The Sun.
London, England, 1835-10-23 00:00:00

theatre formed to the north by the Moravian chain and
the Krapaks, and to the south by the chain of the Tyrolese
Alps, as far as the Balkan, are to be found, on its left bank,
Moravia and Hungary, flanked by Transylvania ; on its
right, Upper and Lower Austria, backed by the Tyrol,
Styria, and Carinthia, and Lower Hungary, backed by
Slavonia, like, two wings adapted to that central body.
Other States of the Austrian dominions are not comprised

in the basins of the Danube. At the foot of the southern

side of_the Alps are Dalmatia, Carniola, and the Lombardo-
Venetian kingdom, whose waters flow into the Adriatic ;
at the foot of the northern side of the Krapaks are Bo-
hemia and Galicia, whose waters empty through the Elbe
and Vistula into the German Sea and the Baltic.
However important those lateral outlets may be, parti-
cularly those on the Adriatic, for the movement and life of
the Austrian empire, a simple glance at the map, and a re-
capitulation of the number and importance of the population
grouped in the basin of the Danube, will suffice to prove
that the outlet of the Danube is the most indispensable for
Austria—that she is altogether a Danubian power, and
consequently interested in extending her limits to the Black
I Sea.
Several circumstances had prevented, until very lately,
the developement which nature itself seemed to point gut
to that great family of nations subjected to the sceptre of
the House of Austria. Whilst the slope of the Danube
invited them to make their way towards the Black Sea, the
Turkish invasion, with its plague, its banditti, and its wars,
constantly kept them in check, and drove them back.
Turkish provinces extended from Orsova to the outlet of
the Danube, a distance of nearly 200 leagues ; on the left
bank were Wallachia and Moldavia ; on the right Servia
and Bulgaria, bounded by the Alps of tLe Balkan ; and
even to the west, above Servia, Bosnia, stretching along
Slavonia, opposed a barrier to the extension of the empire
in that direction. Pressed by the Turks, Austria had re-
ceived the mission of protecting Europe from their inroads,
and was obliged to raise a rampart between it and the
Black Sea. For that object it was not communications
she required, but entrenchments.
However, when the resurrection of Greece had an-
nounced to Europe that it bad no longer to fear from the
invasion of the Osmanlis, Austria, with an admirable sa-
gacity, immediately perceived that her former political mis-
s:on had ended, and that a new mission was commencing.
She then thought of extending towards the Black Sea.
It was, we must say, rather late. The navigation of the
Danube had but a short time before met with an impedi-
ment, which a little more vigilance and zeal on the part
of Austria would have obviated. Russia, by the treaty of
Adrianople, had accepted the ancient frontier between her
territory and Moldavia, saving a slight encroachment—
viz., the Delta formed at the month of the Danube. Since
1829, the inlet of that river has been in the possession of
Russia.
Austria, however, anxious to correct her mistake, pro-
ceeds in her attempts with the prudence and wisdom that
usually characterize her conduct. The setting afloat of a
steam vessel was her only manifesto ; she announced her
intention of running a line of packets between Smyrna and
Vienna ; and until that service could be regularly organised
on the Danube, where natural obstacles must be first re-
moved, it was immediately established between Smyrna and
Constaninople. The opening of a line between Vienna and
Trebisond was also resolved upon and'announced.
To-day Austria, by the treaty of the 4th of March, has
advanced another step. She has placed her pretensions
relative to the right of navigation on the Danube within
the circle of diplomatical stipulations ; and, in calling on
the new State of Greece to 'avail herself, without delay, of
the benefit of the right she claims; she has given Europe
a pledge of the liberality of her intentions, and an insight
into her future policy. Is it necessary to add also, that
if, in spite of the formal guarantee of treaties, any fears
could be entertained for the free passage of the Darda-
nelles and navigation of the Black Sea, the new attitude
assumed by Austria ought to be a powerful motive of

security.
Reflections crowd in when we think of the new destinies
which the march of events deserves, perhaps at no remote
period, to the inhabitants of the banks of the Danube,
heretofore only distinguished by their warlike character,
but who, according to persons who have visited their coun-
try, have made, within a few years, immense progress in
the arts of civilization, and are anxious to better their con-
dition still more. Among those who figure as yet on the
map of the Ottoman dominions, the Walachians, Molda-
vians, and Servians, all profess the Christian religion.
Bosnia is occupied by a Mussulman population, but nearly
always in a state of insurrection ; Bulgaria is, subjected,
but only counts a small number of Mahomedans. In the
very heart of the Austrian empire, the' nations settled on
the banks of the Danube seem determined on improving
their condition.' What a new era will not the recent at-
tempts of Austria to establish steam-boats on the Danube
open for those people, by the speedy and continual com-
munication they will thusbe enabled to keep up with Odessa,
Trebisond, Constantinople, and the Archipelago ?—Jour-
nal des"Debats.