The Sun.
London, England, 1866-06-02 00:00:00

CORRESPONDENCE FROM PARIS

(FROM OUR OWN CORRESPONDENT.)
PARIS, Friday Evening.

Several of the Paris papers to-day express their
fears that in spite of the consent of Austria to the
Conference her intention, or at all events her desire,
is for war. The Austrian papers also argue in this
spirit, and sneer and deride the idea of a Con-
ference, as a project which only delays a war for
which preparation has been made by expensive and
extensive armaments. Some treat the Conference
as a dangerous expedient, the only result of which
will be to delay for a few days a war which will then
become general throughout the whole of Europe.

The lloniteur has no news or information about
the Congress or the affairs of Germany. It an-
nounces the receipt of despatches for Mexico, dated
April 28, and from Vera Cruz of the Ist of May.
1.
Nothing of importance had taken place since the
last accounts. The military information is that the
movements of the troops were not directed to any
hostile attack or defence, but merely with the view
of maintaining the tranquillity of the country and
augmenting the confidence of the population.
From the further inquiries respecting the terrible
accident at the private manufactory at La Villette,
it appears that the number of dead is twenty-nine.
Many of those persons expired at the hospital after
horrible suffering. More workmen have received
injuries, and thus it is feared that there will be an
addition to the list of the dead. The proprietor, M.
Aubin, is generally at the manufactory during the
whole day, but, led by a happy circumstance, he
was absent at the time of the accident. Seven mem-
bers of his family, however, are among the victims.
Crinoline has much to answer for, but according to
the account in La Liberte, a woman was saved by it.
The steel band around her paralysed the action of
the explosion. Only a few days ago there were
houses close to the manufactory, where at least a
hundred persons lived, but they had just been pulled
down to complete improvements in progress. Had
it not been so the force of the explosion would no
doubt have scattered those houses and all within
them into the air.

A correspondent of the Sleds at Dresden gives an
account of an interview he has had with M. Beust,
which deserves some attention. M. Beust said, un-
reservedly, to this gentleman, " The idea of a Ger-
man Triad is not so foolish as has been supposed.
There are only three things possible for Germany,
dualism, unity, or the triad. Prussia and Austria
lived invariably side by side till 1848, but since that
period, and particularly of late, you know what
dualism has produced. Prussia wishes to take the
first rank in Germany, and Austria will not allow
her to do so. The question of the Duchies of the
Elbe has arisen like an apple of discord. I declared
myself in favour of the independence of Schleswig-
Holstein with the Prince of Augustenburg, or any
other potentate, because sensible logic proved to me
that it was only by this mode that there would be
an escape from great complications. I said both
at Vienna and at Berlin that by this plan each of
the great Powers might, in concert with the Ger-
manic Confederation, arrange for itself a just por-
tion of interest and influence in the Duchies by
avoiding dangerous competition. For the rest,
during fifteen years,'whenever I have proposed any-
thing, the very contrary has been adopted at Berlin.
I am treated as an enemy, but I am no more the
adversary of Prussia than I am the partisan of Aus-
tria. We were the first to agree to a treaty of
commerce with Italy. This is no sign of a very
strong tie with Austria. The sympathy of Saxony
with Austria has no reference to the policy of the
country, and there is no truth in the report of a
treaty of alliance. IVe have our hands equally free
in regard to Austria and Prussia. The attitude we
have assumed is not one of hostility, as has been said
at Berlin, but simply an act of independence, and a
good example for the middle and small States."
After some further observations, M. Beust said, " I
hope that war may be avoided." Fabrications are
rife nowadays, but I believe there is full reason to
rely upon the truth of this conversation. The Siecle
has a larger circulation and greater influence among
the masses than any other Paris paper.
The papers are so crowded with the discussions in
the Legislative Body relative to the law of extradi-
tion that they have no room for miscellaneous news,
if there were any. The Moniteur has only about
twenty lines of faits divers, or general news. The
speeches on the subject of extradition have some in-
terest, but I reserve an analysis of the points en-
forced until they assume a more complete and
tangible shape.
The Journal des Debats has no news to-day about
the war, but merely observes that Austria and
Prussia are engaged in mutual accusations against
each other.

We had another little storm of thunder and light-
ning yesterday evening, but it was not violent. Rain
fell in abundance. To-day it has been showery,
but in the intervals of rain the sun shone brightly
and the heat was intense.