solution of the
political enigma.
A new clement has, however, been introduced
that ray elucidate the mystery. It is said that
Prussia, to whom the stipulations were commu-

nicated without a moment's delay, has not felt
itself restricted by any obligation of secrecy, and
that the terms go strictly concealed by the prin-
cipals have been suffered to ooze out by Philo-
Muscovites of Berlin. Austria kept the secret

itself, except so far as its babbling partner, the
German " GRISDERSON," was concerned, but the
latter dealt with the information as it thought
proper ; so that within a few minutes it was speed-
ing along the electric wires to St. Petersburg,
to enlighten the CZAR as to the new combinations
he would have to encounter, and to be prepared
for the ultimatissimum, perhaps we should rather
say the ultima-tissis-sis-sis-silnum, that was to be
addressed to him by his brother Emperor.
It was also given to some favoured journalists—
at least, so they assert ; but whether they are
more veracious or trustworthy than others nearer
I'm; who strive to invest their guesses in an
official garb, is a matter of opinion, on which we
shall not venture to decide. Knowing, however,
the bias of the Court, or the Pro-Russian party—
the terms are ,convertible at Berlin—we would
carefully, avoid bestowing unlimited credence on
such statements, however positively asserted,
although, as there is probably some foundation of
facts—as in the /vlsNscutic
771
despatches—weintelligence,
cannot altogether reject the
thus
obtained, as uttterly unwarranted by the facts.
If, then, we are to credit
these accounts—.the
declarations and engagements contained in the
Notes exchanged OR the Bth of August last, that
is to say, the " Four Points," are to be regarded
as the necessary basis of peace, but " each of the
contracting Powers" is to be allowed the faculty
of extending them by additional conditions !
If this be'so, we really cannot perceive the advan-
tage of defining limits, which any of those con
cerned may transgress at pleasure, and which
transgression may be justified on that rather vague
justification—.-the state of the War. In addition,