The Sun.
London, England, 1854-09-05 00:00:00

tebg

LONDON, TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 5, 1854.

" Quos Deus arult perdere, prigs dementat." The
AUTOCRAT forms no exception to the general rule.
Ile offers, indeed, in his conduct an additional
illustration of the truth and accuracy of the old
adage. Like the Israelites of old, he has har-
dened his heart and defied the impending doom,
rather than in any degree abate his arrogant pre-
tensions. He cannot, in fact, yet realise the

earnestness or the sincerity of the opposition
which has been offered to his wishes ; and, buoyed
up by the inactivity hitherto prevailing amongst

the allied forces, and the clearly avowed advo-
cacy of Prussia, he has still taken counsel of his
pride, and refused to listen to the too favourable
terms offered—the loop-hole afforded for his
escape from the predicament in which he has been

involved by his arrogance and cupidity—the over-
weening vanity that led him to imagine that other
powers would succumb to his ukases, what-
ever they might be—the avarice that grasped
at any addition to his previously over-grown

territories—and the inordinate ambition thal

induced him to aim at universal empire, and

the predominance of barbarian Russia over the
more civilised nations of Europe.
We are now told that the Russian diplomatic
note delivered by Prince GORTSCHAKOFF (the
Minister, not the General) to Count BuoL on
Saturday morning at Vienna, contained an abso-
lute rejection of each and every one of the four
conditions of peace tendered for his acceptance by
the Allied Powers, and supported by Austria and
(more feebly) by Prnssia—declaring that " he
would rather sacrifice his last soldier than accept

such propositions."
Be it so ! We freely and willingly accept the
battle, a l'outrance, tendered by the Northern
Despot. We rejoice that, under any terms, the
humbug of diplomacy is to be brought to a con-
clusion, and that henceforth there shall be no
specious protests available to prevent us from
putting forth our full force. Russia has at length
spoken without disguise. She has abandoned
the sibterfuges of which she so freely availed her-
self in the earlier stages of the contest, and we
now know what to think of " the EMPEROR'S
moderation." Prussia has also nearly cast aside
her disguise, and, if Ministers act in a manner
befitting their high position, should be regarded
as the open foe of this country. The personal
predilections of the KING have proved more power-
ful than the interests of his people ; and if the
views of FREDERICK WILLIAM
be suffered to pre-
vail, we may find ourselves opposed to a nation
with whom we have hitherto co-operated in many
a gallant undertaking. " Clicquot" is, however,
predominant at present, and we must, although
:
with poignant sorrow, express our deep regret at
being opposed to the gallant people, and profound
indignation at the vacillation and temporising
conduct of the Monarch who has produced a
result in every respect so deplorable.
But now that Russia has cast aside disguise,
that Prussia
is also partially unmasked, it is in-
dispensable that Austria should select the banner
with which she will act. Heretofore she has
been allowed to maintain a neutrality Veryprofit-
able to herself, and, without proclai •
ming war
against the aggressor, been allowed to take pos_
session of the Principalities, to gain by diplomacy
that which, when taken by violence, led to the
proclamation of war against Russia. She must
now learn that such conduct can no longer be
tolerated, and that England and France, aye, and
Turkey, will consider those who are not with
them as against them, and that she must act
either as a decided friend or an avowed enemy.

But there is a more imperative obligation on
the Western Powers. They have too long im-
peded. the efforts of those whom they professed to
assist. They rendered no actual aid to the
Moslem forces in the gallant defence by which
they resisted all the attacks of the invader,
and finally expelled him shamefully from the soil
he had polluted by his barbarian hordes. But they
acted as a clog and drag-chain on the "pro-
tected" (!)-- prevented what they might have
done if unencumbered by such doubtful help, and
induced them to submit to Austrian occupation
of the provinces from which the Russians had
fled. For all this mischief we owe them some