The Sun.
London, England, 1856-02-25 00:00:00

self, and to which she cannot therefore reason-
ably object. She has, in many cases, not merely
insisted on territorial advantages, but has re-
quired full pecuniary compensation. She has
done so from Turkey, and now that matters are
changed a similar measure should be exercised on
the other side. Nor is there any reason why
England and France should bear the costs in-
curred in their noble defence of the cause of
truth and justice. It is not many years since the
Chinese instalments figured as assets
on the credit side of the national ledger.
After enforcing such a claim against
China, should we not bltish to relinquish
a similar one against a more formidable antago-
nist. Is it only from weak States that Great
Britain can afford to exact rigorous terms ? Is
she not clearly entitled to pecuniary compensation
from Russia ?—and does not her honour demand
that she should obtain it ?

We cannot bring back the mighty dead. The
heroes who have fallen before Sebastopol by the
arms of the enemy, or the mismanagement of
our own authorities, cannot b 3 restored to
their sorrowing friends. They must rest in
their glorious graves. But tho money can
be got back. The obligation to recoup so large
an amount would be one of the most satisfactory
guarantees that Russia could give for her future
conduct. It would effectually bind her over to
keep the peace, and insure tranquillity so far as
she is concerned, for at least half a cen-
tury. We know not whether Lord CLA-
RENDON is instructed to insist on such
an indemnity. If he is, it should be the first
topic to be ventilated at the Conferences ; if not,
we cannot hope for a satisfactory solution of the
difficulty in which England has been so unjustly
implicated.

The Rugby boys used to say it was a shame to
cheat Dr. ARNOLD, for he relied on them so im-
plicitly ; we should think such ought to be the
feeling of Lords CLARENDON and COWLEY and the
Cabinet they represent towards our Parliament.
Never did masters treat their servants more un-
reservedly. The two Houses keep at their assigned
tasks as dutifully as if it were not the slighest
consequence to them whether the peace should or
should not be worth the millions they have voted,
and yet will have to vote. Not a voice is heard, not
a question asked, as the peace to its climax is hur-
ried ; the House seeass to wait in solemn silence
while its Shillibeers are decently interring the
War at Paris ; at least all their conversation, as
usual with those concerned in obsequies, is irrele-
vant to the melancholy event. It is tacitly re-
membered that the past is not to be altered, and
it were unkind to touch on the sad topic.
Perhaps, however, the country at large may
not put this interpretation on the silence of its
senators. It may not regard it merely as unwil-
lingness to advert to the meagre and miserable
five preliminaries—the fair requital, as H.R.H.
perhaps, and the Cabinet thought, for all our ex-
penditnre of life and money, and all our present
preparations. It may even be taken for per-
sonal weariness of the Income Tax, and still more
probably for an aristocratic wish to spare the
beloved protector of German despots, and to put
an end to a War which has sent four of its order
to a Court-martial, after conviction by two tho-
roughly honest judges—a War which has done
more to unmask the Horse Guards and the Admi-
ralty, while it has revealed the merits of
the Tanks, than could have been done by a cen-
tury of peace. It even came to this, that Lords
PANMURE and HARDINGE had to confess that the
honours bestowed upon two Lords in high com-
mand were bestowed for the quality in which
every one of their soldiers shared, and not at all
for their capacity in such command ! The sooner
a war, in which such explanations follow Sebasto-
pol Committees, inquiries respecting the fate of
Kars, and the like, termina` es, the better for aris-
tocracy. To the country, however, it will appear
that our representatives might better represent us.
Newspaper editors, indeed, will do it whether the
powers that he relish the interference or net ;
but it does appear strange that if Hon. Members
feel as much interest as their constituents in the
questions of the Aland Isles, Circassia, the Sea of
Azoff, and Nicolaieff, not to mention far weightier
points, they should not continue to ask questions
or give their own opinions on these subjects.
At present things go on swimmingly is the
chosen path. England and France also keep up the
preparations which will the better justify Russia
in yielding demands which otherwise would have
been thought by the old Muscovite party too easily
conceded. The last rumour is that Russia will
even make no difficulty of Nicolaieff, and that
Cronstadt alone is to be retained as a naval
arsenal. At the same time report says that pre-
parations in the North and in Poland are being
pressed with' increasing vigour. No one can in-
deed be sure that if Russia can obtain an adequate
supply of American, Prussian, and Austrian
ammunition, she may not be mad enough to
renew hostilities. It just may be that having
thrown the Allies thoroughly off their guard, as
she thinks, she may refuse to concede sonic essen-
tial part of the Fifth Point, and offer the Allies
the alternative of another campaign or diplomatic
defeat. As we have repeatedly stated, we do not
think her bankrupt condition permits this, but in
dealing with a nation of ambitious knaves
we must be prepared for all eventualities.
At Constantinople things certainly look as wel
as could be expected. Paper agreements are get-
ting on well, and the honour and sincerity of the
SULTAN are happily beyond doubt. Concessions,
all that could be thought of, and far bettor than
MENSCHIKOFF tried to obtain by bullying, are freely
granted. The Christian population in fact seem
to fear too near an approach to civil equality,
wishing rather to bear a little civil dishonour
than to share all the ditties of the. State. To the
provinces the SULTAN spontaneously offers rests).
ration of their early internal independence, the
only or principal mark of his suzerainty being the
very easy tribute or annual present which they
were accustomed to make. At Paris, too,
avowedly all goes right between us and our Ally,
and he is to be as decided as we are that the
naval arsenal of Nicolaieff and the neutrality of
the Black Sea are not compatible with each other.
An American vessel, however, has just landed a
cargo, centraband of war, at Revel, but a squadron
is now mustering to prevent the repetition of suoh
kindness by " brother JONATHAN."
Any peace, however, which can be manu-
factured out of such preliminaries is a triumph of
despots over the rights of nations, of aristocracy
over democracy-, and of Germany over England.
The slavery of Poland is eonfirmed afresh, and
the only opportunity which seems likely to occur,
for long,
of restoring her nationality madly passed
by. Europe may rest for a time, but only for a
time. The despot instinct which fought the Poles
at Sebastopol, instead of hoisting their colours on
our works, has refused Polish aid and ignored
Poland in the European settlement. It is an
affair of little minds, of selfishness and despotism.
But we fear the predicted result must arrive in its
time. The Poles, repelled and despised by their
civilised brethren in Europe, will take up with
Russia fur vengeance. Austria and Prussia will