The Sun.
London, England, 1856-01-28 00:00:00

THE SUN LONDON,_ MONDAY EVENING, JANUARY 28, 185 6.

in the hands of Austria ; finds us all
but pledged to, the smallest conceivable
demands as the conquering Power. If the pre-
sent negotiations proceed and eventuate in peace
the position is this--Russia weakened as little as
possible, Austria rewarded with the occupation of
the Principalities, to be made, in all probability,
virtually masters of them to the very shores of
the Black Sea, Turkey's exchequer impoverished,
the Allies fined some two hundred and fifty mil-
lions, and Russia not required even to reimburse
them to the extent of a rouble. To pass over
what we repeatedly pointed out as necessary to a
permanent peace, what can be traced in all these
proceedings but a wish to spare Russia, and to
enrich Austria I We believe that unless Eng-
lishmen interfere, there is a wicked and deep-
laid plot to make Austria omnipotent in the
Principalities, and tints to put Hungary
for ever in her hateful clutches. Rather
than witness such a consummation better have
another 1848, with the guillotining of all the
perjured despots. Perhaps, indeed, such bare-
facedly dynastic diplomacy might precipitate such
an event.

ence proceeds should be the main object of search.
It would be a small triumph to convict our
Ambassador at Constantinople of laches in the
discharge of his diplomatic duties, a trivial satis-
faction to discover that the Turkish Government
was in part to blame if the great domestic traitor
were suffered to remain in concealment, to re-
issue and spin with safety, at some future oppor-
tunity, yet more comprehensive meshes for the
honour and safety of the nation. The chief cul-
prit is, we say, the individual mainly to be sought
for, and when he is discovered it may not be
deemed amiss to band him his passports and dis-
miss him from the country under the Alien Act,
for an alien he most assuredly must be. No con-
siderations are to be compared with those for
the honour and welfare of the nation, and
both are seriously endangered so long as opportu-
nity is afforded for concealment and further trea-
son to the guilty party. At this moment the
country frets with grief and shame for betrayed
interests, lost prestige, lost victories, and wasted
renown, and a better opportunity than the fall of
Kars affords for righting itself and vindicating its
old fame, and the cause of liberty and civilisation,
which has suffered under its auspices, could not
well be afforded unless in prospect of a peace still
more disgraceful and injurious. The groans
and hisses that filled the ball of the London Ta-
vern bespeak the growth of a feeling and the
awakening of a spirit not to be trifled with, nor
yet to be deprecated by any honest admirer of the
constitution.

Russia is, so far as correspondence, the tele-
graph, and rumour can be trusted, taking the
course which might have been expected. The
EMPEROR would appear to have made the final
decision by himself, and to have communicated it
to his councillors afterwards. His assigned rea-
son is " not the necessities •f Russia, but the
representations of friendly powers in favour of
European 'peace." We may reasonably excuse
him for publishing the version best adapted to
please his people, even if it be, as we think it
must be, the very reverse of the truth.
The Allies will not object to any re-
presentations palmed off upon his holy Russians
provided they enable him to make the "requisite
concessions. The Russian organs of the press,
such as Le Nord, doubtless inspired from St.
Petersburg, exalt the moderation of Russia !
According to these apologists, nothing can exceed
tke magnanimity of Russia, victor at Kars, uncon-
quered and unconquerable in the Crimea, and in her
full vigour, she desires peace indeed in her phil-
anthropy and regard for European interests, but
can quietly await it. She was the first to sug-
gest terms this time, they were slighted ; terms
were offered her, and one condition inserted evi-
dently to render her acceptance of them impos-
sible—her magnanimity triumphed over her self-
concern; she saw that Europe would foolishly believe
that she aimed at Constantinople ; she seized this
opportunity of giving a convincing proof that
the suspicion was a calumny. " Having given
this material proof of her good faith, she exclaims
-" Do you believe me now" ? Noble Russia,
who can distrust her longer ! She has given
back a few square miles of the vast territories she
has stolen during the last half century rather
than run the hazard of losing them all. Yes, we
do now believe her to be—very prudent.
Of one thing there can be no doubt—she will
use every effort to weaken the alliance, to stay
hostile preparations, to make the Allies appear in
fault should the War be continued, and to concede
just so much as shall make the difference between
her and her chastisers seem small, while it is
really very great. The vast difference, however,
between the present conditions and those of last
year, and the certainty that those of another year
would be tenfold more advantageous both to the
world and the Allies, should make our diploma-
tists cautious. If they break with Russia again,
provided they have not intermitted their opera-
tions, next year will certainly enable them to dic-
tate very different terms. We shall have no more
Baltic parades, and Poland will be no longer given
up to the vilest despotisms of Europe.

APPROACHING CONFERENCES.

We are enabled to state that a Protocol will be
signed almost immediately at Vienna by the repre-
sentatives of England, France, Austria, and Russia,
recording the fact of the acceptance of the Austrian
proposals by the Cabinet of Russia, and fixing a
date for the opening of Conferences upon the basis
of those proposals.
The Conferences will take place in about three
weeks from this time, at Paris.
The perfect accord which subsists between France
and England on the important and vital questions
to be submitted to these Conferences, makes it cer-
tain that they will be opened under the most fa-
vourable auspices, and we trust they may issue in
the happiest results.—Post.

In another part of our impression will be
found a brief extract of the Naval Estimates for
the ensuing year. It will be seen that the in-
crease amounts to lae less than 6,000 men and
Officers to complete the complements of the gun
and mortar boats, and that the extra expense
fot: pay and victualling will be 413,0001., to
say nothing of the cost of the vessels them-
selves which are already finished, or are in
course of construction. We do not complain of
this heavy outlay if it be made for any good pur-
pose. We have long and urgently demanded that
this essential arm of the service should be placed
on a proper foundation, so that the War might
be carried into the enemy's strongholds, and that
our other expenditure should not be wasted in
consequence cf a glaring deficiency in an
essential portion of our naval armaments.
But are we only to have it complied with
when too late ? Is " paying the piper" to
be the only result ? We trust not. That the
tardy display of energy may not have been prc-
, crastinated until absolutely useless—that we may
not find ourselves paying for guns, the boom
whereof will never reverberate along the
coasts of the Baltic or Euxine. Let the
chosen Representatives of the " British People"
only do their duty, and ascertain the true state
of affairs before they pass a single vote, and this
scandal, at least, may be averted from the British
name, and this charge saved to the over-burdened
tax-payers.

Our readers will remember that, awhile back,
we drew attention to the claims of " the Com-
mercial Travellers' Schools" on public countenance
and support, and at the same time pointed out
their condition, past history, and future prospects.
Among those claims are the great obligations the
country is under to the body of commercial tra-
vellers for their unwearied and intelligent exertions
in the promotion of commerce, and the exceedingly
creditable efforts they had made on behalf of the or-
phans of deceased members. Wisely extending the
area of their appeal, a deputation has very pro-
perly been sent to Birmingham, and, as will be
seen by our report, has been there met in a liberal
spirit. Conscious that that great manufacturing
town owes much to " commercial men," resolu-
tions were passed at a public meeting pledging it
to assist the cantral board in the augmentation
of the building fund, and handsome donations
were contributed on the spot with that object.
It is to be hoped that the deputation will be
equally successful elsewhere, the institution hav-
ing the strongest claims to be considered a national
one, and commending itself powerfully to the
benevolent and humane.

A gleam of hope appeared in the late communi-
cations received from Vienna. "In diplomatic
circles complaints are made of the inconceivable
obstinacy of Sir HAMILTON SEYMOUR, because he
resists the strenuous efforts made to induce Eng-
land to desist from insisting on Russia's disarming
the eastern coast of the Black Sea." If
this be true, and if there .be equal obsti-
nacy on other equally important points,
we may hope that Russia will not be able to pare
down the conditions to absolute worthlessness.
We are disposed to think that if the Allies (parry
on their preparations with increased vigour, they
will be able to dictate what expositions they please
of the Five Proposals. If Russia sees that they
are sparing no expense and trouble to conquer the
terms they insist on, we can easily believe that
she would, with such " magnanimity" as Le Nord
attributes to her, rather pay the Allies their past
expenses for the War than hazard having to
pay for those of another campaign, and probably
to lose some good round slices of her stolen terri-
tories in addition. Boldness in asking and firm-
ness in maintaining a demand is the only
diplomacy whir.,l can vanquish Russian duplicity.

The treacherous betrayal of Kars" is not likely
to go unavenged. The meeting of the Adminis-
trative Reform Association at the London Tavern,
on Saturday, testifies to that. The day for
grumbling has gone by. Action—loud-voiced
complaint, and resolute demands for inquiry and
redress are now being resorted to. We are
Englishmen after all, and owe no allegiance to
any house, ducal, royal, or imperial, but to the
House of Brunswick—and that conditionally.
Baffled we may be ; robbed, insulted, and de-
graded we may be—but not after so shameless a
fashion. It is being sighted, hustled, bonneted,
turned round and kicked from behind in the face
of the whole world. We can't stand that.

The fall of Kars is the crowning infamy of the
War ; and when the cause of that disaster is dis-
covered, the cause of other disasters will in all
probability be discovered also. The unseen power
that dictated the peremptory orders that the Turkish
Contingent should not march to the relief of Kars
is doubtless the same that kept the Allied fleets
from entering the Euxine while the butchery of
Sinope was being perpetrated. The same that
left Silistria to its fate, turned a successful general
to the right-about, and let the Austrians into the
Principalities. That spared Odessa, "squashed"
the claims of the Indian service, and sacrificed
thousands of our heroes and millions of our money
by means of judiciously-selected irresolution, in-
eompetency, and red-tapisin. That has robbed
us of every satisfaction in connection with the
War, but pride in the bravery of our troops, and
a determination to be no longer humbugged, he
public have only to persevere if they would know.
Mr. LINDSAY talks of " a secret influence
exercised over the executive which," to his
regret, "is doing immense mischief, and which
is unconstitutional in its character." Are
the two one ? The public have but to urge on
the inquiry, and the truth will leak out, and then
it will be seen whether such monstrous treason
is to be harboured, and men like Lord PAL-
RERSTION and Lord CLARENDON, while constitu-
tionally responsible, are evermore to be thwarted
in their patriotic efforts and aspirations.
It may be that blame is attributable elsewhere,
but when an all-controlling influence is believed
to exist, and those errors are not out of harmony
with its bias, the vaster from wheat* th4t Luau,-