The Sun.
London, England, 1858-01-02 00:00:00

THE DANUBIAN PRINCIPALITIES.

The Debats speaks as follows of the present state
of the relations between Turkey and the Danubian
principalities :

"It appears that in the last Eastern war a great
political and military event occurred, of which no-
body has ever spoken, of which no mention was
ever made in any bulletin, and which has only
come to light since the peace : this great unknown
event is the conquest by Turkey of the Danubian
principalities. This conquest, effected without the
loss of a soldier or the expenditure of a crown, has
invested her with the 'sovereignty' of the principa-
lities, for such is the term now used by Turkey to
describe the species of power she exercises in Walla-
chia and Moldavia. Hitherto in all treaties—even in
that of Paris of 1856, the suzerainty of the Porte
in the principalities is the only thing ever spoken
of. Wallachia and Moldavia were inespendent States
which merely paid tributes to the Porte. Now all
is changed. The tributaries are designated as sub-
jects; and if the, European chancelleries allow the
expressions applicable to sovereignty which the
Ottoman Porte presumes to use to pass unnoticed
the silent conquest of the principalities will be ac-
complished, and Eastern Europe will have changed
her state and condition by the substitution of one
word for another. Russia has protested against
these pretensions on the part of Turkey, and we
feel quite sure that France must have protested
also. In making this protest Russia has served
the cause of Europe, but she has also served her
own."

The Debats, after quoting au opinion of au Eastern
traveller, M. Mislin, an Austrian priest, occupying
an exalted station in the church, to the effect that
Russian influence is still very great in the East,
proceeds to attribute to Russia a policy of profound
dissimulation in regard to the question of the union
of the principalities. It says :
" Why, it may be asked, if Russia has air interest in
preventing the creation of an independent Roumania,
does she support, or has she hitherto supported, the
union ? We certainly cannot pretend to penetrate the
secrets of Russian policy ; we only say what we think
we see ; and what we think we see in regard t) the clues-
' tion of the union of the principalities is that Europe has
contrived to leave Russia such a capital game to play that
she may play it in a great many different ways. Is the
union effected ? Russia gets the credit of it, and all
the danger is for Austria. With the union Russia hopes
that her interests in the principalities may not be too
much weakenei, particularly if the powers who are
opposed to the union should thwart its working. Russia
sees, moreover, in the union a cause of weakness for
Austria, who is already greatly annoyed at the possible
prospect of it. Accordingly, in the congress of 1856,
when the irritation between those two powers was
recent, Russia did not hesitate to support the union
against Austria. The union would not perhaps do any
good to Russia, but it would do harm to her neighbour ;
and that it is a sufficient reason for her to look upon the
chance of it with equanimity. She knows all the time
that for the present there is very little probability of the
union being effected, and she understands, moreover, that
the best way to prevent the union is to appear to wish for
it. On account of the passions which yet pris7ail in Eng-
land, everythingthat Russiaappears to wish for is for that
reason alone odious to England. Russia, therefore, holds
up the union to England just as fhe taureador shows
a red rag to a bull. The bull rushes at the red rag, and
tears it to pieces. Just so England destroys the union
to annoy Russia, and while she is about it Russia recon-
quers the principalities, which she likes better than the
union ; she sees the principalities ready to throw them
selves into her arms, being convinced that, as they have
only a choice of rulers, the Russian domination is the
least objectionable. The union of the Principalities
effected with a good grace, and sincerely maintained by
Europe, would be very disagreeable to Russia, because it
would consolidate and emancipate Eastern Europe. That
is the French combination ; but Russia clearly sees that
this combination is not likely to be successful. She
therefore risks nothing is supporting it, more particularly
if it be true that she is at the same time working under-
hand against it. But should the union he prevented,
and Roumania be crushed in embryo, Russia will be
much pleased, and she will at the same time enjoy the
favour of all the discontented Rouniains. They will
say : there are only two powers who have taken part
with us under whose protection we could put our.,
selves—France, who, is too far off to accept u-, and
Russia, who is too near for as to refuse her. To prevent
the formation of Roumania is therefore ultimately to
give the two provinces to Russia."

THE FOUNDLING HOSPITAL.—Mr. W. Tooke has been
elected a Vice-President of the Corporation of the
Foundling Hospital, in the stead of the late Sir. Charles
Mansfield Clarke, Bart.
THE LIVERPOOL OFFICE IN LONDON.—The Liverpool
Chamber of Commerce have unanimously agreed to
recommend Mr. Thomas Baines, to succeed the late Mr.
Wainwright, in the Liverpool office in London.
ALLEGED MANBLLUGHTER.—Yesterday,an inquest was
held at the Cherry Tree, Whitecross-street, on the body
of Mary Coney, aged 6 years. A boy named James
Bell, about 9 years old, said that about three weeks ago
the deceased and himself a sd several other childroa were
playing about near some old houses, when a man at
work there named James Brown, told them to go away,
as the houses were dangerous ; on the little girl mot
obeying him, he struck her on the right temple with a
belt, and she cried and ran home. The mother, who lives
in Adam and Eve-court, Whiteeross-street, stated that
the child, who bad been in good health previously, came
home on the day referred to by last witness and
complained of sickness. She had been ill ever since and
died on Wednesday.—A surgeon who had made a page
ntortera examination gave it as his opinion that death
had been caused by the blow. He had found a clot of
blood, the size of a hen's egg, on the train. Toe jury
returned a verdict to the ellt.,t i,Lat the (t,,o.R;:ed had
din i a clot of bloc,_! bra;o, NV,B
evidence to show how the clot was ca'l,,itd. In our
Clerkenwell pelice report of this day will be found
Brown's examination on a charge of manslaughter and
hie committal for trial.