The Sun.
London, England, 1854-06-01 00:00:00

PRUSSIA AND PROTOCOLS 1

Prussia signs another Protocol—with nothing in
If the French officers recently at Kid really believe, as
it is said they do, that they shall have to fi .fht Prussia
ere long, we can only say we are glad they are such sen-
sible men, and that we wish that some politicians were
capable of as much insight as certain military men. We
have, we avow, believed from the beginning of this
European quarrel that Prussia must be among the com-
batants, and that, when she must fight, it would be on
the Russian side. It appears to us that on behalf of
her joining the Western Alliance, there is some senti-
ment and all the rationality of the case ; but on the
and will linger
other side there is infinitely more sentiment, and all the
a sublime fog,
facts. Between the two there is the debateable ground
of irresolution, in which the Kiug (who thinks clearness
and decision too vulgar for a refined sentimentalist and
gropingla el f ) i s
about
inng
an
se ts
laopnhgy
while the sweet singers of Russia follow him about,
harping and hymning to him as the Angel of Peace.
Niebuhr, when a courtier, used to talk of the poetical
Saiesiapl2olSiSkieblhe
nature, the deep feeling, and singularity of character of
the youth who is now King of Prussia, which made
people about him misunderstand him and be always
blaming him. After forty years, the world is still un-
able to uncle' stand him, and is always blaming him, with
the one exception of the Russians, who are always
praising him—publicly at least. They
isfied say,
an ad
s Nie
nkful
buhr
did, that anybody who is not sat tha
for such a Prince makes unreasonable demands upon the
world ; but the world goes on to feel that an homme in-
compris is not a good order of Prince for the nineteenth
century, and their business must go forward in as much
independence of him as can be obtained.
Looking at Prussia, first, on the supposition of an al-
liance with the Western Powers—the King need not
suffer under any drought of sympathy. Ile calls the
people of his capital his " beloved Berliners ;" and they
are, heart and soul, with the Allies. He might then con-
tinue his personal friendship with our Royal Fa mily—a
friendship which lie used to exult in. might enjoy.
the loyal goodwill of his own best subjects--the Hum-
Whits and other men of mark, whose most questionable
quality in the eyes of free nations is their devotion to
their court. The great heart of Germauy would throb

once more at his name, and the hundred har ale of Ger-
many would be held out, if he fairly offered Vale own to
the clasp. He might have sentiment enough to satisfy
even his " poetical nature," if he took the virtuous side
in this conflict. And as to the rationality o f the case,
probably he would not dispute it. The'only possible se-
curity for his Baltic provinces is in a cordial alli.a.nce with
the maritime powers which will henceforth rude there.
The Scandinavian, British, and French fleets are, and will
remain, supreme in that sea. We are about to an nihilate
the Runian navy. Prussia has none of sufficient strength
to hold her own. Her eastern territory is a me:ce strip
between Poland and the Baltic ; and when new ly-risen
Poland wants ports and direct communication with the
allies, that strip will be cut through instantly, and there
will be an end of the Prussian frontier in .regard to
Russia. Nothing but the most unquestionable. claim on
the justice and cordiality of the allies can save the terri-
tory east of the Vistula from being given to Poland, and
the communication between Prussia and Russia from
being cut off. As for the Rhenish provinces, they are
cut off already, rather than joined to the rest by the
little German states which intervene, and which could
make no stand against the Western Allies. And en the
western frontier. is France. If we look at the financial
aspect of the case—the despotic alliance would really be
a conspicuous case of Jack doing nothing and Tom help-
ing him. Austria can raise no loan, and Russia can get
no money; and Prussia declares that he really is so p
and has so many claims upon him ! that he does not see
very well how he is to get on himself. A. precious trio
going to market to buy munitions of war. Russia with
a rouble or two in one pocket which he has made some
unhappy noble stand and deliver ; and the other pocket
stuffed out with extempore paper money— Prussia with
notes of the Bank of Elegance, and fine sentiments
about the fugitive character of wealth, and the superior
grandeur of generosity and patriotism—and Austria,
with praises of his good friend Rothschild, and pro-
mises of what his great army will do, and how rich they
will make him some day. Any ratietiallebserver could
tell Frederick William that he will only get laughed at
for going to market in that fashion, when the neigh-
bours in the west have capital and credit to buy up the
whole produce. Again, it is a matter of supreme im-
portance, in the eve of reason, that the best part of the
Prussian people are on the right side in this quarrel :
and so manifestly on our side, that the commonest cart- •
tion would teach their King that if he tries to march
them against us, they will probably face about, ask us
to help them to a better king, and send their homme
incomdris to quaff his champagne and pursue his reve-
ries under the northern twilight which is so favourable
to poetic meditation. Finally, reason points out the
certain fate of Prussia—that of absorption by Russia—
if the present opportunity of redemption be not em-
braced. Reason and feeling both should keep alive in
every Prussian, and especially in a filial heart, the treat-
ment that the late King met with from the Czar Alex-
ander at Tilsit, from the moment that he was known to
be incapable of resistance. After shedding tears in one
another's bosoms in April at Memel, and swearing that
they would know no peace and take no rest till they had
punished the aggressor, they had become tyrant and vic-
tim before July. Alexander was hugging the conqueror
as he had just hugged his brother of Prussia, and heap-
ing contempt and slights on his ruined relation and be-
trayed ally. Frederick William must have heard that
story, with its painful particulars, from his father ; and
many will say that it is surely impossible that he will,
after such ,warning, give himself up to be first hugged
and then flayed by the Russian bear. And those many
will feel themselves supported by reason. But what are
the facts ?
The sentimental preponderance will always be on the '
side of Russia, while the Czar thinks it worth the trouble
of maintaining. Frederick William loves flattery, and
hates good sense ' • and our Queen has neither time, nor
propensity, nor knack—like that of the Empress of
Ruisia—to write cant and flimsiness, and blasphemy and
flattery, such as appear very charming, and elegant, and
holy at the Prussian court. The simplicity, moderation, ,
and earnestness of Queen Victoria's Declaration of War
cannot be appreciated by the high-flown penmen and
epistolary ladies of the Russian and Prussian courts.
In the sentimentality of the case we must certainly yield
to Russia. And even if the Czar grows surly, a single
smile or beckon will bring his Fido to his feet again,
wagging his tail and gambolling for joy. Even the
standing counsel of Nicholas in England says that
success and victory on the part of the allies are ab-
solutely necessary to secure the adhesion of Prussia
and Austria the pleader neglecting to add whe-
ther, in his opinion, such adhesion is a good or an
evil being to be had when the allies can do with-
out it, and certain to fall off when, through any re-
verse, they want its help. We have seen enough,
within this very century, of the Austrian and Prussian
way of fraternising in prosperity, and deserting in ad-
versity ; and so musty are the proverbs about summer
friends, that we do not mean to produce them here. We
need only say that a man and a government may inno-
cently and honourably be once betrayed by bad faith ;
but not twice, by the same party. The man is silly,
and the government is wicked, which sustains,a recur=
rence of the trick.
It is not so very long ago that the " beloved Berliners"
were chased and arrested in their own streets, and their
flags dragged in the mud, for manifesting their sympathy
for the allies. And now the few ships that Prussia pos-
sesses are drawn close in, within her innermost bar-
hours, and her frigate laid up dismantled at Dantzic, and
her few sail that have been scattered abroad are called
home in great perturbation. The pet fowl of the great
man on the big farm is gathering her chickens under
wing with a frightened cluck. If she does not know,
everybody else does, where the chicks will be served up
when they are big enough to be worth taking.
There is yet one more fact in the case. Of all the
countries in Europe, Prussia is the one to which the
greatest variety of cultivated foreigners resort for
residence, and especially of foreign Germans. Scien-
tific and literary enlightenment have accrued this
way. A short time will show whether political
wisdom bas grown up there too. At present we see
no signs of it ; for the best popular conviction and
sentiment have as yet found no representation or ade-
quate utterance, In such a state of things, an alliance
must be doubly doubtful ; for the people, unamalgamated,
while unattached to their King, can afford no ground of
reliance. If they can neither support their sovereign
and his policy, nor work out their own deliverance from
both, they are not yet fit coadjutors for us, however just
their opinions and sentiments, and however we may
value their alliance hereafter. Thus, looking at the
case on all sides, we have no hesitation in declaring an
alliance with Prussia impossible, in any sense in which
sincere and earnest Englishmen could desire it. If we
had the management of the business, we should simply
let l'homme incompris entirely alone till he knows his
own mind, and say not a word to deter him from joining
Russia at first, as he will be sure to do so at last ; and
no time could, in our opinion, be so convenient to all
parties as the present.—Daily News.

SHIPWRECKED FISHERMEN AND MARINERS' ROYAL
BENEVOLENT SOCIETY.—The fifteenth annual meeting of
the above philanthropic institution was held at Willis's
Rooms, on Tuesday, Vice-President Admiral William
Bowles, CB., in the chair, supported by the Eight
Hon. Earl Manvers, Admiral Vernon Harcourt, Vice-
Admiral Sir Geo. F. Seymour, G.C.H., C.B. ; Rear-
Admiral Sir Geo. A. Westphall ; Captains Sir George
Back, R.N., Hon. Francis Maude, R.N., W. J•
Cole, R.N., K.H., M. H. Sweeney, R.N., Charles
A. Barlow, R.N., C. 8., Campbell, Due-
combs, R.N., House, R.N., Scholay, R.N., Woodruffe,
R.N., Lean, R.N., Cressingham, R.N. ; Lieutenant
Colquhoun, Major Montague, Doctor Sparks, Mr. Mon-
tague Gore, Mr. Richard Lewis, Mr. Forster, R.N.,
&c. A letter was read from Sir James Graham, the
First Lord of the Admiralty, expressing his regret that
the pressure of public business put it out of his power
to take the chair as president of the society, in the
objects of which he took a warm interest ; als°
from the Marquis of Breadalbane, Rear-Admiral Earl
Spencer, K.G., C. 8., Lord Henry Chohnondeley,
M.P., and Mr. Thomson Hankey, M.P., regretting
they could not attend the meeting. Mr. Francis
Lean, R.N., the secretary, read the report, which ?.d-
-verted to the fact that 800 wrecks had taken place during
the past year, and that 620 vessels, with upwards of
1,000 lives, had been lost in the awful gales of the first
quarter of the present year, causing such a scene of ex-
citement and distress upon the coast as had not before
occurred within the memory of man. The amount of
relief granted for those three months was 2,449/. 19s. 11d.
The society relieved during the past year ,604 persons
suffering from shipwreck, including 2,5156 widows,
orphans, and aged parents, and 3,448 mariners and
fishermen. In the Life-boat department, a new
boat and carriage had been built for Rhyl, and a
carriage of Portinadoc, and the crews of all the
stations had been supplied with a new description of cork
life belts. Four gold and five silver medals, together
with numerous pecuniary rewards, had been awarded for
gallant and praiseworthy exertions in saving life, two
gold medals having been presented to captains of
.Ame-
rican ships within thirteen months. The society's
quarterly magazine, The Shipwrecked Mariner, pub-
lished at 6d. a number, had been already the means of
extending its usefulness. It was a gratifying fact
that nearly 40,000 seamen are voluntary subscribers of
2s. 6d., whilst 2,700 vessels carry the society's flag.
The receipts for the year were reported to be between
8,0001. and 9,000/., including a donation from her most
gracious Majesty, patron of the socibty of 1051. The
disbursements for relief amounted to 5,1812/., and the ex-
penses of the central office and its 500 agencies round the
coast were 1,723/. The society had been enabled to re-
store the 5001. stock sold last year, and leave a balance
of 7831. in the hands of the bankers and secretary. The
committee concluded their report by expressing their
confidence that, with the blessing of God, the institution
will grow up to be a permanent shelter for the
families of our seamen, both of the naval and mer-
cantile navy, and therefore appealed to a benevolent
public in behalf of those brave men who are now en-
gaged under divine blessing in keeping the horrors of
war from our shores. Resolutions were ably moved
and seconded by the Right Hon. Earl Manvers, Mr.
Montague Gore, Vice-Admiral Sir G. F. Seymour,
Rear-Admiral G. A. Westphall, Captain Hon. Francis
Maude, R.N., Captain Sweeny, R.N., Captain W. J.
Cole, R.N., Captain Sir G. Back, R.N., Admiral Ver-
non Harcourt, and Dr. Sparke.

Malacca, screw, was put out of dock at Chatharn, on
Monday, and is getting her boilers on board, when she
will be masted and taken into dock again, to be fitted
for sea.

The Wolverine, 12, Commander Corbett, is fast pro-
gressing with her rigging at Chatham. She is out of the
hands of the dockyard, with the exception of works in-
cident to rigging, but picks up hands very slowly.
The defects of the Prometheus, 6, paddle, Commander
Rich, having been made good, she filled up with coals,
went out of harbour at Devonport, on Monday afternoon.
The Janus, 5, paddle, Lieutenant Commander Kane,
has proceeded again ou a cruise for the Downs.
The Cuckoo, paddle gun-vessel, Lieut. Commander
Murray, sailed from Sheerness yesterday morning at 9
a.m. for the Downs, from there we understand she will
proceed direct to the Baltic to-morrow.
His French Majesty's steam-vessel Corse arrived in
the Downs at 7 p.m. on Tuesday, and left again on
Wednesday on a cruise.
The Prometheus went into Plymouth Sound on Tues-
day, and sailed on Wednesday.
The Cuckoo, 3, steam gun-vessel, Lieut.-Commander
Augustus G. E. Murray, left Sheerness at 9 a.m. yes-
terday for the Downs and Baltic.
The Miranda) 15, screw steam-ship, Captain Edmond
M. Lyons, is hourly expected at Sheerness from Ports-
mouth, under sealed orders. Official despatches await
her arrival. She will replenish her fuel, make up stores
of supplies, and again leave on secret service.
The Queen's yacht Victoria and Albert, Captain the
Hon. Joseph Denman, hauled under the sheers yester-
day at Portsmouth, and stepped her masts.
The Star, 8, Commander Warner, went into Chatham
harbour. on Tuesday afternoon to be paid off.
The Sealark, 8, Lieutenant Fenwick, tender to Illus-
trious, went out of Portsmouth harbour yesterday after-
noon for a Channel cruise.

The Royalist, 6, Commander Bates, has stripped to
the lower masts, and returned stores to the dockyard,
Portsmouth. She will pay off, and be put out of com-
mission on Saturday.
The Rolla, 6, boys' instruction brig, has been masted
at Portsmouth.

The Fairy, tender, Master Commander David N.
Welch, and Elfin, tender, 111a*ter Commander Balliston
have hauled ii to dock at Portsmouth to make good
defects.

From the Royal William Victualling-yard, on Tues-
day, 840 bags of bread, and four months' stock of beef,
pork, flour, &c., were put on board the screw steam-ship
Algiers, 91, Captain Talbot, in Hamoaze. Large quan-
tities of hay, oats, and other forage are in store there for
the use of the cavalry now embarking at Plymouth.
Mr. Penn, Master, recently apppointed to the Water-
loo flag-ship, vice Mr. John C. Barlow, appointed to
the Formidable, 84, has taken up his commission and
joined. Mr. Barlow now proceeds to tale charge (as
Master) of the Formidable.
Volunteers for the Royal Navy are received in con-
siderable numbers at Liverpool.
Yesterday the Admiralty ghve notice at Lloyd's that
a ship was required to convey 920 tons of provisions to
the Mediterranean, for the use of her Majesty's naval
forces employed in the Black Sea.
The transport ship Europa, 92, with the Ist troop of
the 6th Enniskillens, was towed into the Channel on
Tuesday, and sailed for the Mediterranean ; wind
westerly.
The transports Escort, No. 97, Sutlej, No. 90, and
Lord Raglan, No. 89, are in Hamoaze, preparing to
receive troops Nos. 2,3, and 4 of the Enniskillens.
The transport-ship Conrad, belonging to Mr. Edward
Oliver, of Liverpool, took her departure yesterday from
Liverpool for Malta direct, with the 4th and last detach-
ment of the Ist Royal Dragoons, from the Hulme bar-
racks, on board. The detachment consisted only of 15
men and horses, besides several officers. There being
plenty of unoccupied space in the vessel, 50 tons of hay
were placed in her. On her arrival at Malta she will
be ;placed at the service. 9,f the Admiralty agents if re-
quired:
The remainder of the 20th Regiment marched from
Devonport on Tuesday into the Plymouth citadel, where
the whole is now stationed. St. George's-square, and
the other barracks vacated by the 20th are occupied by
the South Devon Militia.

Two companies of the 46th Regiment of Infantry are
on duty at the Magazine at Hyde-park and at Kensing-
ton Palace, where they will remain until the departure
of the regiment from the head-quarters at Windsor.
During the week a great many fine young men have
volunteered from the different Middlesex Militia regi-
ments into the Royal Artillery, receiving a bounty of
over 51. Those whose regiments were actually out
training returned to the militia the 10s. bounty originally
received, which was divided by command of the Secre-
tary of War among the permanent staff, in consideration
of the extra trouble in enrolling and training fresh volun-
teers.
Captain M'Cree's detachment of the 4th (Royal Irish)
Dragoon Guards, having undergone the usual inspection,
left Portobello barracks at 8 o'clock on Tuesday morn-
ing, and proceeded to Kingstown, where they embarked
for the seat of war. The head-quarters of the regiment
departed on Wednesday.
The troops serving in Ireland are to exchange the
Mini 6 rifles for percussion muskets forthwith. The rifles
are to be put into the hands of those destined for active
service.

The last division of the 12th Regiment left Belfast on
Tuesday for Dublin, en, route to Cork for embarkation.T

THE NEW BOARD OF ADMIRALTY.

It is now decided that the officer we first named,
Captain Peter Richards, C. 13., is to be the new Lord of
the Admiralty, and not Commodore Shepherd. The
new patent will therefore constitute the following as
'the Lords Commissioners, &c.:—
The Right Hon. Sir James R. G. Graham, Bart.
Rear-Admiral of the Red M. F. F. Berkeley, C.B.
Rear-Adniiral the Hon. R. S. Dundas, C.D.
Captain Peter Richards, C.D.
Captain Alexander Milne.
The Hon. W. Cowper, M.P.
First Secretary R. Osborne, Esq., M.P.
Second Secretary, Capt. W. A. B. Hamilton, R.N.
Thus it will be seen that the first lord, senior naval
lord, civilian lord, and the first secretary, are members
of Parliament, Admiral Berkeley resuming his old posi-
tion as under Sir F. Baring, and Captain Milne con-
tinuing the junior naval lord.
Captain Richards' seniority is 1828, only 26 from the
top of the list.
He was Sir William Parker's flag captain in the Corn-
wallis, 72, at China ; and then of the Hibernia, 120, and
Queen, 116, 1. the Mediterranean ; whence he was ap-
pointed captain superintendent at Pembroke dockyard,
and was removed May 5, 1849, to Chatham dockyard.
Thus it will be seen that this officer has been in con-
tinuous employment for a great number of years.