The Sun.
London, England, 1866-08-02 00:00:00

TIIE SUN, LONDON, THURSDAY EVENING, AUGUST 2,186 g.

Prussia to assume the sway over Northern Ger

many. As for the talk about German unity, that

is all a myth ; there will be no unity, because there

will be no equality. If we have found cause to de-
nounce and deplore the state of things which

has existed in Prussia during the last few years
we shall find plenty more opportunity to
lament the course pursued in Germany. Where

Prussia is to have military control it is an insult to
common sense to talk about progress in a national

sense ; the States will be ten times worse off than

they were under the Princes who were condemned
as effete and useless. The inhabitants will now

find out that they have exchanged King LoG for

King STORK, and that they have the additional dis.

advantage of not being likely to improve
their condition for a long time. It is said

hat the Emperor of RUSSIA intends to

propose the convocation of a Congress of those

Powers who signed the Treaty of Vienna. Perhaps

he thinks that at the eleventh hour he can render

some assistance to the fallen, but it is to be feared
that it is too late for any good to be done now.

Things must take their course, and time will show
that Prussia is about as sincere in her professions

about securing the progress and prosperity of Ger-
many as she has been faithful in representing the
interests of her own people. Where selfishness

reigns supreme there is but little chance of meeting

with anything meritorious, and a more grasping

Government than that of Berlin never
existed.

While we are eagerly scanning the news that
arrives from the Continent, and dwelling upon the
details of the war with interest, an enemy is at our
gates who may well inspire terror among the people,
and make the boldest hold their breath for a time.
The last report of the Registrar-General is indeed
a sad chronicle, and while it awakens pity for the
sufferers, it also gives rise to terror that, in the face
of all warnings and exhortations, so little should
have been done to prepare for the foe of whose
approach we were long ago notified. We can-
not admit the excuses of those who say that
this is a sudden visitation. It is no such thing.
Last year it was said by those best informed
that the Cattle Plague would be followed by the
cholera,, and that if the coldness of the winter
months kept off the infection that the Spring or
Summer would see it among us. Notwithstanding
all this, however, we now find from incontrovertible
evidence that little or nothing has been done. It is
an important passage in the Registrar's return
which adverts to the fact that the authorities have
been, to some extent, paralysed, the nuisance in-
spectors are not sufficiently numerous, and neither
are the medical officers. No doubt, in many instances,
great exertions have been made to meet the emer-
gency that has arisen, but it may truly be said that
the work of preparation should have been made
before the disease broke out. The part of the me-
tropolis to which the disease is almost entirely con-
fined speaks plainly as to the cause to which we
may attribute its violent outbreak. Want of clean-
liness, want of ventilation, and ignorance of the
laws of health have been the chief causes of the
fearful loss of life which took place last week. It
tsstooeaelamsetashngeitarlmost incredible that year after year the
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the Shirt," "It is not linen you're wearing
out, but human creatures' lives," and still more
correctly may it be affirmed that those who allow
houses which are their property to remain in a state
unfit for human habitations are sacrificing the
health and endangering the lives of their occupants.
The poor and ignorant are often culpably indiffe-
rent, but nothing can excuse those who, with better
knowledge, permit so faulty a state of things to
continue. Last Tuesday an inquiry was held as to
the death of a boy of nine. The evidence that was
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butt was allowed, the drains were untrapped, an

stration careful consideration of the questions
affecting the working classes, and concluded his
able and eloquent address by a tribute to those
muncipal institutions which he said were the
schools in which the whole population was trained
to the system of local government. The other
speeches and toasts passed off brilliantly, and the
Lord Mayor's entertainment was, as is usual with
City hospitalities, an undoubted success.

The preliminaries of peace are now before us,
and we see nothing in them to justify the assertions
that have been made as to the moderation of
Prussia. We suppose that some believed the inor-
dinate ambition of Herr BISMARCK would claim all
the territory he had conquered, but there are limits
even to the desires of Prussian statesmen. Ills-
MARCK is too sharp not to know that it would be
no advantage to the Berlin Government to have
too much to look after at a distance from the capi-
tal, and many people who would not so readily
subscribe to their dictates as the States of Northern
Germany seem inclined to do. The only distinct work
that we can attribute to the intervention of France
is the preservation of the territorial integrity of
Saxony, and this is evidently in direct opposition
to the policy of Prussia. As for the rest there is
nothing to be surprised at, when we consider who
are the conquerors; but the immense sums demanded
from Austria bespeaks plainly the inconsideration of
the victors, especially when we remember the finan-
cial difficulties under which that country already
labours. There is no chance of any abatement
being made in these demands, and if aby
were credulous enough to credit that
Austria would have a chance of escaping
until she had paid the uttermost farthing,
they will find out their mistake when they see that
until the payment of the remaing sum be considered
secured Bohemia and Moravia will remain in Prus-
sian occupation. Austria secedes entirely from con-
federation with the German States, and requires the
formation of a close confederation of the north
German States under Prussian leadership. It is
evident that this has been the real object for which
the Prussians have fought, and all their talk about
moderation is quite absurd, and shows the ignorance
of those who credit it. By the laws of war the King
of PRUSSIA may retain the places he has taken
during the war without consulting their former
possessors. The arrangements made by Prussia as to
those States which she holds in military possession
now will be made subsequently, and no doubt they
will be incorporated with the Prussian Monarchy.
It is now said that Frankfort will be joined to the
Prussian rule. The measures for forcibly collecting
the war contributions have been suspended. In
point of fact, when the arrangements with Austria
are over, there will be an immense deal to be done
in the way of settlement with the other States who
have been unfortunate enough to become involved
in this disastrous struggle.
If one thing is more extraordinary than another,
it is to find people deceiving themselves with the
idea that it is a triumph to liberal principles for

no whitewashing had been done for years. The
jury justly blamed the parish authorities for allow-
ing the premises to remain in such a condition as
they had been told of it some time before. There
was also difficulty interposed at the Bethnal-green
workhouse about giving an order, whereby time was
lost, and this was also commented upon in the
verdict. The worst of all is that this description
may serve for numerous other dwellings ; their
name is legion, and until some decisive measures
are adopted to enforce more attention to sanitary
arrangements, we may expect the cholera to visit
our shores every year, and to carry off those whom
foul air and wretched dwellings have rendered in-
capable of resisting its attacks.