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

THE NEGOTIATIONS.

The Debats of yesterday states that M. Nes-
selrode, 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 the degree of civili-
sation which other nations have reached. The
Emperor is convinced that his mission consists in
introducing amongst his people some grand social
and civil ameliorations : and ho is impatient to
commence his work."
The Constitutionnel gives the following account
of the activity of the German diplomatists at St.
Petersburg :
Count Valentine Esterhazy had two or three in-
terviews with M. de Nesselrode, without any satis-
factory result. Since then Count Esterhazy has
had an interview with the Emperor Alexander 11.,
who 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
brusque 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 he had no instruc-
tions from his Government on the subject.
Baron de 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 ke passed the
evening.
On the following morning he paid a vieit 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
and 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 Fenton 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 Fonten there
learnt the disposition of Austria towards Russia,
and the tenor of the proposals Austria was about
to send to St. Petersburg.
M. de Fenton gave at Warsaw a faithful account
of the state of public opinion in Germany to Prince
Paskiewitch, whose secretary he was formerly, and
the prince recommended him in his o wn 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 advice of. M. de Font= had, thezetore,