The Sun.
London, England, 1859-04-22 00:00:00

Sunday may see an Austrian army in quick advance '
upon Turin. The position of Sardinia is perilous,
but it is a position from which she cannot escape
by a tame compliance. Even if Victor Emmanuel
could accept the ignominy of succumbing to the first
pressure of force after putting forth such loud
defiances, the men he has called around him would
not suffer him to retreat. If Austria and Sardinia
are left to themselves we shall hear in a few
days of an invasion and a battle. Everything
points this out as the natural sequence. The sudden
ultimatum and the short reprieve are evidently
part of a well-considered military policy formed by
Austria. It is clearly her interest, if she is resolved.
upon war, or if she feels that she will be compelled.
to accept war, 10 crush the Sardinian army before
the French can arrive to its assistance. The march

irom the banks of the Ticino to Turin is through

a plain country unprotected by any place of
military strength, well known by operations in
a recent campaign, and offering every facility
for the advance of a great army. Three days
would bring the Austrian General to the unpro-
tected city of Turin. There is nothing between
the frontier and the capital but the arms and
bodies of those 40,000 Sardinian troops, who are so
vastly outnumbered by the Austrian hosts. To
crush that army, to effect by force the disarmament
demanded, and to dictate terms at Turin, would be

but the effort of a few days, if Sardinia remained
unfriended. When we see her in this imminent

danger we look around anxiously to measure how
far off are her friends, and what may be the chances
of timely assistance. We may assume, perhaps,
that the passing of the Ticino will be considered by
the Emperor of the French as a declaration of war
by Austria, and that while the Austrians are march-
ing from the East upon Turin the French Emperor
will be pouring his columns from the West and
marching through the passes of the Alps to meet
the Austrian invaders, and to anticipate, if possible,
their arrival at the Sardinian capital. For this pur-
pose we may consider Grenoble or Briancon as con-
taining the whole force of the French empire, for the
chains of communication by rail are so complete
that continuous columns might be directed from all
parts of France upon those cities. The columns,
however, that should take their way by Chambery
and Mont Cenis would find themselves 180 miles

from Turin when crossing into the Piedmontese
territory at the Pont de Beauvoisin. Those which
should advance by way of Embrun and Briangon
and over Mont Genevre could find abetter road and
a shorter distance on the Piedmontese side of the -
Alps. but would still scarcely hope to win the race
against the Austrian troops coming by the plains.
Again, help might quickly arrive from Toulon and
Marseilles by way of Genoa; Toulon is rich in
transports, and a few hours might land a respectable
force at Genoa. From Genoa there is a railway to
Turin, but, unfortunately, it winds away far up to
the north-east, and an important portion of it would
probably be reached and destroyed by the Aus-
trians in: their first day's march. We should not
be very confident in trusting the safety of a king-
:dom to the possibility of uniting before Turin
columns which had to penetrate the Alps and to
arrive from Genoa, if one condition of the military
success of such an operation were that the con-
centration should be effected in three or four, or
even in five or six days. P^rhaps we may count
something for the delay which may be reasonably
expected to be interposed by the Sardinian
army either fighting or retreating; but, failing.
this, or those other chances of war which never
can be fully calculated, the military heads who
seem to have conceived this plan of opening the
campaign have not failed in strategic ability.
Physically speaking, if the war is to come, the
Power which strikes the first blow and chooses its
own field of action will commence with an advan-
tage. Morally speaking, of course, the picture is
reversed.
In former times there would be little more to say
about this crisis but to await the issue- of the -
inevitable invasion. But the telegraph has altered
all things. The same wires which have told us of
the demand which General .Gyulai has made by
direction of his Imperial master has by this time
carried to the Court of Vienna the strongest protest
of England against this hasty and haughty menace.
The Emperor of the French is now in possession
of those significant words which were spoken by
Lord Derby at the termination of his speech. Na-
poleon 111. has, moreover, heard of the movements
that are being made in Germany ; and he cannot but
suspect that, when Prussia puts her troops in motion,
it is not without some knowledge of the part which
Russia is prepared to pray in the great drama.
He can look around, therefore, and see that
his chosen antagonist is likely to be able to
devote the -whole resources of his empire to the
contest which he has challenged. He must by this
time have meditated on the fact that Russia, Ger-
many, and England have assumed an attitude
already passively hostile, and are tending towards
a state of even active coercion, if fortune should
give him victory in the
.war, and if his ambition
should carry him beyond certain very narrow limits
of aggression. We may discern a• spark of hope,
therefore, that Louis Napoleon may not make a
hasty rush to take up the glove that is now so
rashly thrown down ; and that time may yet enable
England to prevail upon Austria to retract it.
There is still a faint chance that we may induce
Austria not to precipitate a war just at the time
when matters have taken such a turn that there
was some real hope of an accommodation. It would
not be right, however, to hang much weight upon
this slender thread. It is not a very promising
prospect to hope to change the purpose of a stub-
born Power, exulting in her military superiority,
by diplomatising her through the telegraph.

A letter from Naples says :—" The Neapolitan
police has received information that two steamers
manned by filibusters have left Genoa, it was not
known for what place. It is believed that the men
on board, taking advantage of the trouble and in-
decision which will follow the death of the King,
will disembark in some part of the kingdom and
make a revolutionary attempt similar to that of
Pisacane at Sapri."
DEATH OF JOHN ELLIOTT HYNDAM.—DUBLIN,
Thursday Evening.—The evening papers announce the
death of John Elliott Hyndam, Esq., City Coroner, and
agent at Dublin for foreign passports, which occurred this
morning at his own residence.
THE SHIP ROSE OF SHARON.—The Board of
Trade have directed an inquiry into the circumstances
attending the stranding of the Rose of Sharon, Maxton,
from Calcutta for London, near Cape Rozel.
The municipality of Perugia has issued a notifi-
reeactrionintig lists
for announcingn thePNaglaiilnGgotvoennantmerentht
ehpasnnotfin
enedal
army. The bounty offered is twenty scudi (the scudo is
sfr. 35c.) instead of six, which it was before; besides two
volunteersthat
scudi per man to recruiting-officers. The length of service
is limited to four years instead of six.

•CP
The King and Queen of Prussia left Naples,
a telegraphic despatch from that city to Berlin states, on
Monday for Rome, and intend to remain there to the end
of the ;present month. Their Majesties proposed to visit
Venice before returning to Potsdam.

PRESENTS FROM HIS HIGHNESS SAID PASHA,
-VICEROY OF EGYPT. Immediately on the arrival of the
Pasha of Egypt's steam-yacht, Paid Gahaad, at Alexandria,
his Serene Highness came on board and expressed himself
in the highest terms of aamiration with the manner in
which the vessel had been fitted up and his wishes respect-
ing her carried out by the Peninsular and Oriental
Company, and, as a proof of his satisfaction, he personally
presented the captain and chief officer (Captain Kellock
and Mr. Pinkey) with two large gold snuff-boxes studded
with brilliants, a large plain gold snuff-box to the three
other officers, and a. purse of 600 guineas to be divided
amongst the officers and crew. We have been favoured
with an inspectionef the presents made to the captain and
chief officers, and must say that they are of the most vain-
able description, the brilliants being of the first water and
of a very large size.
THE MILITARY KNIGHTS OF WINDSOR.—There
is now a vacancy amongst the knights of this ancient order,
through the death of Lieut.-Colonel John Clarke, late of
the 66th Regiment, an officer of high merit, and whose ser-
vices embrace a lengthened period, including the war in the
Peninsula to: its close from March, 1809. He was at the
BNia dvaej,e;
et
actionl l bat tolfetshep Vittoria,'aiu
the actions of Arogo do Mo
battles of Oporto and Talavera,i inthuealuindescoufmTpuorrmesayVuerdrtahse,
thebattle
Pyrenees,of Albu ege, tNh
, and the battle of
Toulouse. At Albuera, in command of a company, ho was
struck down by a Polish lancer, and was taken prisoner, but
gtertitnhlee
inPencinsanaudlaar; war.and
charge of cavalry. He received the
the battle of Orthes, the action at Aire,
made his escape in a f
p eh
aroviru
gNfraupqoul eeount
yI
t.
he
sur.
loan
l
ievseileleg,etohfe
at St-
Helena, be in„
and t •
Mance of that gceat ex reordmary man, and happili
wc•oalronmeeldaclutiwkiethseeirgvhetd
scolrasaps
ve united in no ordinary degree a firm fidelity to the impo
during theb icurio.ptuinvietyuf otfhethunie_cEerms
taut trust reposed in him to the kindness, courtesy, and
humane consideration due to fallen majesty. lie was alike
the officer, the gentleman, and the Christian.
CHARGE OF ATTEMPTING TO POISON A HUSBAND
AT HULL.—At the Hull Police-court, on Wednesday, two
women, named Betsy Ferguson and Mary Hansom, The
charged with attempting to poison John Ferguson.
prisoner Ferguson is the wite of the intended victim, and
the woman. Hansom, who is about 70 years of le, was the
landlady of the house at which the Fergusons ha furnished
lodgings. It appeared they had not lived comfortably to-
gether, and for some months past the man Ferguson ha,d
been annoyed by repeated vomitino-s and sickness, whi"
generally attacked him after he had taken his meals. Ac-
cording to medical advice, he had watched the proceeding
of the two women for some time past. On Monday last he
had some broth and mutton for dinner, and the fonalo9l
though at the same table, did not partake of the brotlk
After dirn.lr Ferguson was sick, and when he got home at
night lie went rather gently into the house. It was about
10 o'clock, but by the light of a candle he saw his wife and
Hansom standing over a saucepan in the kitchen. His 111,;",
was taking a powder out of a paper and putting it ihto
saucepan. Hansom, while she was doing so, said, " ou
ha 1 better put a little more in, we are dallying too long rf,
it." He stood so that they could not see him, and he
Hansom take a aper up stairs, and heard her le _
door while she was there. The next morning his wife gape
him some broth for his dinner to take to work with him, but
he took it to a ohemist, who analysed it, and found r.
O intain arsenic. A paper of arsenic was also founfduruu saletpil.7
in locked closet. Mr. Stead,
who
ohe purposeappeared
of showing
that he
soners,
had trumped up the charg examined the witness, -for
6, but he failed to do 00.
t __an.
The case was remanded.—Mancltcs U cat