The Sun.
London, England, 1861-06-03 00:00:00

THE SUN, LONDON, MONDAY

of Baron SCHLEINITZ'S despatch to Count BERN- I
STORFF, Lord JoHN remarks, " I have to state
that, as it consisted substantially of a reply to and
an animadversion upon the speech of Lord PAL-
MERSTON, it was natural that I should consult Lord
PALMERSTON as to the manner in which that de-
spatch should be dealt with ; and I have now to
inform you that, if Baron SCHLEINITZ's despatch
had contained merely a renewed record of the opi-
nions of the Prussian Government on the MAC-
DONALD affair, and a statement that those opinions
had in no degree been changed by what was said
in the House of Commons on the occasion in
question, Lord PALMERSTON would not have
considered it necessary to prolong by an
answer a discussion which every well-wisher to a
cordial good understanding between the Prussian
and British Governments must regret, and must be
desirous of seeing brought to an end; but as Baron
SCHLEINITZ has chosen, in one part of his despatch,
to accuse Lord PALMERSTON of heaping ungrounded
reproaches on the Government and laws of Prussia,'
and in another part ' of having put forth reproaches
without grounds or justification against the Go-
vernment and laws of Prussia,' he deems it right
to state that what he said on the occasion in ques-
tion was said advisedly, and upon full conviction ;
that he deliberately abides by all that he then said,
and that he sees nothing in it either to be retracted
or to be explained away; and he is convinced that
the opinions which he then expressed are entirely
shared by the great bulk of his fellow-couLtrymen."
Rather a long sentence it must be acknowledged ! But
one the meaning of which is just exactly what we
could all of us wish it to be. 'Yes—all of us—except.
ing perhaps, let us say, Mr. VINCENT SCULLY! Mr.
SCULLY being one of the very few perverse people
in this country who think that Captain MACDONALD
only met with his deserts—why ? because he was a
travelling Englishman ! That is really the mean-
ing of the defence set for those brutal little Prussian
jacks-in-office who acted in so very outrageous a
manner towards a British officer and gentleman !
Lord JOHN, however, has not had all his say in this
last despatch of his, extracted in the foregoing
brobdignagian sentence. His lordship then
intimates yet further in regard to the opinions
expressed by the Prime Minister of England,
and sympathised in by the great mass of his
fellow-countrymen, that it should be maintained
by Baron SCHLEINITZ that " those opinions were
confined to the conduct of the Prussian Govern-
ment and of their subordinate officers ;" adding,
" he (Lord PALMERSTON) said nothing that could
justly give offence to the Prussian nation, with
regard to whom he only expressed a regret that
they should be liable to laws which vest in subor-
dinate and irresponsible agents powers and
authority which, as in the case of Captain MAC-
DONALD, are capable of being used with cruelty and
injustice without any overstepping of the strict
limits of the law." With this dignified rebuke the
despatch is drawn to a conclusion. And unless the
Prussian Government can at length understand
how much grace and dignity there would be re-
flected upon itself by its volunteering now (how-
ever tardily) to express regret at what has occurred
in reference to this transaction—let us in the name
of public decency trust that we have heard the last
about this wretched case of Captain MACDONALD.