The Sun.
London, England, 1859-07-19 00:00:00

LATTER FROM KOSSU2H.

The subjoined letter has been forwarded to the•
Leeds Mercury by Mr. Alderman . Mitchell, of
Bradford, a gentleman on intimate terms of friend-
ship with M. Kossuth. It was written while in
Paris, before. the distinguished exile's departure for
Italy :--

" PARTS, June 17.

" My dear friend,—The generous country where
I rested my tempest-tossed head for many long
years Fes behind me, and outward bound is my
small craft on the stormy sea, with nothing safe
but my determination, which nothing can shake,—
that happen what May to me personally, either my
country will-be free,, or else I shall know to pre-
serve her from immolating herself in vain.
" I may, become a victim, my nation will not be-
come one. I may be instrumental in calling her
forth to re-awakening life. Can I not do this safely,
I shall take care to preserve her future uncompro-
mised.

" Revolving in my mind all the noble, delicate
friendship, all the conSolations,of sympathy, which
I was allowed to enjoy in your country from many,
many friends—from none more than from you—
emotions throng uporrme too strong to allow of
words. By the Eternal, I feel myself as much a
man as any mortal on earth ; yet, while I write, a
tear trembles on my Whimpers, and I feel not
ashamed of it. •

" It is a tribute of a grateful heart for benefits
received. It is an offering that accompanies my
silent but fervent invocation of the choicest blessings
of God upon your country, your house, yourself,
and upon all those of your people, whose kindness
and sympathy poured the smallest drop of console,.
tion into the wounds of my adversity.
I succeed, I hope to,uee you, andAnany of
you, in my own home; and no brother has ever
greeted a brother with a heartier welcome than I
and rgy people will greet you, or any of you.
" I fall, you will say that I have fallen on
duty's path.
" If I am spared, but fail, I may see England
again. Then, however, it will be a broken, useless
reed, that is cast on your shores, and few will be
the days which it will be able to bear before it rots.
" Come weal, come woe,' the will of Him above
be done.

" Farewell! farewell! ever yours truly,.
" KOSSUTH."

THE GERMANIC CONFEDERATION.

FRANKFORT-ON-THE-MAINE, July M.—The march
of the Prussian troops has decidedly been stopped,
and if the formation- of magazines continues it is
only a measure of econory, the contractors having

very naturally demanded an enormous payment as
forfeit money if their capital bargains were annulled.
The demobilisation of the troops can only be
effected by a resolution of the Diet, which called
thorn out, and this body moves so slowly that some
time may elapse before they are dismissed. The
Prussian Government has, however, already taken

steps to" grant leave of absence to those of the
Lanclwehr whose business or family relations are
the most affected by their absence from home. In
the Prussian army, as well as among the people in
general, there is a general feeling of disappuint-
ment at the impotent conclusion of the war. The
soldiers would gladly have exchanged till mono-
tony of a garrison for active duty, and the citizens
who, though hoping for peace, were reconciled' to
the idea of war, now find themselves in a position
which they hardly understand, and were not at all
prepared for. We may hope that what has passed
will prove sufficient to force Prussia into the recog-
nition of her own interests as separate from those
of Austria. She now sees how weak the disjointed
colussns is, when unsupported by Germany, unable
as it is to depend upon any one of its various
populations at home.
Prussia must feel that she has now an oppor-
tunity to assume a preponderating influence in all
Germany, and if she neglects it not she alone but
all the other Seates will soon suffer. But the war
has proved to conviction something else. It has
demonstrated the utter worthlessness of the Con-
federation as a bond of union in times of emer-

gency. Its constitution must be changed or it
must be done away with entirely, and this latter
would probably-be the-wrest and ehorteet ,way -to
create German unity. Even when the obstacie
which the obstructiveness of the Diet presents is
removed, there were still remain more than suffi-
cient causes of division in the jealousies of the Go-
vernment, and the differences of religion.
The following is a translation from the German
of an English despatch of which the importance
can hardly be exaggerated. Much of the vigour
of the original has probably evaporated in the
double process of translation and retranslation,
but the sense has been carefully preserved:—
"My Lord,—Her Majesty's
" Foreign-office, June 22.
Government sees
with great concern an indication manifesting itself
in Germany to take part in the war which has
broken out between France and Sardinia on one
side and Austria on the other. It depends chiefly
upon the moderate and sagacious behaviour of
Prussia whether the present war is to be confined
to Italy or extend to German territory, and per-
haps to other parts of Europe.
" The Emperor Napoleon has declared that it is
not his wish to attack Germany. It is hoped and
believed that the Prince Regent of Prussia will not
take part in an attack upon France. But it has
been maintained that Germany is, if not directly.
at least indirectly, threatened; that if she did not
take part in a war on the Po she would soon have
to defend herself on the Rhine ; that the Austrian
fortresses on the Mincio and the Adige were in
reality the bulwarks of Germany, against France.
There is much loose and unproved assertion in this
statement.
" The war between Austria and Sardinia has un-
doubtedly—perhaps inevitably—sprung from the
state of things in Italy. Since 1815 Austria has
exercised a supremacy de facto over the' Italian
States ; in the course of the last few years Sardinia
has favoured and fostered the passion of the Italians
for independence. When Lord A. Loftus demanded
from Count Buol a pledge that Austria would in no
case order her army to cross her frontier in Italy
without having previously come to an understand-
ing with France, the reply was, No, I cannot give
you that assurance, for it would be a surrender of
our sovereign power. We shall not intervene in any
State unless our aid is asked for, and in that case it
will be granted, and the knowledge that it will be
granted is the best preservative of order.' Conse-
sequently Austria was not prepared to give up the
claim to a right of intervention in case she was ap-
pealed to for the latter, and Sardinia, on the other
hand, would not give up the pretension to repre-
sent the sorrows and aspirations of Italy ; but, inas-
much as the King of Sardinia was not able to carry
through such a dispute with his own force, he has
demanded the assistance of the Emperor of the
French, and it has been granted to him.
do:not speak here of the immediate cause of

the war—on this point my predecess-r has already
very completely developed her Majesty's views.
But from the statement just made it is evident that
the fundamental origin of the war is to be sought
for in the diametrically opposite pretensions put
up by Austria and Sardinia. This war has broken
out without any refevence to Germany. The asser-
tion that France, when successful on the Po and
the Brenta, will prove to be an aggressive policy
on the Rhine, is a perfectly arbitrary assertion. The
momentous question of involving the continent in
war should not be decided on the ground of vague
hypothesis and exaggerated apprehensions. Now,
it is a tenable statement that the fortresses on the
Mincio and on the Adige are bulwarks of Germany.
It must be borne in mind that the fortresses of
' Peschiera, Verona, and Mantua do not fall within
the ancient limits of Germany ; that, on the con-
trary, ti- e whole territory from Verona to the
Adriatic in the year 1792 formed part of a weak,
unwarlike, and decaying Italian State.
"/The utmost that can be said is that while many
Germans look upon these fortresses as a bulwark
of Germany, many Italians look upon them as a
menace to Italy. The treaty of peace must decide
about their future fate. :
~ The reasons adduced in favour of a war on the
part of the German States thus being insufficient,
very strongly resist so
.precipitate a course. The
Prince Regent of Prussia will, in his wisdom, weigh
the
impolicy of exposing his country to be con-
sidered the champion of the maladministration of
Italy. It cannot be necessary for the safety of
Berlin and Magdeburg that the government in
Milan and Bologna should be bad. But, in the
eyes of the Italians, Prussia, shoul • she appear in
arms by the side of Austria, would be considered as
a defender of everything Austria has committed
and omitted.
" There is still another consideration of the ut-
most importance. Hitherto the war has produced
but little excitement in France. As soon as the
bably
question of superiority in the field shall have been
decided the two belligerent Powers will probably
be strongly inclined to put a stop to this
exhausting war. But, should France, by a Ger-
man attack, be called upon to defend her own fron-

tiers, it is imp° sible to foretell to what pitch the
passions of international hatred might not be in-
flamed, and for what space of time the continent of
Europe might not have to suffer the desolations of
war.

"You are already sufficiently informed of her
Majesty's resolve, supported by the unanimous
feeling .of her people, to observe a strict neutrality.
Her Majesty has kept this country free from all
and every obligation which might interfere with
her freedom of action. Her Majesty's Government
entertains the hope that PrusSia will • adopt a
course as nearly similar as the circumstances of
Germany will permit. Possibly the time is very
near when the voice of mediating friendly Powers
will be able to make itself successfully heard, and
when representations in favour of peace will no
longer be without effect..

'l-Pray read this despath to Baron Schlenitz, end
Leave a copy with him.—l am, &c., .

4 TO Lord Broomfield:".

",fOHIT RUSSELL

RAILWAY INTELLIGENCE.

SALISBURY AND YIOVIL.
The half-yearly meeting of this company was held
yesterday at the office, Leadenhall-street ; :Mr. H.
D. Seymour, M.P., in the chair.
Mr. NOTMAN read the report.
The CHAIRMAN, in moving the adoption of the
report, said that since the last meeting a portion of
the line 221 miles in length had been opened for
traffic, and he was happy to say that the traffic for
the short time the line had been in operation was
satisfactory.

Mr. J. OnAntAN, deputy-chairman, seconded the
motion.

Mr. BUTT said the-litre was looked -.upon -with
great favour by the inhabitants of the district
thr( ugh which it passed. Shares were held, from
one to fifty, by p'wsons in the locality, and it would
no doubt be gratifying to them to know that the
affairs of the company were progressing satisfac-
torily. He was quite sure that on the opening of
the line throughout the local traffic would be trebled,
and, of course, be independent of the through
traffic.

The report was then unanimously adopted.
The meeting was then made special to consider
the propriety of leasing the undertaking to the
London and-South-Western Railway Company.
The Secretary read the special report, which
stated that cinder the agreement the South-Western
Company had the option of purchasing the nilway
either for £567,000 or for the amount actually ex-
pended on it, with 4 per cent. interest; and 10
per cent. bonus added thereon, while by the Act
of Parliament referred to, the proportion of the
gross earnings of the railway falling to this com-
pany, and being 57-1 per cent., must be commuted
within 20 years from the opening of the line
throughout into a fixed yearly payment, or failing
an agreement between the two companies, that
sum must be settled by arbitration. The option of
purchase still remained to the South-Western Com-
pany, and, although the shareholders were bound
within 20 years to convey that undertaking to that
company for a fixed annual rent, the amount
thereof must be &term-it-led by mutual agreement,
and only in the event of no such agreement being
come to at the end of that period was the sum to
be fixed by arbitration. It was evident therefore,
that for 20 years the shareholders could not be
damaged, nor the terms of the old agreement varied
without their own consent, while, at the end of the
time, when the rent must be settled compulsorily,
the traffic would be thoroughly developed, and the
sum to be awarded must, in all likelihood, be much
higher than it would be at present. The directors
had, consequently, no hesitation in recommending
the lease for the approval of the shareholders.
The CHAIRMAN explained the object of the
special meeting, which was to confirm the propo.
sition for leasing the line to the Lor don and
South-Western Railway Company. 671 per cent.
of the gross receipts would be available for interest
on the money expended. The probability was that
before the end of the 20 years they would know the
ultimate value of their property, and if any diffe-
rence should arise, the Board of Trade would have
power to decide the amount. No doubt great per-
sonal efforts and personal sacrifices had been made
to provide the-funds for-the completion of the rine.
They had to thank the South-Western Company
for the assistance they had given them. He trusted
the result would be satisfactory to both, and he
could assure the proprietors that the directors had
obtained the best terms they could. He concluded
ay moving a formai resolution approving-the lease.
Mr. J. CHAPMAN seconded the motion, and in
doing so could corroborate the statement of the
chairman respecting the assistance which had been
given
theaulidon
South-Western
whaairsdbl
y andliberally. nae oltdimin
t h
eevetomeendrly by
actedot
impartially
t Company. They
o wardsihem,but
f
There was one thing which
he
add to their success, and that
of both boards to work in har-
mony.
Mr. BUTT thought the agreement was exceed-
ingly just and equitable. He tructed that it would
not only be profitable to them, but also to the South-
Western Company. (Hear, hear.) He wished to
know, in case of a second line being required,
whether the company would have to provide it out
of the proposed purchase-money ?
Mr. NOTMAN stated that the cost of a second line
of rails when required would be paid for, in addi-
tion to the proposed amount for the single line.
The stipulated purchase-money of £667,000 included
the bonus of 10 per cent.
In reply to a question, it was stated that an
alteration had been made in the line so as to ob-
tain a better entrance into the town of Sherburne.
A formal resolution approving the lease of the
line to the South-Western Company was carried
unanimously.
The proceedings concluded with a vote of thanks

;0 the Chairman-and directors for their attention

to the interests of 'the company, and also to,, the
directors of the South-Western Company for their
cordial co-operation in carrying out the under-
taking.