The Sun.
London, England, 1856-01-18 00:00:00

THE NEGOTIATIONS.

The Debats of yesterday states that M. Nes-
ge:rode, in his reply (the first) to the Austrian
Cabinet, insists repeatedly upon the sincere desire
of the Emperor Alexander to restore peace to
Europe. " The Emperor," says the Minister, is
not seduced by the love of conquest ; he seeks to
glorify his reign, not by adding new provinces to
Russia, but by developing the germs of its material

prosperity. The internal regime of Russia requires
profound reforms, without which the Russian
nation cannot hope to attain to tke degree of civili-
srtion which other nations have reached. The
Enperor is convinced that his mission consists in
inzoduoing amongst his people somo grand social
aul civil ameliorations : and he is impatient to
commence his work."

The Constitutionnel gives the following account
of the activity of the German diplomatists at St.
Pe.L;ersburg

Count Valentine Esterhazy had two or three in
teiviews with M. de Nesselrode, with)ut any satin.

'actory result. Since then Count Esterhazy has
hal an interview with the Emperor Alexander 11.,
wl.o said nothing formal respecting the Austrian
propositions.
He subsequently paid a visit to M. Seniavin, of
the Foreign-office, where he met with a very cold
reception. Baron de Werther, the Prussian min-
ister, had meantime arrived at St. Petersburg. He
paid a visit to the Chancellor, who asked him in a
br ague manner whether he had come to say a word
for the Austrain plenipotentiary, and to support
the ridiculous pretensions of Austria. Baron Wer-
ther replied that he could not support what he was
not cognisant of. To Count Esterhazy, whom he
visited afterwards, he said that lie had no instruc-
tions from his Government ou the subject.
Baron do Seebach, the Saxon Minister at Paris,
arrived at St. Petersburg on the evening of the
29th of December. He went direct to his father-
in-law's, Count Nesselrode's, where he passed the
evening.
On the following morning he paid a ',hit to
Count Valentine Esterhazy.
On the 31st of December Baron de Seebach was
presented to the Emperor. The audience lasted
two hours. lam not able to say what passed, but
it is certain that after the interview Count Nessel-
rode modified his tone, and hinted that a compro-
mise might be effected. The policy of moderation
aed conciliation brought by M. de Seebach bas
found a powerful supporter in the person of M.
de Fonton, who made known that M. de Seebach
was not only the faithful organ of the German
Courts, but also of public opinion generally
throughout Germany.
The testimony of M. de Fonton has the more
weight with the St. Petersburg Cabinet, as he re-
sided for many years at,Vienna as councillor of Em-
bassy, and had just left Hanover at a moment when
public opinion in Germany, stirred up by the po-
lemic caused by the speech of the 15th of Novem-
ber, pronounced itself energetically against Russia.
Passing through Vienna, M. de Fonton there
learnt the disposition of Austria towards Russia,
and the tenor of the proposals Austria was about
to send to St. Petersburg.
M. de Fouton gave at Warsaw a faithful account
of the state of public opinion in Germany to Prince
Paskiewitch, whose secretary be was formerly, and
the prince recommended him in his own name, and
in virtue of his authority as Field Marshal of the
Russian armies, to conjure the Cabinet of St.
Petersburg to accept readily any terms of peace
that might be me made to it.
The adyioe of-M. de Fonton had, therefore,

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