The Sun.
London, England, 1861-07-25 00:00:00

The smart reprimand given to the Patrie, and
which the Patrie was directed to print in its first
page at the head of its first column, has not pre-
vented the other journals from treating the question
of Sardinia and Sardinian annexation pretty much
in the same spirit. "We are not in the secrets of
the policy of our Government," observes the
Presse,—
"We approved the annexation of Savoy and
Nice as poor compensation for the great sacrifices
of France for Italy in throwing off the yoke of
Austria. We frankly declare that we attach hut
little importance to the possession of Sardinia. Un-
doubtedly this island, together with Corsica, would
afford an advantageous station for the French
navy, and serve as a tete de pont for our African
colonies. Its occupation by France would be less
absurd, and less shocking than that of Gibraltar
and Malta by England. We ask why the cession
of Sardinia, as Lord John Russell pretends, should
not be a simple transaction between the King of
Sardinia and the Emperor of the French ? And
la
in what respect would the balance of Europe
thereby suffer? Before exhibitipg
.susceptibilities
so much out of place, and threatening the rupture
of the Anglo-French alliance, the English Ministry
should set an example of abnegation and disin-
terestedness s
mds.
Valette, and loosening its hold on the lonian
Islands. What
weevtahciunaktig
most
n Ggribavraeltianrthaensd La
speech
of Lord Joh usse 1i - av aof this blind
obstinacy i "'artnalliefit4t, and'
the declaration that England is ready to renounce
peace with all its blessings, as well as the security
of its commerce and industry, in the interest of a
great cause.' Now, nothing can be more vague and
elastic than these last words, which leave the field
open to every sort of interpretation. One may
always transform into a great cause' the most
paltry event, the most secondary interest. For our
part we have no taste for violent conquests, or forced
annexations. Sardinia has but very slight import-
ance in our eyes. We have for our country more
elevated views, and a wider ambition. We have
the certain conviction that France has a right to a
territorial augmentation far more important."
Another paper, Le Temps, thus alludes to the
speech of Lord John Russell :
" This manner of regarding the contingencies
which may arise out of our policy in France is quite
novel. Hitherto the apprehensions which we have
more than once witnessed abroad with regard to
us, and which it would bo puerile to deny, arose
from quite a contrary supposition—the supposition
of one sole will, all powerful, and superior to any
control of the Chambers and public opinion. Lord
John Russell has changed all this, and it seems it is
the impatience of the Chambers and of public opi-
nion that he now distrusts. If Lord John Russell
were serious he (as the Journal des Debats very
truly remarks) labours under a strange delusion
respecting the Legislative Body, its ambition, and
its power, and, still stranger, about public opinion
and the press, its organ. We assure him that we
haw no means of constraining the French Govern-
ment to conquer Sardinia. There is ahother point
worthy of notice in this part of Lord John Russell's
explanation. If anything could provoke this pres-
sure of opinion which he apprehends, it seems to us
it would be the veto which he announces in the
name of a nation which has always shown itself the
most expert in the world in matters of annexation.
No one will maintain that England possesses in the
Mediterranean Gibraltar, Malta, and the lonian
Islands in virtue of a right superior to that which
France might advance for the possession of Sar-
dinia; and nobody in France can think that the
pleasure or displeasure of England would be re-
garded. So far as we can judge, we do not see that
public opinion in France is much excited in favour
of the annexation of Sardinia."

Though the Moniteur is still silent, the discussion
of the question is, as you perceive, going on, and
will perhaps go on until the public mind is
thoroughly saturated with it. What Lord John
Russell said about the pressure on the Em-
peror by the Chambers or the press, to annex
Sardinia in spite of him, is very probably the
answer given by the French Foreign-office to his
inquiries ; but, that Lord John Russell should have
thought it serious is, indeed, strange. The Em-
peror's unwilling compliance with the demand of
the Chambers would be as curious a sight as Glos-
ter's yielding to the pressure of the Lord Mayor
and Aldermen, who w anted him to accept the crown.
The coyness would be equally sincere in both
cases. Several months ago I mentioned that the
ex-Police Chief, who did good service in Savoy and
Nice, was then taking a similar interest in Sar-
dinia. That person, or his agents, were busy in
Sardinia at the time of M. Cavour's death, and I
hear that at this moment similar agents are ac-
tively at work in the island. 'When the impatience
of Piedmont for Rome reaches the proper point,
France will probably withdraw her opposition, but
the compensation expected is Sardinia, and the re-
sistance of Baron Ricasoli may be vanquished as M.
Cavour's was.