The Sun.
London, England, 1854-09-04 00:00:00

tified in demanding that if Courts-Martial-he not
altogether abolished, except in cases where the
troops are engaged in the face of an enemy, that
the system may at least be strictly revised, with
a view to very extensive alterations and modifica-
tions such as may remove the well-founded causes
of complaint now existing.

THE AUSTRIAN AND PRUSSIAN NOTES
TO RUSSIA.:

The following is the despatch addressed by Count
Buol to Count Esterhazy, setting forth to the
Cabinet of St. Petersburg the four points laid down
as sine qua non bases for an arrangement with
Russia :
" VaNNA, Aug. 10.—I had the honour to make
known to you, by my despatch of the 9th tilt.' the im-
pression which had been produced on the Imperial
Cabinet by the communications which Prince Gortscha-
koff was charged by his Government to make to it, as
well as our intention to make known to the maritime
Powers the elements contained in those communications
which might serve as the bases for negotiations for the
re-establishment of peace. Although we do not conceal
from ourselves the difficulties of this mission since the
overtures of Russia only imperfectly respond to the de-
mands which we ourselves had addressed to her, we have
not yet considered it our duty to point out to the mari-
time Powers in what spirit the Emperor, our august mas-
ter desired to see them received, in attaching a particular
importance to the resolutions which those Powers might
come to. We have reminded the Cabinets of Paris and
London that the common efforts of the Powers ought
to be invariably directed towards the re-establishment
of a solid and durable peace. We have expressed to
them the opinion that no Power ought to expose itself
to the reproach of having neglected any means calculated
to put an end to the horrors of war, and we have con-
cluded that the maritime Powers would conscientiously
weigh the question as to whether the reply of the Cabinet
of St. Petersburg did, or did not, contain the germs of
an understanding which might lead to a definite pacifi-
cation. The Cabinet of the Emperor endeavoured to
procure for the overtures of the Court of Russia a re-
ception
by the maritime Powers, so that happy results
might be obtained from them. We are, nevertheless,
compelled to state that the first effect produced on the
French and English Governments by the communication
of the Cabinet of St. PetersbUrg, has not answered our
expectation. The French and English Cabinets persist
in considering the evacuation of the Principalities as the
preliminary condition of any understanding, and they
are astonished that Count de Nesselrode should pretend
that the integrity of the Ottoman territory will not be
threatened by Russia so long as it shall be respected by
the powers who occupy the waters and territory of the
Sultan. Their Cabinets have warmly rejected the analogy
which the despatch of the Chancellor of the Russian em-
pire seeks to establish between the presence of the allied
troops, which was demanded by the Sublime Porte, and
which took place in virtue of a diplomatic document,
the effects of which must cease by common accord,
and the fact of the entrance of the Russian troops on
the Ottoman territory. As far as regards the religious
question, the Courts of Paris and London think they see
that in the opinion of Russia the religious protection
which she pretends to exercise over the Greeks of the
Oriental rite ought to be founded on a European guaran-
tee, and they cannot understand how the independence
of the sovereignty of the Porte could exist with such a
system. The Courts of France and England, while pro-
claiming the interest which they take in the ameliora-
tion of the condition of the rayas, nevertheless think
that the reforms which are to be introduced in the ad-
ministrative regulations should emanate from the initia-
tive of the Ottoman Government, and that any foreign
action on that subject can only be in the form of good
advice, and not by an intervention based on treaties,
which no power could sign without renouncing its inde-
pendence. The Cabinets of Paris and London have, in
fine, observed that the Russian Cabinet had avoided
touching on that point of the protocol which ought to
have excited its particular attention, and which was, in
the opinion of those Cabinets, of the greatest importance,
as it implied the necessity of sufficient guarantees
against any fresh attacks upon the balance of power in
Europe. The Governments of France and England think
that the sacrifices which they have made are too great,
and the objects they have in view too important, for
them to allow themselves to be stopped until they
are certain of not having to recommence the war. From
all these motives the maritime powers have thought it
their duty to reject peremptorily any proposition which
might lead to a suspension of hostilities on their part,
arid they have even hesitated to declare their opinion on
the conditions of a treaty of peace, because those condi-
tions. depend too much on eventualities for them to be
determined on at present. On our urgent representa-
tions these power's have, however, consented to make
known at present, under the reserve of such modifica-
tions as circumstances may render necessary, the gua-
rantees which appear to them indispensable to found
solid bases for the re-establishment of peace and the
maintenance of the balance of power in Europe, and they
leave to us the liberty, if we think proper, of declaring
our opinion on the subject, in our own name, to
Russia. These guarantees are pointed out in the iden-
tical note, of which the copy is subjoined, and which
the representatives of France and England have ad-
dressed to the Imperial Cabinet, and as they agree with
the principles laid down in the protocol of the 9th
April, they are consequently in conformity with our
own views. The Imperial Cabinet, which sees no
other practical means of entering on the path of nego-
tiations than the acceptance of them by the Cabinet
of St. Petersburg, warmly recommends them to
the serious attention of that Cabinet. In reading
the present despatch to the Count de Nesselrode,
and leaving him a copy of it, point out all the motives
which speak in favour of an unreserved acceptance of
the bases on which alone we think it possible to put an
end to the calamities of war which have already cost so
many sacrifices, and which must inevitably acquire in-
creased extension. Austria sees in the free acceptance
of these bases the only necessary conditions for a solid
peace, and the chance of a general understanding. If the
Cabinet of St. Petersburg acceded to the four guaran-
tees in question, it may rely on our zeal for the serious
representation which we shall address to the maritime
powers, in order to induce them to open negotiations as
soon as possible on these bases, and to obtain at the
same time the suspension of military operations. We
once more conjure the court of Russia to consider the
immense importance of the resolution which it is about
to come to, and it is unnecessary for us to recom-
mend you to employ all the means in yorir power in order
to cause that resolution to be in favour of peace. As the
importance of the state of affairs will explain the im-
patience with which we await the reply that will be
given to you by the Russian Cabinet, I beg you to trans-
mit it to us as soon as possible. Accept, &c.,
The following is the despatch addressed by M.
de Manteuffel, the Prussian Minister of Foreign
Affairs, to Baron de Werther, the Prussian Minis
ter at St. Petersburg :

" BERLIN, AUG. 13,

" I had the honour to transmit to you with my de'
spatch of the sth inst. a copy of that which I addressed on
the 24th ult. to the representatives of the King at Paris
and in London, in order to communicate to those Cabi-
nets our impressions on the Russian replies of the 29th
and 30th June, and to express to them our hope that they
would agree with us in seeing therein the elements of an
understanding and of negotiation. Although we have
not received either from London or from Paris any direct
reply to these overtures, confidential and verbal commu-
nications which have been made to us will not allow us
to conceal from ourselves, that the manner in which the
Governments of France and England appreciate the
Russian declarations differs essentially from ours, and
that there is little of a nature to offer us a common
starting point. It was particularly the prolonged pre-
sence of the Russian troops in the principalities which,
IA the opinion of ;he Western powers, would prevent
them from attaching any practical value to the pacific
communications of the Cabinet of St. Petersburg. The
adhesion to the principles laid down in the protocol of
the 9th of April do not, moreover, appear to them suffi-
ciently complete, since it makes no mention of the gua-
rantees which, according to that same protocol, were to
be sought for in order to more closely attach the exist-
ence of Turkey to the general balance of power in Europe.
The Cabinets of Paris and London have not concealed
from us that in their opinion these guarantees ought
to contain several principal points which, subject to
modifications dictated by events, would naturally
form the indispensable basis for a negotiation for
peace or armistice. The^e points were afterwards
set forth in the identical notes which the representa-
tives of France and England sent to the Cabinet of
Vienna, and to which the latter adhered in its reply.
In informing us of it, it announced to us at the same
time that it considered them as being founded on the
principles laid down in the protocol of the 9th of April,
and that, consequently, it could not too warmly recom-
mend its unreserved acceptance to the Cabinet of St.
Petersburg. I request you, Monsieur le Baron, accord.
ing to the express orders of the King, to give all the sup-
port in your power to this step of the Court of Austria.
Our august master considers it to be giotated by a sincere
desire to prepare the path of negotiations, and a suspension
of hostilities on all sides, and his Majesty thinks itsuitable
to facilitate that result. The Emperorhimself will be con-
vinced of the necessity of obviating, for the future, the
inconveniences and the dangers which, both for Russia
as well as for the repose of Europe, are attached to the
institutions which formed the public right of the Danu-
bian principalities and of Servia, and the enlightened
solicitude of his Majesty for those countries will not fail
-to point out to him the advantages and benefits which
would be secured to them by a collective guarantee of
their privileges by the European Powers. The free naviga-
tion of the Danube cannot but be favourable to the real
interests of Russian commerce, and although the ob-
stacles to which it is subjected at the months of that
river are not yet entirely removed, the enlightened
tt the privileges
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ehte Elmperord andb
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to
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Christian put asnu
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il that his Im-
adopting the protocol of the 9th of Apr
dctstootfhtehme. Sultan,As
perial Majesty declared himself in accord with the prin.
ciplo of a joint and collective solicitude of the powers for
the condition of our eo-religionists, but the same idea
bad already presided over the overtures which the
Cabinet of St. Petersburg made some time since on this
subject at Berlin ; and as the independence and sove-
reignty of the Sultan have been so frequently and so
loudly proclaimed as being in conformity with the poli-
tical views of the Emperor, his Majesty could not re-
fuse his co-operation to the united efforts of the Powers
to reconcile the amelioration of the condition of the
rayas with the interests of the Ottoman Government,
by securing to the latter the initiative which it requires