The Sun.
London, England, 1856-01-02 00:00:00

STATE OF PRUSSIA.

An English traveller in Prussia says :—having passed
the last two or three months in travelling through Prus-
sia, and in particular through the Baltic provinces, I
venture to trouble you with a few remarks respecting the
state of the country, which, as the result of personal
observation, you may think worthy of some attention.
I may add that for some weeks I have been completely
deprived of English newspapers, and have consequently
been indebted to the Berlin papers for news and politics.
From their general tone, and from the publio opinion
(more particularly of the commercial and middle classes),
I think there is very little doubt that a strong feeling of
distrust is entertained as to the policy of the Govern-
ment and its present position as regards the war. There
is also an openly-expressed expectation, or, rather, ap-
prehension, that, should the present reported peace ne-
gotiations lead to no result, which here seems hardly to
be expected, Prussia will find herself compelled to take
a decisive stand, either with or against the Western
Powers—the more so as the treaty just concluded with
Sweden is viewed in no favourable light by the Govern-
ment, and is considered by it as a kind of menace or
challenge which may be certain to bring the war nearer
here, as it is confidently stated, but on what authority
it is difficult to ascertain, that there are secret clauses
binding Sweden to take an active part in the operations
of next spring. The national feeling, with very few
exceptions, is against Russia, and the wish of the great
majority of the people would be to form an alliance
with England ; against this, however, must bo taken
into consideration the old existing hatred to France
from 1806, which remains in a much greater degree
than any one who has not had frequent opportunities
of noticing could believe; and, as the Court and
Junker party are secret, if not avowed, partisans of
Russia (of which a day or two ago the attendance of
General von Wrangel and a number of the highest pel.-
sons attached to the Court at the Te Deurn, performed in
the chapel of the Russian embassy at Berlin in honour
of the fall of Kars may be taken as strong evidence), it
is somewhat difficult to say what may be the definite re-
solve when the time comes for a decision. From all I
can learn I do not, however, think that this country
could ever join Russia, as such a step would completely
ruin her commerce ; and besides this, Prussia could only
sustain a defensive war. The whole of the Baltic sea-
ports are defenceless, and her trade would be annihilated
by a few steamers and frigates, which could blockade
the entire seacoast, and burn or destroy nearly the whole
commercial marine.

At present the shipping of Prussia is rapidly increas•
iog, not only in number, but in the larger tonnage of
the vasseis which are now building. Along the whole
coast, from Memel to Mecklenburg, every building yard
is occupied, and all the builders have more contacts
than they can complete in the next two years. Ai Prus-
sia has no colonies, and, comparatively speaking, very
little direct trade, she is dependent on other countries,
and partioularly on Great Britain, for the employment
of her mercantile fleet; and most of the new and larger
vesiele regularly sail for England, and rarely return to

the port to which they belong. It is, therefore, easy to
conceive how fatal a blow to the commerce of this e.eerai-
try war with such naval Powers as England asnd
France would be, and how anxious the Gloves
ment is to prolong a neutrality so favourable to its
subjects, as there is no doubt that Prussia is at dais
moment, apart front the temporary high prices of
bread and provisions, in a more nourishing con-
dition than she hes been for years. Although
the harvest has been considerably below an average one,,,
farmers and landed proprietors, from the enhanced pricer'
of grain and agricultural produce, are better off thaerin
ordinary years ; the general trade of the country ietimte
very healthy condition, and manufactures of all kindit
aro daily increasing ; shipping for the last three yeses'
has been paying large dividends, and those ports which,
from their vicinity to the Russian frontier, have the
benefit of the overland trade, have been reaping such a
harvest that they wish the war to last for ever. It would
occupy too much space to discuss here the question of
the land transport from Russia, through Memel and
Konigsberg ; but there are facts sufficient to be con-
vinced that the blockade of the Russian harbours cannot
be effectual so long as those two ports remain open.
I will conclude by repeating ray opinion that Prussia
enjoys too great an advantage from her present so-called
state of neutrality not to use every effort to continue it
until the last moment ; although, while she has all the
year been permitting the open and unconcealed export
of lead and sulphur across the frontiers to Russia, her
strict neutrality may easily be called into question.
Should she, however, be compelled to choose between
the Western Powers and their enemy, I do not think
that, in spite of the tendencies of the Court, her mate-
rial interest and popular feeling will ever allow her to
join her forces to those of Russia.

THE QUEEN AND DRURY-LANE