The Sun.
London, England, 1869-03-19 00:00:00

EASTERN EUROPE.

The Cretan refugees are being taken back to their native
island in such numbers that the means of transport have
become insufficient. The Greek subjects who left Turkey
when the ultimatum of the Porte was sent to Athens are
returning also en anasse. The Greeks abhor the Turks, but
they find their territory very advantageous for business
purposes. The new Greek Ministry, too, is doing as well
as can be expected under the worst of circumstances. T! o
last traces of the late quarrel arc disappearing

FRANCE AND BELGIUM.
The LibertC•, after a period of comparative restraint and
silence, at length comes out with one of those alarmist
articles by which M. Emile de Girardin delights to create
disquietude on the Bourse. M. de.Girardin denies altogether
the assurances of the official papers that the Belg'u n
railway affair is progressing peacefully. The Are,: r
National has stated thlt Belginm is decisively
resolved not to recognise the Convention between the
Luxemburg and the East of France Companies. This
statement the LeberM holds to be correct ; but whilst the
former journal can form no other conclusion than that the
French Government, having made another mistake, must
beat a retreat, the LiberU furiously assertsthat France can
retreat no more. If Belgium had preserved her freedom
and neutrality, perfect concord would have been maintained
between France and her weak neighbour. But Belgium,
according to M. de Girardin, has sold herself to Prussia,
and is manifesting persistent hostility to France as a con-
sequence of the bargain. It is not a question between
Paris and Brussels, but between Paris and Berlin.
The Belgian Government must recognise the treaty
between the railway companies, or, if it decline to do
so, a French army must march across the Sambre.
The Libert4 does not explain what profit Belgium could
look for in such a bargain with Prussia, nor does it state
for what price the smaller State has agreed to incur the
hostility of France, knowing, as the Belgian Government
must know, that in these affairs the weaker party inva-
riably suffers. M. de Girardin has been unfortunate of
late in his bellicose prophecies, but a certain amount of
justification may in this case be found in the fact that the
negotiations, however peaceful, are miserably slow. The
official papers of Paris continue to assure us that the
dispute is en roie d'apaisement, but this voie
crapaisement seems to realise the idea of the long lane
that has no turning. The French Ambassador at Brussels
has returned to his post, and has presented a proposal to
the Belgian Government, which has responded by s
counter proposal. The ll:dependance Beige states that the
views of the two Governments are still widely divergent,
but hopes that they will be reconciled before the end of
the week. The French Government desires that the
question should ba discussed upon a basis more
comprehensive than that proposed by the Belgian
Ministry. The two Cabinets are agreed that a mixed
commission should have the settlement of all controverted
disputes. The French journals publish nothing to justify
the gloomy forebodings of the Libertt, but they have no
information relative to the present state of the negotia-
tions. Much divergent statement is still current as to the
vrecise points of difference.