The Sun.
London, England, 1853-06-23 00:00:00

LONDON, THURSDAY, JUNE 23, 1853.

During May, 1853, several of the reigning
Sovereigns of Continental Europe assembled, it
will be perfectly well remembered, in the capital
of Austria. Vienna was for several weeks the
scene of Royal festivities, and more than one
crowned guest enjoyed, for a time, the Imperial
hospitalities of Schcenbrunn. Among the august
visitors to the metropolis of Austria Proper, it
was long expected would be numbered no less
important a personage than the EMPEROR of all
the Russias—the Potentate to whom FRANCIS
JOSEPH is indebted for the retention of his diadem,
or, at any rate, for the preservation of the sceptre
of Hungary. But the CZAR, it seemed, as days
passed by, was otherwise engaged. He refrained from
making his appearance in the capital of his im-
perial neighbour—and vassal. The regal gather-
ing dispersed, and no more was heard of the pro-
spective arrival of the AUTOCRAT, when—sud-
denly—there came intelligence of the extraordinary
mission of Prince MENSCHIKOFF to Constantinople.
The truth then became sufficiently apparent.
NICHOLAS had all this while been preparing his
enormous act of duplicity, resolved in his heart
to surprise the rest of the world into a recogni-
tion of his proceedings by a grand diplomatic coup,
frightening the Divan into submission, and extort-
ing from the SULTAN the long-coveted political
independence of Turkey. His anticipations have
turned out to be rather premature. He is proved
to have counted with a delightfully unwarrantable
over-confidence, Instead of revealing his policy
by a success, he has only disclosed it by one of the
most ignominious failures to which an ambitious
potentate ever found his ideas subjected. His
insolent demands upon the Sublime Porte have
been scornfully rejected, not once only, but three
times consecutively. The Convention has been le-
fused—the Sened has been refused—the Note has
been refused: the ultimatum has been virtually kicked
over the Russian frontiers and the Plenipotentiary
of the CZAR after it. The Government of St.
Petersburgh, at the very moment when it was
preparing doubtless to welcome the triumph of
the project undertaken by Prince MENSCHIKOFF,
awakens to the knowledge that the whole scheme
has failed—failed utterly and irretrievably—and
that the SULTAN, in his unparalleled temerity, is
backed simultaneously by France and England.
Thereupon the AUTOCRAT, having failed in his
project of bullying the Porte into a monstrous
concession, begins to swell, and swagger, and
twirl his moustache, and rattle his sabre—a3
n R
though Western Europe were a big child, ready
to be alarmed
into fits at the mere sight and
sound of an empty blusterer. All this we have
already in print long
whole
ago anticipated. It is simply
in keeping with the
of St. Petersburgh. r_ policy of the councils
Finding his haughty ultima-
tum rejected, the Russian EMPEROR must needs
storm, and rage, and appear more than ever ex-
acting
and inflexible, if only to keep up
appear-
ances.lyto
Otherwise, let him submit
his recent discomfiture—and
for ever
and ever to the prestige of his colossal
despotism ! It is for this reason that we find him
still pertinaciously insisting upon the justice of
his demands upon the Sublime Porte, through
the circular note (to which we referred yesterday)
signed NESSELRODE. Possibly in thus acting up
to the part he has assumed, the CZAR may once
more go a little too fax in his. reliance upon the