The Sun.
London, England, 1870-08-08 00:00:00

PRICE
STAMPED

OUR PRESTIGE ABROAD.
TO THE EDITOR OF THE " SUN."
'These of us who have reached middle life have often
heard the " Honour of England " spokeri of as something
- worth paying and fighting for, as a thing not to be trifled
with or insulted with impunity. No doubt a great many
foolish and regrettable acts were done in old times from
mistaken views on this subject, similar--though not so
recklessly wicked— to those we see now perpetrated to
satisfy the " susceptibility " of France. But is national
honour altogether a delusion and a snare ? Is
there not a national honour— analog( us, not to the irri-
table touchiness ,of the duellist, but to the self-respect
of the gentleman—which no nation can forfeit without
loss and danger, as well as humiliation and disgrace ?
Is it well for a nation, once foremost in the Councils of
Europe, to let it be supposed that no affront would rouse
her to action ?—that as long as she is not actually attacked
she will quietly look on at the wrongs and suffering of
other countries—even if those, whom, when her spirit wag
higher, she solemnly bound herself to protect ?
What is oalled the policy of non-intervention wass:,
adopted, no doubt, in the interests of peace. The origi-
nators of it told us, that if we set the example of throw-
ing away our arms, it would soon be followed by the rest
of Europe, whose various nations, united by the bonds of
commerce and national regard, would learn to live to-.
gether in harmony like a band of brothers. Now, putting
aside the question of honour and prestige, of how much
we have lost of these, and whether they were worth* pos-
sessing, how far has our peace-at-any-price policy been
successful in preventing war ? May we not fairly lay the
Crimean conflict at the door of the fanatical peace-party ?
Is it not notorious that the Emperor Nicholas was per-
suaded into the firm belief that England could not be
"kicked into fighting"—that, but for this persuasion, he
would never have violated the Turkish frontier ? Yes,
and the contemness of England's .honour,—the same
timid politicians, who shrink from uttering a
binding word, are equally chargeable with the
spoliation and ruin of Denmark, which, after being
induced by the English Government to give up a, portion of
its rights by the threat of being left unprotected in case
of non-compliance, was left in the lurch after all. There_
is not a diplomatist of any note in Europe who will not
tell you that the Governments of Prussia and Austria
would have welcomed the armed intervention of England,
would have been glad to be able to curb the inconvenient
zeal of theki subjects by telling them that the invasion of
Denmark meant certain war with England.
And what is our position now ? Is it one of peace and.
safety? The public in general, but not the far-seeing
among them, have been astounded by the revelation of
nameless treachery on the part of our closest ally and
most be-lauded friend—of a conspiracy affecting not our
honour only, but %bur very existence as a free and in-
dependent nation. And what could have induced the
great Powers of Europe to entertain such thoughts,
but an absolute reliance on their most potent allies in
every scheme of conquest and aggrandisement the
deriders of England's honour, the peace-mongering party
representatives of which sit in the highest council of the

State. -
No less surprising than the discovery of our august
ally's secret machinations against ,our honour and safety,
is the manner. in which the intelligence has been received
by his dupes and intended victims. The very rumour
of such a conspiracy would, in former years, when the
calm, soap-boiling element was less predominant, in the
House of Commons, have caused a roar of indignation
and defiance in that assembly from the nation at large.
Now, the only very marked feeling produced is the fear
of being angry lest our august ally should be angry
with us for being angry with him. Oh, ye gods ! are we
a nation at all ? For what nation would have taken
such an insult with such calm philosophy ? If we cannot
be indignant are we not even afraid? Do the people in
England know what the ppssession of Belgium and the
occupation of Antwerp by the French iuipues ? Why,
it may fairly be doubted whether it would be possible to
feed London for six months after the ports of France and•
Belgium had been closed against us.—l remain, sir, your
obedient servant, " Unt SALUS."

[We would only suggest in regard to the above, that our
correspondent should have written--not " our august ally'
but—" our august allies." Both France and Prussia have
yet to be called to account diplomatically in respect to
those secret, and therefore suspicious, discussions or nego-
tiations, or whatever else they may be called, 1.6 to the
absorption of Belgium by his imperial neighbour. The
proportion of guilt appertaing respectively to France and
Prussia in this matter would seem to be accurately indi-
cated only by the relative value of six and half a dozen.
ED. of the Sun.]