The Sun.
London, England, 1859-08-01 00:00:00

LORD .TOHN RUSSELL AND BARON

SCHL.EINITZ.

The following despatch of Lord John Russell to
Lord Bloomfield, the British Minister at the Court
of Berlin, was issued on Saturday with the Parlia-
mentary papers :

"Foreign-office, July 7, 1859.
" Count Bernstorff has read me two despatches
from Baron Schleinitz—one marked 'very confi-
dential'—upon the subject of the present aspect of
affairs, and upon the policy which Prussia is desir-
ous, in conjunction with England and Russia, to
pursue with regard to the Italian war and its con•
se luences.
'"fhose despatches were dated respectively the
24th and the 27th of June.

" Baron Schleinitz, in the former of these de-
spatches, alludes to the state of affairs which has
induced Prussia to mobilise part of her army. Not
only, he says, has the agitation in Germany caused
by the advance of the war towards her frontier
rendered necessary armaments not disproportioned
to those of her neighbours ; but Prussia has consi-
dered it necessary at once to place herself in a posi-
tion to control the course of events which might
tend to modify the balance of power in Europe, by
enfeebling an empire with which Prussia is confe-
derated, and by effecting the bases of European
rights laid down in acts to which Prussia was a party.
" Baron Schleinitz observes, however, that the
position adopted by Prussia does not prejudge the
Italian question, although the interests of Prussia
and Germany make it incumbent on the Prince
Regent to use the influence which it is his duty' to
exert, and prevent his prey aturely sanctioning by
a passive attitude territorial modifications affecting
a nation which forms an essential portion of the
great European family.
" But Prussia only wishes to act as she has
done before, in concert with England and Rusftia,
in order to re-open negotiations in the cause of
peace ; and Count Bernstorff is accordingly in•
strutted to concert with her Majesty's Govern-
ment as to the means of attaining this result, and
thereby putting an end to the effusion of blood, and
of restoring to Europe that calm which her moral
and material interests demand.

" Baron Schleinitz then observes that, however
much Prussia retretted the decision of Austria to
proceed to extremities, neither Europe as a whole,
nor Germany in particular, could view with indif-
ference any step which should tend to enfeeble

Austria.
"He is far from misapprehending the difficulties
created by the events of the war, and he thinks
that considerable reform will be required in the ad-
ministration of affairs in Northern and Central
Italy, and that this will be a surer mode of peace-
fully governing those districts than by the employ-
ment of the military resources of Austria. ,He
thinks also that the treaties which bind Austria to
exercise a sort of protectorate over certain Italian
States may be replaced by a better system.
" Thus, while Prussia does not seek to restore a
past state of things which may be looked upon as a
present impossibility, she will eagerly seize any
proposition having for its object an Italian recon-
struction, which, while acknowledging the rights
of Austria, shall, by being founded on illegal prin-
ciples, conciliate the legitimate wishes of the Italian
population.
"Prussia further thinks herself entitled to take
note of the explicit declaration of the Emperor
Napoleon, that he neither covets conquest nor ter-
ritorial aggrandisement, and this appears to Baron
Schleinitz an earnest of the possibility of coming
to a common understanding with England and
Russia as to the course to be pursued.
" Count Bernstorff is then desired to ask for the
views of her Majesty's Government upon this sub-
ject; and the despatch concludes by instructing
him not to omit any opportunity of putting forward
the idea of a mediation in common (mediation
commune).
" The despatch of the 27th of June acknowledges
the communication which your Lordship was de-
sired by my despatch of the 22d inst. to make to
Baron Schleinitz, and refers to the former despatch
of the 24th as having been written previously to
that communication, for an exemplification of the
views which the Prussian Government is desirous
of carrying into effect.
" I stated to Count Bernstorff that this commu-
nication should receive the attentive consideration
of her Majesty's Government, but that I wished, ina
the first place, to ask the full significance of the
terms stop the effusion of blood' and a mediation
in common,' namely, whether, if England and
Prussia together, or those Powers with Rus-
sia joined to them, found the proposals which they
might make to the belligerents refused, it was
meant they should employ force.
" His Excellency said that he had no explana-
tions to offer on that head ; that Prussia could not
propose to Austria any alienation of territory, but
only reforms and changes in modes of administra-
tion.
He wished, however, to obtain an immediate
answer from me; and I said that, pending the de-
cision of the Cabinet, I could only express my own
opinion that the time had not arrived for making
any proposition to the belligerents.
" Such being the proposition of the Court of
Prussia, I have in the first place to desire that you
will express to Baron Schleinitz the thanks of her
Majesty's Government for the friendly tone and
zeal for the welfare of the States of Europe which
have inspired this overture.
" The efforts made by a Power so enlightened as
Prussia to restore peace to the Continent of Europe
will always be duly appreciated by her Majesty.
" Her Majesty's Government are at once ready
to declare that they would hail with joy the mo-
ment when an equitable proposal for an armistice
or negotiation might be accepted.
"But her Majesty's Government think them-
selves bound in fairness to go further, and meet the
friendly proposition of Prussia with equal candour.
" It is their opinion that in the present posture
of affairs in Italy, no termination of this war can
be expected without some cession of territory on
the part of Austria.
" The Emperor of the French has not contented
himself with repelling the Austrian invasion of the
territory of his ally ; he has declared it to be his
purpose to liberate Italy from the Alps to the
Adriatic. This proclamation has been received
with transport wherever, in Northern and Central
lltaly, Austrian troops do not exercise a power ,of
compression. Milan and the whole of Lombardy,
Parma, Modena, and Tuscany have eagerly pro-
claimed their adherence to the war to which they
were thus invited.
" Yet, neither have we reason to suppose that
the Emperor of Austria is at present prepared to
yield his hereditary possessions to any other Sove-
reign.
" Such is the difficulty of the present European

crisis.
" The great and ancient monarchy of Austria
may naturally be slow to acknowledge any defeat