The Sun.
London, England, 1866-09-11 00:00:00

not for a moment believe; but the questaonis, Why a
these journals hasten so officiouslyis ttohaitnftohremy theare
public of the fact? The reason
anxious to give a hint of the future coming events
which cast their shadows before in this instance as
in many others ; and in all probability we shall
shortly find that the prayer of these imaginary or
concerted petitions is already answered in the
affirmative. It may well be asked what object
Count BISMARCK can possibly have in thus cheat-
ing those with whom he enters into diplomatic
relations, and it would he difficult to find an answer.
Perhaps he hardly knows when he begins an en-
gagement whether he will keep it or not, but
acts as he deems advisable and expedient. There
is diffinflty in all treaties when they arc being made,
no matter how victorious the fame of the contract-
ing parties may be, and therefore it is just possible
that he thought it advisable to give some indication
of an improved policy, and reserved to himself the
right of carrying it out or not as it might suit his
purpose. We pity the victims of this make-believe
Prussian liberality, for their hopes have been excited
and their expectations raised in the most unwarrant-
, able manner, and now they arc to be cast adrift again
and left to the tender mercies of their old enemies.
It will be an outrage on the good sense and good
feeling of Europe if this promise about Schleswig is
not kept; but that, unhappily, is no reason why it
should not prove so in the main. We have had
reason enough over and over again to notice how
little the Berlin Government cares for keeping its
professions, and this will be therefore no novel inci-
dent, though one to be deplored for many reasons.
It will be a blunder as well as a crime if
Count BISMARCK persists in giving up • the
notion of restitution, for the Berlin Government
are already so unpopular that anything they could
do to retrieve their character would be indeed a
lucky hit for them.

It appears that the Prussians think that they are
quite able to set all Europe at defiance ; and in
nothing is this more conspicuous than in their con-
duct to France. Count BISMARCK has given up
the idea of visiting Biarritz altogether, and appears
to treat all the envoys and emissaries of the
EMPEROR very cavalierly, to say the least
of it. It is said that he had the cool-
ness to inform the French Ambassador that the
Emperor NAPOLEON might now consider the dynasty
of the PRINCE IMPERIAL safe, for that Prussia was
strong and compact. It has come to something
when such remarks are made ; but the whole tenour
of the Prussian Minister's course has been in keep-
ing with this for some time past, and the only
wonder is that the French have put up with such
brusque demeanour for so long a period. TheEMPE-
non has doubtless some weighty reason for hispolicy,
mysterious as it may seem to us. Besides, it must
be remembered that too much stress was laid upon
the demand of M. Dr.oUYN DE L'Hurs at the time,
and the subsequent declarations of the EMPEROR
leave us no room to doubt that he never intended
to give Prussia the alternative of war or of yielding
the Rhine provinces. That all is not really smooth
between these two Powers we may gather from the
numerous observations that are so constantly being
made, for when perfect concord exists there is no
occasion to be for ever sounding • the trumpet and
proclaiming the fact; the very reiteration of it may
well raise a doubt of its reality.