The Sun.
London, England, 1849-08-24 00:00:00

tient-Jut 2rint

LONDON, FRIDAY, AUGUST 24, 1849.

We dare not hope that the intelligence of the fa

of Hungary is not true. Whether or not the imme-
diate cause of her fall was the treason of one whom we
have hitherto regarded as the soul of honour and tl.e
mirror of chivalry, it boots not now to inquire; but

there is the fact, that Russia—that power which Mr

COBDEN the other day, with all the smug compla-
cency of ignorance the most crass, likened to a sheet
of crumpled paper—has trodden out the life of Hun •
gary, and is now handing over the bleeding and
mangled carcase to the Austrian vulture. But while
denouncing Russia and Austria as the eternal
enemies of liberty, of justice, and of humanity—
let us at the same time be just. Gigantic as is the
crime committed by Austria and Russia, they are not
the greatest criminals—deep as is their guilt, it is
as nothing compared with the guilt of France, who,
JuDes-like, has betrayed Liberty with a kiss. It is
France, Republican France, who is in deed and in
truth the destroyer of the liberty and nationality of
Hungary. But for her example Russia would never
have ventured to interfere in the affairs of Hungary,
and it was for the purpose of furnishing the prece-
dent to Russia, for the purpose of beforehand putting
it out of the power of any French Government to
protest against Russian interference in the affairs of
Europe, that the PRESIDENT of the French Republic
(who, be it never forgotten, is cousin by marriage of
the Emperor of Russia, and who at Strasburg, in
1834, boasted that his pretensions were supported by
Russia), dispatched an expedition to Rome to put
down Republicanism and to put up Popery. This
interference on the part of such a people, fur
such an object, would be as ludicrous as it

is infamous, were it not that a most mischiev-
ous precedent has been thereby offered to
every tyranny to invade its weaker neighbour,
whenever its form of government may be displeasing to
it, or whenever the wolf may choose to denounce the
lamb as dangerous. The PRESIDENT of the French
Republic is the co-conspirator with Austria and Russia
against the liberties of mankind. Russian gold and
Austrian intrigue, acting through priestly influences,
secured his election as PRESIDENT of the Republic,
for the express purpose of carrying out the reac-
tionary crusade planned during the course of last
summer in this country, and France, Russia,
and Austria have, in carrying it out, crushed

liberty in Italy and Hungary; they are now
preparing to do the same thing in Central Ger-
many, and such is the apathy of the French
people, that it would seem as though they
would contentedly see the Cossacks:again watering

their horses in the Seine without being roused to action.
Mr. COBDEN the other day denounced any capitalist
who should advance money to Russia—infinitely
more just would such denunciation be if applied to
any capitalist who should advance money to the
present Government of France, to enable it to escape
from the embarrassments which it has brought upon
itself by the perpetration of this Roman outrage. We
trust that no English capitalist will advance a single
shilling to the present liberticide Government of
France ; or should he do so we devoutly pray that he
may lose every farthing of it. Indeed, such would
most probably be his fate. The cup of the offences
of the liberticide faction in France is :nearly full. A
Russo-Austrian alliance has always been the last card
of every anti-national Government in that country
for the last century, and the next time the people

take the management of their affairs into their own
hands, the reactionaries may rely on it there will be
no mistake. The debts contracted for the purpose
of destroying the Republic will never be recog-
nized by the Republic when she shall have
shaken off the yoke of her oppressors. It would
be well that capitalists should bear this in mind when
about to enter into a contract for a new French loan.
What a farce does it not seem to hold a Peace Con-
gress in Paris ? How can any man of high or honour•
able feeling, nay, possessed of one single particle of
self-respect, venture in the Congress to open his
mouth against war without pointing to the
shameless example which France has just given
of making war upon a weaker and an
unoffending neighbour without the pretence
of one honourable, just, or popular object in doing so?
The example thus set by France is the most shocking
in modern history, and however much we may
execrate Austria and Russia, we must yet remember
that they have never pretended to be the friends of
liberty ; they have been throughout the struggles
of the last fifty years the consistent and open
opponents of liberty all over the world; they
have never deceived any party all men
knew what to expect of them, and on which
side they would range themselves on the
day of battle. But with France the case is different
She has always held herself forth as the leader in the
cause of freedom--a cause which she has accepted
only to betray, as witness Sardinia, Sicily, Hungary,
Rome. The conduct of France has sent back liberal
principles in Europe a quarter of a century. France
is the real, the dangerous enemy of peace and liberty.
But while thus denouncing the conduct of
France, what shall we say to that of our
own Government ? It has been disgraceful,
and if not tainted, like that of France, with
the guilt of treason to the cause of liberty, it
has been to the full as mischievous from its vacillating
indecision and its criminally credulous faith in the
e
honour, honesty, and upright intentions of the French
PRESIDENT and his Ministers. To this superstition
of an entente cordiale Italy, Sicily, and Hungary have
been sacrificed. The speeches of Lord PALMERSTON
have, throughout the session, been all that every
lover of liberty could desire, but
" A man of words and not of deeds
Is
like
ecaabgianredte nstfaunlldosf wineendese.'d
and our present ' o
e
of
w
l
wofully. If, instead, of making
an eloquent
speech at the close of the session, my Lord
t
PALMERSTON had simply said, "I have an-
nounced to the Austrian Ambassador that im.