The Sun.
London, England, 1854-09-08 00:00:00

LON DON. FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 8, 1854.

Our anticipations with regard to Austria have
been completely verified, and we now know that
in placing any reliance on the treacherous promises
of that vacillating Power we were leaning on a
broken reed. The interests of the Despots of
Vienna and gt. Petersburg were too closely
connected to allow a real quarrel between them-
selves. FRArcis JOSEPII could not easily forget
that his Empire was saved from dismemberment
by the brute force of the Cossack hordes ; that it is
to NICHOLAS he is indebted for preventing the
gallant Magyars from achieving independence ;
for keeping Poland in chains, and preventing the
freedom of Lombardy. He is also well aware that
the CZAR is the most powerful representative of
the principle of despotism, and that if he were
overthrown its minor professors must speedily
share the same fate. He would not, therefore,
willingly humiliate his good friend and brother.
If he did so,
reducing without tying his hands or materially
his strength, he might anticipate a day
of retribution, when he would bitterly expiate
his offences against the AUTOCRAT. If, on the
other hand, he assisted in crippling the resources
of Russia, the ern would recoil against himself, and
he would have to dread the vengeance of the out-
raged and down-trodden nationalities whom he
has so long coerced, and who were only restrained
from aiming at freedom by the fears of Russian
intervention. Under these circumstances, it was
manifestly neither in accordance with his feelings
nor his interest to take an active part against
NICHOLAS, and we have never anticipated for a
moment that he would do so. But as to the line
of conduct really pursued, it was the most bene-
f ;ial to NICHOLAS that could be conceived. If
Ile threw his entire Weight, along with that of
Prussia, into the scale, it would have involved
Germany in the catastrophe—that threatened
Russia. He knew that France and El-iand
united together were irresistible, and that the
greater the opposition offered to their forces the
more signal would be the triumph of the cause of
justice and honour. He might share the fate,
but lie could not, by open force, avert the impend-
ing doom of the CZAR. But might he not close by

other menus? Might he not, as thepretended friend of
the Western nations, serve Russia far more efficiently
than he could in any other capacity ? Yes ; by
keeping open fruitless negotiations, and rendering
our troops and navies inactive, he might save his
friend. It was not difficult to do so, for our
verdant diplomatists, and still more verdant Mi-
nisters, eagerly swallowed the scarcely disguised
bait. It was no credit to bamboozle parties so
anxious to be deceived.

Nor was it sufficient to humbug the parties con-
cerned. It was attempted also to mislead the
people of Great Britain. The ABERDEEN organ
continued usque ad nauseam its positive assurances
of the good faith, firmness, and energy of the
youthful Emperor. Indeed, it would be dif-
ficult to find any mere mortal so nearly approach-
ing perfection as FRANCIS JOSEPH, the Hope of
Austria.

The mask is, however, at length cast aside, and
the faithlessness of Austria is as clearly apparent as
the nepotism and pusillanimity of Prussia was
some time since. We now receive semi-official in-
formation that at a Cabinet Council held in
Vienna on the 6th inst., over which the EMPEROR
presided in person, it was decided that the rejection
of the guarantees required by Austria and the
Western Powers did not amount to a casus Belli,
against Russia, but that Austria would persevere
in supporting these conditions, and would main-
tain her neutral position, while she awaits the re-
sult of the attack by the Allied Powers on Sebas-
topol ! ! This is " letting the cat out of the bag"
with a vengeance. This is plainly exhibiting the
cloven foot—unveiling the course of deception
and treachery so steadily pursued, from the very
commencement, by the " Red Emperor " and his
Ministers. The applauder of Austria, the unflinch-
ing voucher of his good faith and integrity, sees
nothing astonishing in that result. The Times
says " this language and this determination on the
part of the Cabinet of Vienna do not surprise us
in the existing posture of affairs, for that Court
has already obtained several of the objects for
which it had prepared to go to war, and has suc-
ceeded without drawing the sword, though in
conjunction with the belligerent Powers, in com-
pelling Russia to renounce her aggression on
European Turkey, and to evacuate the material
pledge,' she had seized on the Danube." Yes ; it
has already obtained several of its most important
objects without committing itself to either side.
It has obtained possession of the Principalities—
has been enabled to banish or put to death the
unfortunate refugees that incurred its displeasure,
and to remain ready to shout with the strongest
party, whichever that may be. If the allied forces
capture Sebastopol, and destroy the Russian fleets
and arsenals, the time-server is ready to declare
that it has always been in, accord with France
and England, that it is ready at any moment to
evacuate the provinces. But should Russia pre-
vail—should Sebastopol really prove impregnable
and foil its assailants, then she is ready to join
heart and hand with the AUTOCRAT—to deliver
over, treacherously deliver over, the territories
she has occupied as a friend of Turkey, and turn
all her strength against the allies. The Eagle is
no longer a proper badge for a nation so tempo-
rising—the Bat would be a more suitable emblem.
Deep, indelible disgrace is cast upon Austria.
She is now placed far lower than Prussia, if that
were possible—if there could be found
" In the lowest depths a deeper still ;"

and any one could be more degraded than " the
Angel of Peace," the convivial " Cliquot." How
appropriate are the lines of SUAKSPERE. Might
we not for the nonce imagine our most gracious
SOVEREIGN filling the role of CONSTANCE, and
emphatically proclaiming—
" War! war! no peace! peace is to me a war.
0 Lymoges! 0 Austria! thou dost shame
That bloody spoil :' Thou slave, thou wretch, thou
coward;
Thou little valiant, great in villany!
Thou ever strong upon the stronger side !
Thou fortune's champion, that dost never fight
But when her humorous ladyship is by
To teach thee safety! thou are perjured too,
And sooth'st up greatness. What a fool art thou!
A ramping foul; to brag, and stamp, and swear,
Upon my party! Thou cold•bloode i slave,
Hast thou not spoke like thunder on my side?
Being sworn my soldier? bidding me depend
Upon thy stars, thy fortune, and thy strength?
And dost thou now fall over to my foes?
Thou wear a lion's hide! doff it for shame,
And hang a calf's-skin on those recreant limbs."

"The King of France, with all his men,
Went up the hill and down again."

Our forces in the Baltic appear to have taken
a leaf out of the book of that energetic Gallic
Monarch. They have certainly taken matters
rather easily—and with the exception of the de-
struction of Bomarsund, a really brilliant exploit,
but one speedily accomplished, and with scarcely
any loss worth speaking of, they have done nothing
worthy of being recorded in the national archives,
or which can add new laurels to those already
nobly earned by British seamen. Sweden has
still, and we cannot say unreasonably, refused to
credit the sincerity of which such trivial evidences
were afforded, or to bravo the wrath of her
formidable neighbour by taking an active part
with the Western Powers. The fortifications
at Bomarsund have accordingly been destroyed,
the troops embarked, and the Aland Islands
abandoned, to be again taken possession of by
Russia whenever it may suit her purpose to do it,

or that she dares to display her standard to the
Baltic breezes. General BARAGUAY D'HILLIERS
and NIEL have already started on the
homeward journey, and may speedily be
participating in the festivities of Boulogne,
while the French troops will follow more leisurely.
indeed, as they have not succeeded in obtaining
he co-operation of Sweden, as they cannot winter
in the territories of King OSCAR, and will not
hold possession of the islands conquered by their
:)-wri prowess, no other course remained open or
practicable. All we can say is, that we captured Bu-
inarsund, peeped into Abo, reconnoitred Sweaborg,
took a distant view of Cronstadt, and so frightened
the Russians that they voluntarily destroyed their
own fortifications at Hango. We also kept their
fleets skulking under shelter of their granite bas-
tions, afraid to brave the angerof the allied forces.
Something was thus achieved, but certainly
very far below the reasonable expectations of the
people. We have proved beyond the possibility
of doubt that the vaunted and quasi impregnable
fortifications of Russia cannot long withstand the
The experiment
repeateditnot
the
ie performance
been
followed tried
cannon balls and shells of England. But what
practical benefit have we derived from the expe-
rience
up l
Why
thus
result.h B
aveacquiredwuet
not
v
at Bomarsund, and never was there a more satis-
factorythy has
on other stages ? Why does the Russian flag
still float at Abo, at Helsingfors, at Revel, and
at Oroustadt ? There is no doubt that the People
of Great Britain, and our friends and brethren at
the other side of the channel, will ask these ques-
tions, and that the fame of our commanders will
be in some degree tarnished by the trivial results
accomplished by one of themost powerful fleets ever
placed under the ordersof a British Admiral. Even
" Gallant Old CHARLEY" may for a time lose
caste, more particularly when we recollect that
the First Naval Lord of the Admiralty declared
that he had unlimited control over the operations
of the fleet—a carte blanche, in fact, to act as ho
thought proper.
We shall not, however, condemn him unheard.
We have already pointed out the difficulties in
which he was involved from the want of suitable
gun-boats, drawing not more than from live to
seven feet of water, and capable, therefore of
running into the shallows where
our men-of-war
would be incapable of going. We have shown
that he had not the almost indispensable re-
quisites for success ; and notwithstanding the posi-

tive :Lssertions of It:Jar-A. lithrai iiedi.KELEY, to whom,
however, we are far from attributing any intei).-
tion al mis=statement—we still believe that he was
fettered and restricted by orders from home—
orders proceeding, possibly, from the head of the
Cabinet, and of which "My Lords Commission-
ers" might be ignorant.
We must confess that we are, notwithstanding
all these drawbacks, for which we make all due
allowance, somewhat disappointed. We shall,
however, await the explanations that will doubt-
less be rendered in due season—earnestly hoping
that the reputation of the man whom we fondly
hoped to be "sans pear et sans reproche," may pass
unscathed through the ordeal. Possibly some-
thing may still be achieved. A clash may even
yet be made against some of these strong-
holds, of which the Muscovites were
once so proud, but of which they have been
greatly put out of conceit by the easy capture of
Bomarsund. We should hail any redeeming
feature, anything that would take away our re-
proach, with unalloyed gratification. We must,
however, " bide our time," and patiently wait the
course of events, satisfied that intelligence cannot
long be withheld that will enable us to form our
decisions on more authentic data, with all the
necessary elements for our calculations. At pre-
sent, although matters, it must be acknowledged,
do not wear a very auspicious aspect, we shall
not form an adverse judgment against those in
whom we have hitherto reposed unlimited confi-
dence—to whose hands we . were willing to
entrust the honour and safety of our
country. " Time will tell," and we must await
the revelations which old " Chronos" may please
to bring to light.