The Sun.
London, England, 1866-07-28 00:00:00

SPIRIT OP THE PUBLIC JOURNALS.

'DIES.—The prolongation or the armistice and
the signature of the preliminaries of peace between
Austria and Prussia at Nikolsburg on Thursday re-
move all danger of a sudden resumption of hostili-
ties, and give us the assurance that negotiations are
sufficiently advanced to afford fair promise of a
satisfactory conclusion. From this armistice, how-
ever, the minor German States who were allied with
Austria are still inexorably excluded, and the Bava-
rians had on the same Thursday an encounter with
the Prussians near Wurzburg, which, according to
the Munich official account itself, was disastrous to
the Bavarians, and compelled them to fall back with
their head-quarters as far as Rothenburg. The
King of Prussia seems inclined to look upon any
differences that may exist between himself and the
minor German States as a purely German affair, in
which he will admit no foreign interference, and
which must either be settled by his own Govern-
ment, or referred to tbe General Parliament here-
after to be assembled. The peculiar harshness with
which Bavaria has been treated throughout all these
transactions, and the encouragement held out to the
Grand Duke of Baden as a mediator between Prus-
sia and the Southern States, are sufficiently signi-
ficant. It is all on the old Roman principle—Par-
cere subjectis et debellare superbos. Baden is small,
and may be coaxed ; but to Bavaria no mercy is to
be shown. Baron von der Pfordten, the Bavarian
Prime Minister, as we all know, applied in vain
for an interview with Count Bismarck at Nickols-
burg. The intercession of M. Benedetti and Count
Karolyi in his favour was unavailing. The great
man was " not at home," and the Baron had to
leave his card with his Excellency's porter.
Strange things indeed are seen in this world of ours,
and especially since Needle-gun is King. A young,
chivalrous Emperor, six weeks ago the Sovereign
ruler of a State of 36,000,000 subjects, and Com-
mander-in-Chief of an army of 900,000 combat-
ants, the head also of a Confederation by which
200,000 auxiliaries were added to his forces, is
worsted in a ten days' campaign, receives his coup
de grace in a great pitched battle, and, despairing of
his ability to retrieve his fortunes either by pro-
longed hostilities or by direct negotiation, puts him-
self and his affairs into the hands of another Monarch
greater than himself, and through him sues for re-
conciliation with his victorious adversary. The great
umpire offers the terms proposed by Austria and
himself to the fortunate conqueror, but meeting with
insuperable opposition, and shifting his ground with
amiable dexterity, he recommends the conditions
proposed by Prussia to the acceptance of Austria ;
and a truce is made, an armistice is signed, and the
basis fur a peace is laid. The Austrian Emperor is
a loyal and faithful ally, and the Emperor of the
French is zealous for justice to all parties ; in neither
of them can we presume forgetfulness or neglect of
the minor German Potentates.' It was certainly by
the will of neither that Bavaria was left " out in the
cold ;" but " out in the cold" she was left, never-
theless, and in the supension of hostilities and in the
preliminaries of peace no mention occurs of her
name. The inference is clear that when the advocate
and his client, after pleading for themselves, would
have proceeded to urge the cause of their allies, they
were admonished to " mind their own business" and
let Bavaria and the remaining Germany Princes come
to an immediate settlement for themselves. Austria
and Prussia, then, under French auspices, signed
their separate armistice, and when Bavaria, surprised
and anxious, came to inquire what was to become of
her, she was received with a doleful shrug of the
shoulders and referred to the one who alone has the
power to bind and to loose. Von der Pfordten went
accordingly to Bismark, and Bismark was " not at
home" to Von der Pfordten. Whether this tone of
supreme contempt is merely assumed out of a vain-
glorious desire to revel in. the consciousness of unre-
sisted power, or whether it harbours a design to stretch
that power to the utmost and to attain some great
object in despite of gods and men, Bismark seems
to delight in taking up what every one else would
deem an untenable position, and showing how easy
it is for him to hold it against all comers. How
long ago is it since this same Baron von der Pford-
ten and Baron von Beust held themselves as high
and mighty statesmen as the Prussian Minister, and
thought they could snub him in the Frankfort Diet,
and thwart him at the London Conference, and out-
bid him with the German people ? Since, however,
he took up that paltry Schleswig-Holstein business
what control could Von Beust, or Von der Pford-
ten, or Mensdorff, or Russell, or Drouyn de Lhuys,
all Europe, or Prussia herself, her King, her press,
or her Parliament, ever exercise over this one man ?
He was, we must repeat, what we have long since
asserted, " the only man in Germany who knew
what he wanted, who knew what Germany wanted,
and who was sure that what Germany really wanted
the world could not gainsay." His " accidental"
want of attention to Baron von der Pfordten at
Nikolsburg was not without design. He wished the
world to understand that Prussia was putting Ba-
varia in what is intended to be her future place.
But a far stronger evidence of the tenacity of Bis-
mark's purpose—of the " method in the man's mad-
ness"—we have in his present dealings with the city
of Frankfort. Frankfort, it is uow intimated, will
have to pay to the uttermost farthing. His mind as
to that matter of the 25,000,000f1. is as fully made
up as on that of the humiliation of Bavaria, and the
end of all the Frankforters' protests and remon-
strances is—that the cash will have to be forthcom-
ing. We have already expressed our opinion as to
this outrageous conduct of the Prussian Government
towards the city of the Bund. Count Bismark's
resolution on this point seems to border on madness,
but it is all of a piece with the long career of eccen-
tricity of which the world begins now to see the drift.
Bent on ruling over Germany, Bismark is aware
that, now he has rid himself of Austria, he has
only to contend with two adversaries—the jealousy
of the Minor Courts and the democracy of the
cities. The one he humbles at Munich, the other he
crushes at Frankfort. He is fully aware who are
his foes and who his friends in the Federal city,
and he believes that by dealing very severely with
the former he will ultimately secure the suffrage
of the latter. Time must test the wisdom of his
high-handed policy. But, meanwhile, it is well to
bear in mind that Bismark is attempting from the
Throne in Germany a revolution of no less moment
than that which was achieved in France from the
Tribune ; and he thinks that revolution requires
not only audacity, but all the show and ostentation
of audacity. It is only by braving the world, he
seems to believe, that one can bring the world to
his feet. It is not easy to feel unmixed admiration
and, still less, to feel cordial sympathy for a man of
Bismark's temper. But strange instruments are
often required to work out great purposes ; and woe
to us if we were always to reject the desirable end
because we feel inclined to quarrel with the ques-
tionable means. Men like M. de Bismark spurn
all co-operation ; they disavow all complicity.
There was much that was unsatisfactory in the state
of Germany, and out of keeping with the age we
live in. The prolongation of the dualism between
Austria and Prussia, the perpetual self-stultification
of the Diet, the pinchbeck glitter of thirty-six
Sovereign Crowns—the ranting and raving of an
impotent democracy—the whole system looked out
of date, exploded, doomed. Vague aspirations were
afloat : a yearning after something indefinite, un-
practical. The Germans, as a people, never knew
what they wished ; and to bring the partial wishes
of the various Courts and Governments, of the
cities, of the provinces, of the tribes, sects, and
parties of Germany to a common accord was more
than mere persuasion and gentle means could effect.
Count Bismark is trying what sheer force will do,
and no one can deny him the right to congratulate
himself on his success thus far. There was nothing.
in Prussia itself, from the King to the meanest sub-
ject, that he did not bow to his will. He subse-

quently flew at higher game : he first bent, then
broke Austria, and is now bent on overcoming all
opposition throughout Germany. The humiliation
of Bavaria, the most ambitious of the minor States,
and the chastisement of Frankfort, the seat of the
most arrogant democracy, were all part of his
scheme. He is sure to have his way with both of
them. Unless the tide of fortune were suddenly.to
turn and great disasters to befall the Prussian
armies, he will carry all before him. He is a deep
gambler, and reckons the odds with wonderful ac-

curacy. There was a chance in 1864 that England,
France, and even Russia, might take part with Den-
mark against him ; but he would take his chance of
that. There was a chance a few days sgo that the
Emperor Napoleon would back Austria with an
" armed mediation" after Koniggratz. But Bismark
took his chance of that, too. Every stroke of
daring that meets with success prompts the man to
higher flights of audacity, and justifies his reckless
confidence.

THE " ANGLO-AMERICAN TIMES."--The great
event which we chronicle to-day will be hailed
by the two most energetic nations with joy as
one of unmixed good. The Anglo-American
Telegraph is x success, and the continents for pur-
poses of communication are now connected. Every-
thing Anglo-American must rejoice most heartily in
such a result. All whose earnest desire it is to see
these kindred peoples linked together by every bond
which can bind them in fraternity and love will
triumph in this grand design achieved. To those
who have given years of their lives to the accom-
plishment of this object—who have freely risked
their means in the enterprise, who have devoted
their talents with a singleness of purpose which all
mighty works demand for their success—this end is
due. It has been attained only after the most dis-
heartening failures. Nine years have passed since
the first expedition started in 1857. Two ships of
war, one British the other American, first under-
took the task of laying the wire._ The expedition