The Sun.
London, England, 1866-05-24 00:00:00

LONDON, THURSDAY, MAY 24, 1866.

-.op.

The King of PRUSSIA has replied to the Breslau
Address, which besought him to follow a more
peaceful course ; but it cannot be said that his MA-
JESTY holds out any very certain hope of attaining
the desired end. He declares that he wishes to

fulfil their desires, and only the duty of defending
" Prussia and her sacred rights" induced him to
arm the people. This sounds very grand in a
despatch, but in reality there is not much meaning
in it, because we never heard that Schleswig-Hol-
stein was in any way connected with the sacred
rights of Prussia, and that is the real secret of the
present fracas. As for the other question, namely,
the dispute between the Crown and the Chambers,
the KING affirms that it is his earnest wish and aim
to adjust the differences between them. The KING
hopes that in " convoking" the Prussian Diet con-
flicting views on " questions of right may be recon-
ciled in the general self-sacrifice for the defence of
Fatherland." Of course we all know what this
means, that the Deputies are to forego the interests
of those who send them to the House, in order to
satisfy the desire of the KING for war. This dodge
was very unsuccessfully tried by Herr BISMARCK
on the occasion of the Danish War, but it may be
done once too often, as the wily Minister will doubt-

less find to his cost. We hear of nothing on the
part of the KING that offers a prospect of the Crown
and Government putting aside their views for the
sake of the community, and after all the pomp and
parade of this reply is provoked, what do we find it

;o express really ? Very little at all except to say

that the authorities will have their way coute qui
coute, and that the people may just keep silence, for
little or no heed will be paid to their discourses or to
their petitions.

From Vienna we hear that no disinclination is

felt by the Government to take part in a Congress,
but it wishes that no "definite plan for negotiation
should be laid down," and that only a " general en-
deavour" is to be regarded as the object held in
view. Now this seems exactly the reverse of the plan
proposed by those now officiating. They
seem disiinctly to require that some de-
cided rule be laid down previously to anything
being undertaken in the way of arrangement. Aus-
tria is, of course, averse in some degree to a Con-
gress, on account of the extreme awkwardness of
the Venetian question, and, therefore, she will no
doubt interpose all the obstacles that she possibly
can in the way of coming to a settlement. The
Provincial Correspondent, of Berlin, said yesterday
that neither Prussia nor Italy have any objection
to a Congress, although they have little hopes of a
favourable result being attained by it. It also admits
that there seems little likelihood of fixing a " basis
of negotiation," because of Austria's unwillingness.
In consequence of all this the armaments cannot
be discontinued, and a " state of suspense" cannot
be long endured ; this doubtless would intimate
that war will soon ensue. A telegram
,from Berlin
to Vienna yesterday evening announced that the
proposed Congress would make no difference in the
military position" assumed by Prussia. All tends
in the same direction, and in view of much unsa-
satisfactory intelligence how can we place any re-
liance on the issue ? If it take place at all, we
do not see how it can possibly affect
the objects in view, for if Austria will
not be persuaded in the matter of Venetia,
and if Prussia obstinately adheres to the
Schleswig-Holstein mania, of what avail will
it be that the various Powers assemble and delibe-
rate?

The C(mstitationne/ of yesterday publishes an
article that is headed " The Peaceful Policy of the
Empire." In this it states the French Government
have taken the initiative in the affair of the Con-
gress, and has invited the neutral Powers of Eng-
land and Russia to join with it in working for the
interests of peace. This journal adds :—" Diplo-
matic communications are being carried on be-

tween the three Courts to settle the form
which this step shall take, and the mo-
ment when the attempt shall be made. The
3foniteur of last night also affords us an insight into
affairs. It declares that three contracting parties in
the Conference, England, Franco, and Russia, have
considered it necessary to state the questions to be
submitted to ;the Conference in order to give the
step they had undertaken a useful character." The
three Cabinets, however, disclaim being " arbiters"
of the differences, but they only mean to " propose
the basis of certain deliberations, and to direct the
discussions of the Conference to the points, con-
stituting, in their opinion, the cause of
the collision." How can this be reconciled with

the objections raised by Austria as to any plan
being proposed for deliberation. The Powers hope
to send the Note to the kingdoms who are mixed up
in this dispute in a very short time. La France
states that Conference cannot meet for three weeks
yet, if then, and we quite agree with them. The
realpara
tdiaonngiesrs:
vtahnaotedth,eansdtatthen odfiffmerileintatrpyopoprele-
Z i
advanced
d
are so inflamed and excited that it will be found
almost impossible to keep them back, and to restrain
their ardour. As for the Austrians, they do not
seem to care at all for peace now that they
have been so fully raised, and now that their posi_
tion is so much improved in many respects. As for
the Italians they are wild for war, and seem almost
determined on it, whether the other conflicting
Powers proceed to extremities or not. It is, of
course, very difficult in this awkward state of things
to foretel what may or may not occur, but we may
safely affirm that matters are in a very unpropitious
probability be too
Isatateteto . TeffheectCoanngry
evs se
:3rvilbleinnefiaellial result, and we
shall look upon any peace that may ensue as only
of a very transient and illusory character.

it tehls us
York up to the 11th of the month, and
The Hibernian has arrived with news
• 1 at that city
that the report of STEPHENS' arrival fromi New
was correctly founded. Ho reached New
York on
the 10th of May in the steamer Napoleon, and met
with an enthusiastic reception from the Irish. It is
said that he has been elected General Head-Centre,
O'MAHONY having resigned his post after removing
KILLIAN, against whom he appears to have an
especial animosity, from the post of treasurer. The
subscriptions form so important a part of the affairs
of gig Fenian, that the removal from atich an