The Sun.
London, England, 1860-10-11 00:00:00

The Warsaw Conference is to come off at lasi

The Empress of RUSSIA has liberated her lord to
care for the nations instead of his wife and family ;
and, we suppose, on the 22d this Triumvirate
of Sovereigns will assemble to settle, if not the
affairs of Europe, yet what part they will take in
them. One great object they have avowed. They
are suspicious of the Franco-Sardinian alliance, and
of the principles proclaimed in Italy, and they mean
to erect a barrier against their progress. They are
a permanent danger, Russia says, to thrones, and
of course those R ho sit on thrones reasonably enough
take measures to prevent their thrones being over-
turned. Then France, with her doctrine of the mo-
dification of frontiers, really has alarmed the Ger-
mans, and they cluster together like frightened
sheep in a field, that they may feel safe from the
imagined danger. There may be also minor topics,
such as Syria, the Black Sea, and the Danubian
provinces ; it is understood that the expedition of
France to the first is not liked. The CZAR does
not want France to rival his prestige in the East:
Russia also does not like the restriction of the
treaty of Paris in the Black Sea, and her separation
in Bessarabia from the Danube, and it is said that
Prussia, and more particularly Austria, are to be
invited to aid Russia in getting back what she has
so justly forfeited.
There can be no doubt that all the Powers whose
dominions have been made what they are by rob-
bing nations-of their nationality, may well be some-
what alarmed. Nationalities seem now to have
found out a way of rising from the dead. If Italy,
after a political death of hundreds of years, has
thus risen from the dead, has felt its unity, and
seized the moment for making it a reality, why not
Hungary and why not Poland ? The extinction of
the last as a kingdom is almost within the memory
of living persons ; and the oppressions of the CZAR
in his part have at least had the effect of preserv-
ing in the minds of this generation of Poles the
knowledge that they are not Russians, and the de-
sire to emancipate themselves from the Russian
yoke. But Prussia and Austria have their share
of Poland too ; and though the Poles of Prussia
have been, setting aside theirgreat political wrong,
very fairly dealt with, yet even among them in 1848
the feeling of nationality showed itself very strongly,
and were anymove made for Polish liberties in other
places, would doubtless do so again. We imagine
that the interest of Russia and Prussia in this con-
ference may be in great part due to Poland, and
the possible bearing on it of the promulgation of
nationality doctrines. The French EMPEROR has
encouraged them. Facts in Italy encourage them,
Hungarian demands encourage them; and it be-
comes the Monarchs therefore to ask in time, what
shall we do if these doctrines press upon us ? Is
it to be concession partial or complete, or "thorough?,
Against the former is the old difficulty, that demands
for concession grow. Against the last, that Europe
in 1860 shows that " thorough" failed in 1848—
since the nationalities are more exigent than ever.
If the course of the infatuated Emperor of AUS-
TRIA is any indication of the tendency of Imperial
and Royal intentions at the coming meeting, it
would seem that they are bent on hardening each
other's hearts. Ever since the prospect of Russian
political friendship has been before him, FRANCIS
JOSEPH has mastered all his fears. When the
Reichsrath, which he allowed to speak pretty
freely, assembled to be prorogued, he bowed them
out with a gracious HAPSBURG promise to consider
of it, which meant, of course, that he would
do nothing. Hungary immediately felt the
change—her University at Pesth was shut,
political arrests on mere suspicion were nume-
rously made, and a levy of 85,000 men ordered, of
which the heaviest part would fall on Hungary.
At the same time the army of Venetia has been
largely increased, and poor as the Government is,
it has raised and sent soldiers there, with stores of
war, to be paid for no one knows when.
The great thing is, of course, to quiet Hungary,
and this perverse Government seems to think that
it can do it by the old process—by coercion and
repression. In Hungary all has long been ripe for
a movement, the occasion .only is wanted. When
will it arrive ? Austria is now aiming at two
almost incompatible things—to keep Venetia and
Hungary too. Venetia in a corner of a nation of
22 millions of free Italians, of whom it forms an
unquestionable part, cannot be kept in slavery but
at the cost of an army far larger that its revenues
will pay for. It is weak in itself, but not weak
with the sympathies of all the Italians and of all
forfeoeuAlud u
Esutorcirocap,e on its side. An attack on Venetia
would occupy
and allt h
et
nh disposableewo u ldbe H
Hungary's
militarygary o
strengthpp o rtu_
nity. Perhaps Austria hopes to get Russia and
Prussia to promise to keep down Hungary if
Venetia should be attacked. But surely they dare
not do it. England would not tolerate another
Russian intervention, and in the state of the Rus-
sian exchequer, and of her difficulties attendant
on the emancipation of her serf, it may be doubted
whether Russia really could afford to interfere in
Hungary. As to Prussia, we cannot think the
Regent dare do it, even if inclined. He has too
much respect for England to do it. It is not enough
a German question to demand his interference on
that ground. And, it would really be aiding Austria
to weaken herself by obstinacy in a course which
keeps her at perpetual variance with half her sub-
jects. It would doubtless be a bad thing for Hun-
garian liberties, but if Austria would at once sell

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lIMMOSIRIP