The Sun.
London, England, 1866-07-21 00:00:00

country was in contemplation. Lord STANLEY, in

answer, said, "If the speech which Lord DERBY

. .
about a week ago delivered in another place—if the

opinions which I myself have invariably expressed
on that subject, not only now when holding office,
but for many years past ; if, what is infinitely more
important, the unanimity of Parliament and the

people out of doors that we ought not to
be dragged into these Continental wars--if all
Gctil-CLL (1,-, 11

a guarantee that ours will be a pacfic and an obser-

- -
vant policy, then I want to know in what language

a stronger guarantee can be given." For his own

part he declared his conviction that whatever might
be our individual sympathies in the matter, there

never was a great European war in which the na,

tional interests of this country were less concerned

Lord STANLEY evidently expressed the prevailing
sentiment in the house, as he did no doubt the
feeling of the country ; and we hope that the Go-
vernment will resolutely adhere to this policy, since,
however much we may condemn the tyranny of
Austria in Venetia and Hungary, it is certain that
Prussia has succeeded in totally alienating the
sympathies of this country.

It seems we are still destined to wait for decisive
ntelligence from the seat of war. It was circulated
Paris last night that an armistice for five days
lad been agreed to by the belligerents, and if so, of
course, the trial of strength will be deferred. The
only sign of importance in this intelligence consists
iu its exemplification of Prussia's wavering. If the
leaders felt as confident of success as they did a
short time back, it is evident that the best thing
they could do would be to push on and secure the
prize of victory. Perhaps by this time, however,
a change may have come over the spirit
of their dreams, and they may be beginning
to think of the --lances and changes of war, and
to count the cost of defeat. It is certain that if the
Prussians were to lose this battle, now so imminent,
they would be in a far worse position than if they
had been defeated at an earlier period of the war.
If the consideration of this has taught them mode-
ration it will be all the better ; but we have yet to
find the news confirmed. The .)loniteur of yester-
day states that, in reply to a communication from
the Emperor NAPOLEON, the Court of Berlin
has declared that it would only consent to an
armistice upon condition of the preliminaries
of peace being first concluded. Now we
are told, over and over again, that Austria
will not consent to the propositions which have
been made by Prussia, at all events without a
struggle, and, therefore, if an armistice has been
agreed upon for the short time here speci4d, it can
only be that the Prussians have in some degree
modified their demands, or wish to gain time for
some purpose or other of their own. It is certain
that, through the decided stand they have made,
and the over presumption of the Prussians, the
prospects of the Austrians have improved of late,

and now it does not seem quite certain that the forces
of the EMPEROR will be defeated as it did a little
while ago. This is encouraging, for nothing could
be more detrimental to the interests of Europe in
general than for Prussia to get the whole game to
herself, and to be in the ascendant as much as she
desires. Great credit is due to the Austrians for
the bold stand which they have made in the crisis

that has come upon thin ; and, as for the threat
of the official journal of Berlin that Prussia would

mpose worse terms in the event of the hostilities

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being prolonged, that is a very —idle— one,
because we do not see how they can be
much more arbitrary than they arc now. Austria
is justified in making a struggle for her
existence as a European Power, and she may rest
assured that it is one thing to give up a position,
and another thing to recover it when lost.
Of one thing there is no doubt, that the Emperor
NAPOLEON has done his utmost to bring this disas-
trous war to a close, and has not slackened his
efforts to get the belligerents to come to terms,
notwithstanding the great difficulties in the way of
his so doing. Italy seems the great drawback in the