The Sun.
London, England, 1856-03-25 00:00:00

PEUSSIA AND THE CONFERENCES.

The Nord, of Saturday, has the following
article :

" The participation of Prussia in the Paris Congress
is a fact of great political importance and a high moral
result (d'une haute moralite). It assures and guaran-
tees the re-establishment of peace, indicates once again
the rank to,which that Power le entitled in the council
of nations, and sanctions the honourable and straight-
forward policy it has followed since the origin of the re-
grettable coeflict which now approaches its termination.
" When one or more individuals come'to blows to
settle a quarrel it is not an uncommon thing to see them
fall upon him who refuses to throw a new element of dis-
cord between them, and who confines himself to addres-
sing them in words of peace, and to exhort them to
make mutual concessions. Bat when the reconciliation
does take place distrust and prejudice vanieb, and make
place in their minds for a just appreciation of their rights
and of their reciprocal duties. They then thank him
for his moderation, and they only esteem him the more
if he can prove to them that it was not without difficulty
or danger that he was enabled to maintain to the end a
strict impartiality and equal good-will to each. Such
is, we belieie, the feeling with which Prussia is now
admitted to the Paris Conferences.
" Since the commenceraent of the war the Prussian
Government 'found itself placed in a most difficult and
deli Cate position. On the one hand it had to resist the
current of public opinion, the entreaties of France, and
the threats of England ; and, on the other hand, it had
to avoid the reefs which a skilful policy continually put
in its way in the German Confederation. It bad,
finally, to resist the opposed tendenciei of its own
parties, one of which urged. it to act `against RUssia,
and, another against the Western Powers. The Prus-
sian Government enly succeeded in surmounting' all
these obstacles by the greatist frankness- and sti'aight-
forwardness. It did not promise to any party what it
never intended to fulfil, but it fulfilled towarde each more
than it ever promised. Its action was at noies, but
effective; and ttespite the insults-heaped upon itOattysie
the English press, it laboured with as mnbh dignity as
perseverance towards the work which is now being ac-
complished at Paris.' Ae) long as the chances of war
still hovered over this work the exclusion of Prussia, so
peremptorily demanded by England, was in some degree
natural and logical, but from the moment the chapter of
the blessings of peace was te be discussed her place at
the Congress was marked out.
" Russia was the first to ask thit she should be in-
vited to join, and it appears that it was in the most
flattering terms for Prussia, and for the Minister who
knew so well how to execute the orders of his sagacious
Sovereign, that Count Waleiveki sent the invitation to
Baron von Manteuffel in the name of the Congress. We
never doubted the result, but still it is satisfactory to be
able to state it. France and Russia, who had shown
themselves the most powerful, as they were the most
noble champions on the battle-field, could not evidently
shake hands after the struggle except on one ground--
that of good faith, on which ground they necessarily
met Prussia, who, as we have seen, had thereon main-
tained herself since the commencement of hostilities
with unshaken firmness.

"This, we repeat it, is a most highly moral result, as
it proves that States, like individuals, never lose by suit-
ing the action to the ward, and that in our days a true
policy consists leas in turning more or less skilful or
ready means, honest or not, to advantage, than by speak-
ing out one's thoughts honestly and frankly.
" In its superannuated traditions diplomacy is but the
faithful reflection of the epoch which gave it birth. Hos-
tility being then the normal state of the relations of na-
tions with each other, as well as of individuals, every man,
sure to find in his neighbour an enemy or a rival, neces-
sarily placed between his thoughts and his words the dis-
tance which separates falsehood from truth, and was so
distrustful that he never let his left hand know what
his right hand did. But, in our days, when men and
❑atiaus live in a community of interests, of ideas, and of
sentiments, Heaven be praised, such principles are no
longer possible. Diplomacy was then a weapon ;it is
now a means. It was formerly used to conquer' an
enemy ; henceforth it will be used to increase the num-
ber of one's friends. New wants haVe created new prin-
ciples, but if the age has proclaimed them, no public act
has as yet given them that moral sanction, that power
of a decided question, which must render its application
universal among all civilised nations, and which the
Congress of Paris is perhaps called upon to give them.
. " What is most satisfactory, therefore, in this result
which Prussia has just obtained, and which must gladdeta
every honest heart, is that it proves that a straightfor-
ward and sincere policy is net only the most honour-
able, but also the most profitable. In fact, Prussia
has just achieved two great successes with one blow, of
which one is the complement of the other. She has
proved to Europe that her strength as a European
Power is derived chiefly from her being essen-
tially a German Power ; and Germany must be con-
vinced that the interests which Prussia represents
abroad are essentially German interests, and that,
as well on account of her armed power as by her
upright and energetic policy, ■he is more capable
than any other of shielding and defending them, as well
in the moments ,of crisis and general perturbation as in
the pacific councils of Europe. Prussia has obtained
this result without offending Russia, without quarrelling
with Franco and England, and this simply by following
an honest and disinterested policy. Thus, when, after
the conclusion of peace, international relations will have
resumed their natural course, her friendship will be
eagerly sought for, because her word can be trusted.
" Prussia has not, therefore, whatever may have been
said to the contrary, fallen from her estate as a great
Power."

ROYAL COLLEGE or SURGEONS.—The fallowing gen-
tlemen, naving undergone the necessary examinations
for the diploma, were admitted members of the College
at the meeting of the Court of Examiners on the 24th
inst. : Messrs. James Dalton Prythercb, army ; Ed-
mund William Valentine, Somerton, Sornersetshire ;
James Black, Holbeach, Lincolnshire ; Thomas Pickop,
Blackburn, Lancashire ; John Wilcox Elliott, Theber;
ton-street, Islington - Hannibal Henry Sheppard,
Guernsey ; Edwin Charles Langford, Liekeard, Corn-
wall ; Charles Robert Wimond Bentley, Calcutta ; G.
Webb, Birmingham ; and John S. Roberts, Sheffield.
APOTHECARIES' HALL.—The following are the names
of gentlemen who passed their examination in the science
and practice of medicine, and received certificates to
practise, on Thursday, March 20 :—James Sedgwick,
Boroughbridge, York ; Charles Jekin Elwin, Dover,
Sent ; John Cooke, Stamford Samuel Daniel Hine,

Nottingham ; and R. D. Harris, Stroudwater.
ESCAPE OF A PRISONER FROM THE SOUTHAMPON NEW
Gaor,.—On Monday last a man named Anderson, one of
the prisoners confined in the new gaol, made a daring
and successful attempt to escape by means almost rival-
ling those recorded of Caleb Williams. Anderson, who
appeared to be a travelling thief, was about two months
since committed for trial at the quarter sessions for pick-
ing pockets. Since his confinement be has been suffering
from rheumatism, which renders his escape the more ex-
traordinary. It appears that the prisoner succeeded
about noon on Monday in opening the cell door hy
means of the plate used to denote his gaol number, hav-
ing previously by some clever method prevented the
lock from catching, various marks on the door bearing
witness to the violent exertions which he must ,have
used. Gaining access to the corridor, he was enabled
unobserved to pass through the door leading into the
yard used for the exercise of the prisoners. Here a num-
ber of workmen had been employed in the erection of a
building intended to contain a treadmill and crank wheel
for the prisoners sentenced to hard labour, and the pri•
Boner was lucky enough to arrive here just as the whole
of theta hai gone to dinner. Having procured from this
building a shovel, he heaped up a quantity of earth, and
having placed upon it a mortar-board to secure a good
foundation, he placed upon it a scaffold board, which,
when in nearly an upright position, reached to within a
few feet of the top of the wall. A short ladder enabled

him without difficulty to ascend to a distance of about
two-thirds of the scaffold board, the remainder of which
he climbed in an exceedingly clever manner, balancing
himself with the greatest skill until he reached a suffi-
cient height to enable him to gain the top of the wall,
having attained which, he dropped himself down on the
other side and escaped. The tine occupied in all these
operations was exceedingly short, and the prisoner could
not have been at any great distance when his escape
was discovered ; but notwithstanding every exertion has
been used to discover his whereabouts, not the slightest
trace of him has yet been discovered.—.Hampshire Inde-
pendent.
SPONTANEOUS COMBUSTION AS THE CAUSE OP FIRE
AT COVENT•GARDEN TNEATBE.—R was stated by Mr.
Thomas Grieve, the scene painter, that he had always
considered the little property-room a dangerous place.
Oil was used by the property-men. It WAS 10t so much
Used by scene-painters. He once returned to Covent-
! garden Theatre, after a long absence, and found in one
spot a heap of rubbish, chiefly of sweepings from the
painting-room. When the property-man was about to
remove it, it began to smoulder and emit heat. had such
rubbish been allowed to lie in any part of the " shop,"
it would be quite sufficient to lead to the fire, under the
circumstances which had been detailed. To understand
the importance of this theory of the cause of the fire,
would demand a long statement of many well-ascertained
facts as to a curious subject which requires even further
investigation. Incendiarism is too diabolical an act to
be credited as the cause of fires in every instance ; and
enough may be stated in a few words here to show the
importance of the general
question, and its application
to the present case. Cotton waste, oily rags, tow, and
saw-dust may all be placed in such positions, or near
such other substances as may cause them to ignite. The
result foes not occur invariably, as in the better known
instances of chemical action ; but it occurs positively,
in certain cases, which are the source of greater
danger because of the uncertainty. Tow is constantly
used in theatres for stuffing figures and various other
purposes, especially about the pantomime season.
Saw-dust, Mr. Braidwood states that he has seen
catch fire from the breakage of one of the flasks of
Florence oil in the packages used, just at the time
It
when the sun was shining in that direction. It is
worth remarking, though perhaps not applying to the
present case, that a carpenters' shop is lighted by sky-
lights,—The Builder.