The Sun.
London, England, 1854-07-15 00:00:00

LONDON, SATURDAY, JULY 15, 1854.

It is somewhat remarkable to know that Aus-
tria and Prussia are continuing to act with all
their accustomed duplicity in regard to this
struggle with Russia, at the very time when
France and England are carrying out against
the Northern enemy the most formidable warlike
preparations. It is especially remarkable, we
mean, because Ministers affect to be satisfied with
the course now being pursued by the Cabinets of
Berlin and Vienna, while that course is generally
felt to be directly at variance with the great mi-
litary and maritime demonstrations of the Allied
Western Governments.

Because of the extraordinary and manifest in-
congruity observable in this way between the pro-
ceedings of the German, and the simultaneous
proceedings of the Western Governments—we
would here again most stringently urge the
people at large to be more than ever
watchful as to the events transpiring from
day to day, and as to the policy more clearly
revealed hour by hour by their Administrators.
Nothing should be overlooked. Everything has
its significance. The withdrawal to Baro Sound
of the Baltic fleet, only the other day heard of as
within sight of Cronstadt and its giant fortifica-
tions. The glimpse obtained from Odessa of the
Black Sea fleets steaming direct for Sebastopol.
The rumours of an intended attack, here upon the
Crimea, and there upon the Aland Islands. The
report of the sudden alteration of the retrograde
movement of the Russian troops, in Wallachia, as
notified by the advance of some 30,000 from
Bucharest, under the personal command of the
Prince GORTSCHAKOFF. ' Everything, we repeat,
has, just now, its particular significance. Even the
toast proposed the other day in the presence of
his Generals by the KAlSAR—that of his Imperial
Majesty the Sultan ABD-UL-MEDJID. Or the inti.
mation of Baron HESS, taking part in a Council
of War between OMER PACHA, and Lord RAGLAN,
and Marshal ST. ARNAUD, the French, English,
and Turkish Commanders-in-Chief. Vigilant as
to every incident that comes to light, we do con-
scientiously believe that every unprejudiced ob-
server can arrive but at one conclusion, that
the Councils
of Berlin and Vienna are more
than ever bent upon
eajolling, if possible, not
only Turkey, but
the allied French and English Governments.
they have succeeded in
of course with Turkey
The signal that
this design will be rendered visible in regard to
raernal otvoa l
England,or
T br; the reclo all
lA:Lou-1m DE
L' France,l u Y s ; by
ynd in reg
of Lord STRATFORD DE REDCLIFFE f rora
his dip
matic post at Constantinople. It was somewhat
startling a little while ago, when it was announced
that RESCHID PACIIA had (on the score of ill-
health) resigned the seals of office as the Ottoman
Minister of Foreign Affairs, and scarcely less
matter for serious anxiety at the moment, when
nearly about the same time M. DE PERSIGNY was
announced by the Moniteur (also for a similar
reason, viz., on the score of ill-health) to be
no longer the French Minister of the Interior.
However, indisposition might have rendered

these changes necessary, and so the matter
was passed over in eaoh instance, with
merely cursory observation. It will be dif-
ferent under the circumstances already surmised.
Supposing the retirement of M. DE PERSIGNY to
be followed by the dismissal of M. DROUYN DE
L'HUYS from the Foreign-office—supposing the
fact of RESCHID PACHA being no longer virtually
Prime Minister of Turkey, to be followed by the
incident of Lord STRATFORD DE REDCLIFFE'S re-
call from Constantinople—these events coming
together, would be more than suspicious, would
be more than mere coincidences: they would afford
the world at large positive and conclusive testi-
mony that the Cabinets of St. James's and the
Tuileries, had, after all, been really cajoled by
those of Schoenbrunn and Charlottenburg.
That such can be the disgraceful consumma-
tion arrived at we must continue up to the very
last moment to doubt with all the energy of our
patriotism—in spite of every glaringly and de-
plorably corroborative circumstance. We cannot
bring ourselves to believe in any such infamous
result, even though we remain painfully conscious
of the fact that the Earl of ABERDEEN is at the
head of the British Government ! Although the
Aberdeenite Duke of NEWCASTLE is at the head
of the War Department of the Administration !
Although the Aberdeenite member for South
Wiltshire is still Secretary-at-War ! No, we are
fain at this terrible juncture in the affairs not
only of Europe, but of mankind in general, we
are fain at this momentous crisis to doubt the
evidence of our senses, when those senses point
alone to one dreaded and disastrous conclusion.
We are unwilling to believe in the possibility of
an infamous compromise being effected through the
means of secret and therefore obviously discreditable
negotiations—we are unwilling, we say, to believe
in the possibility of any such infamous compro-
mise, although we hear Austria and Prussia
spoken of complacently, at the very time when
the Court of Berlin signifies its opinion that the
reply recently vouchsafed by the CZAR is in all
essential respects satisfactory, and when the Court
of Vienna avows that the Austrian forces will only
have performed an act of " armed mediation,"
when they shall have formally adventured upon
the occupation of the Principalities !

Rather than believe in the necessity of what
would almost seem at times to be the inevitable
inference, deducible from these sinister and alarm-
ing intimations—we are disposed, at the present
moment at least, to direct ou r regard, with sanguine
and exhilarated emotions, to the spectacle in all
likelihood about to be witnessed in a few days in the
British Channel. The spectacle of the probable
meeting of a French and English Monarch once
again after centuries of war and estrangement, a
meeting more memorable than that of old between
HENRY VIII. and FRANCIS I. on the Field
of the Cloth of Gold, a meeting upon a
nobler field and upon a more notable
occasion---an interview upon the blue current of
the Channel between VICTORIA I. and NAPOLEON
lll.—the most beloved of all the rulers of England,
and the thrice-elected Chief of the French popu-
lation. From this interview—in spite of King
and Kaiser—let us draw new auguries of victory,
fresh harbingers of a glorious pacification.

We had supposed that the " fagging system"
was peculiar to our public schools, that it was

only in these polite seminaries that one person
was allowed to abuse and maltreat another in a
similar position to himself, even to the extent of
making life a burden to the unfortunate victim,
and that it was only in such establishments that
the complaints of the sufferer were totally disre-
garded, and his persecutors encouraged to proceed
by full licence and unqualified impunity for their
most unjustifiable proceedings. We are, however,
compelled to acknowledge our mistake, and to
confess that the objectionable system has obtained

a footing in her MAJESTY'S service, and that a