The Sun.
London, England, 1867-08-27 00:00:00

THE AUSTRO-FRENCII ALLIANCE.

The .Nerve Fremrlen Blatt, a semi-official organ of
the Chancellor of the Empire, Baron Von Beust,
publishes the following remarkable leader :
We think that there is no need of a Russo-Prus-
sian alliance to incite an accord between France
and Austria. The cause of that accord is of a date
more recent ; it dates from the treaty of Prague,
which, it is true, is a mere convention concluded
between Austria and Prussia, but the tenor of

which is of an importance eminently European.

The peace of Prague has created in the very
centre of Europe a power unknown there since the
great Emperors of Germany. It is true that, till
now, it has been contended that a great and
powerful State in the middle of Europe:was neces-
sary to maintain peace on the Continent ; but, in
that case, it would be desirable that such a State
shoull be animated with pacific ideas. Such event
would have occurred had Germany succeeded in
recovering her ancient grandeur; for Germany is an
empire of civilization and progress—an empire of
peace. Issteaci of a united Germany, there rose a
great and powerful Prussia, which has thus be-
come a new danger for the peace of Europe. It
is a fact that the Hohenzollerns must be logically
aggressive, because a pause from Prussia would
amount to a backward step. After Frederick the
Great, that pause brought on Jena; the pause of the
Holy Alliance brought on Olmutz. Prussia must
be active ; in other words, she must aim at con-
quests and never cease to disquiet Europe. Un-
fortunately, close to her are numerous morsels,
such as to excite her appetite. Germany is at
the present time under the yoke of Prussia ; mili-
tarily speaking, Prussia is a great power. It is of

and join with them, in the interest of France. '
According to our correspondents, the Austrian
statesmen, of whom they are, in a kind manner,
the interpreters, start from this point—that the
Treaty of Prague has not definitively settled all
the questions to which war gave rise, and that
in many respects the situation of Germany has
remained provisionary ; this is so true that that
situation has been greatly modified since the sign-
' ing of the treaty, and especially by the arrange-
ments entered into by Prussia and the four Southern
states. But Prussia has not finished, and she fol-
lows without delay the execution of her designs.
She has already obtained such an influence over
Ilea 3-Darmstadt that one might almost say that
Mayence is in her power. She is not the less
powerful in the Grand Duchy of Baden, for at any
moment she may be mistress of Rastadt. But
Prussia, since last year, has rather lost than gained
in the Kingdoms of Bavaria and Wurtemburg. In
those countries a strong repugnance is felt for the
military institutions of Prussia, and even for her
civil and political institutions—liberal in appear-
ance but very harsh and very absolute in reality.
The Prussians, moreover, have manners which
repel rather than attract. There is, therefore,
among the people of Bavaria and Wurtenaburg a
great dislike for Prussia. Now, at the same time
as the populations of Bavaria and Wurtemburg
separate themselves from Prussia, they draw closer
to Austria, in such a manner that Austria has
gained what Prussia has lost, independent of the
affinities which exist between the populations of
those two kingdoms and Austria. The question
being thus stated, its theoretical solution is very
simple, according to the opinion of Austrian
statesmen. The Southern states should form an
association and unite with Austria as a confedera-
tion, distinct and separate from the North German
Confederation, with which, however, it could form
a close alliance. Thus Germany would be united
as thoroughly as she can be without giving um-
brage to her neighbours, and the rights of all would
be respected; Prussia with the North and Austria
with the South German Confederation would be
two great European Powers quite independent from
each other, quite free in their , action, and between
which there would no longer be any pretext for
antagonism.