The Sun.
London, England, 1870-12-17 00:00:00

THE DIPLOMATISTS AT VERSAILLES.

The correspondent of the Standard, writing from Ver-
sailles, December 12, says : --Capt Robbins, her Majesty's
most faithful messenger, arrived last night. He speaks of
his journey as an abominable one, and declares he never
felt the cold more acutely in his many winter journeys to
St. Petersburgh. It took him three days to get from Brus-
sels to Versailles, travelling by Treves, Nancy, and Lugny.
He was compelled to pass three nights in bed, if we may
apply that description to a process brought to a close 'on
a winter morning by having to turn out of it at 4.0 a.m.
He brings despatches to Mr. Odo Russell, who will be
with us yet a little longer. I have not said much of late
concerning his mission, but I will to-day venture on a
few words. That he came here without any definite
instructions on the Prussian question we may take for
granted. What has occurred since ? I shrewdly sus-
pect and firmly believe that the following will represent
the real history of his share in the various transactions
which have sprung out of Prince Gortschakoff's note.
The Cabinet, through Lord Granville, answered it, and
sent Mr. Odo Russell to Versailles with what we may
call a blank order. The language which he used to Count
Bismarck, who, doubtless, regarded him as the mouthpiece
of the British Government, was of a nature to induce
that statesman to disclaim any understanding or
even any sympathy with Russia in the matter of
her strange circular, and to lead him at one and the same

time to advise moderation at St. Petersburgh and to pro-
pose a conference at Constantinople, afterwards modified
to London. So rapid and satisfactory a success might
well have induced our envoy to feel confident that, by a
continued application of the same diplomatic pressure,
he might not fail in the attempt to persuade Count
Bismarck to obtain from Russia a formal with-
drawal of the note. Meanwhile, however, Lord
Granville's first despatch had been replied to; and then,
instead of being content with the high ground taken up
by him in the first instance and leaving the two nego-
tiators at Versailles to do the rest, our Foreign Minister
replied to the second Russian communication, which
was merely a repetition of the first, in a tone, more
friendly, pacific, and compromising. At once
Russia became less willing to listen to Prussia's
advice and request that the offending note should be with-
drawn, and Prussia perhaps less disposed to press her good
_ _

counsel. Do we in this see the influence of the weaker
and more timorous portion of the Cabinet ? And has
what was maturing at Versailles been spoilt by action at
home? I repeat that I shrewdly_lrexpect so. You will
be good euough to remember that this is perfectly in
conformity with 'all I wrote on the subject when our
envoy first arrived. If lam right we have missed our
opportunity of making Prussia able to give Russia advice
that would have been but little palatable to the latter—in
itself no slight gain—and have exchanged a distinct with-
drawal of the obnoxious circular for a constructive retreat
to say the least of it ambiguous.

CABINET COUNCIL.—A Cabinet Council will be
held to-day, in Downing-street, at 1 o'clock.
CRYSTAL PALACE. One Shilling Day, Fri-
day, December 16th, 1870.—Admissions by season tickets
1,037 ; ditto on payment. 371; total visitors, 1,403.
The Musical Randard says that English Opera
is meeting with great success in Philadelphia. Nilsson
has been singing in " The Messiah" in Now York and
Philadelphia.
Mdlle. Marie Krebs and her mother, Mdine.
Krebs-Michalesi, have been treating the Yankees to
vocal and instrumental performances of the works of
Beethoven, Bach, Schubert, Schumann, Wagner, Men-
delssohn, and other compose Musical Standard.
THE ABOLITION OF UNIVERSITY TESTS.—At a
meeting of the Fellows of Trinity College, Cambridge,
held on Thursday, a resolution in favour of the abolition
of tests was carried by a large majority.
Nature is glad to be able again to report favourably
of the state of both Sir R. Murchison and Professor B.
Stewart. The former has continued to gain somewhat in
strength, and the progress of the latter from day to day
has been as satisfactory as could be desired.
'When Bishop Claughton enters upon his duties as
Archdeacon of London, St. Paul's Cathedral will have no
less than four bishops closely connected with it, namely,
Dr. Jackson, *Bishop of London, chief ot the diocese ;
David Anderson, late Bishop of Rupert's Land, chan-
cellor ; Dr. Claughton, Bishop of Colombo, as Archdeacon
of London ; and Dr. Mackenzie, Suffragan Bishop of Not-
tingham, as one of the Bishop of London's Chaplains.

- .
SKMMISR AT ETREPAGNY.—The Dresden Jour-
nal gives an account of the German mishap at Etre-
pagny. "In spite," it says, "of the precautions which
were observed, Colonel Rex was attacked at 2 a.m. on the
Ist instant by a hostile detachment 1,800 strong, including
1,400 troops of the line. The inhabitants, as well as a
multitude of armed men concealed in churches, co-operat-
ing with the enemy, he was so suddenly assailed on
all sides, and even in the centre of the place, that the
detachment, fighting in isolated bands, succeeded only
by great exertions and losses in gaining the open and
reassembling outside Etrepagny. The losses at present
ascertained in killed, wounded, and prisoners amount to
about 100 men and 70 horses. The place was reoccu-
pied the next day,. and on account of the treacherous par-
ticipation of the inhabitants in the surprise was burnt
down.