The Sun.
London, England, 1859-06-28 00:00:00

SAXONY.

The Minister of Foreign Affairs of Saxony has
addressed the following despatch to M. de Keen-
neritz, Saxon Minister at St. Petersburg, in reply
to the circular of Prince Gortschakoff:—
"Dresden, June 15.

" Prince Volkonsky has read to me a despatch
addressed to him by Prince Gortschakoff, for the
purpose of setting forth the attitude of the Imperial
Government in presence of the complications which
have arisen in Italy, and of the war which has re-
sulted therefrom, as also the manner in which the
Cabinet of St. Petersburg thinks right to judge the
position of the Governments of Germany in the
midst of these events.

"The fling's Government, placing entire confi-
dence in the noble and elevated sentiments of
H.M. the Emperor of All the Russias, has no doubt
as to the benevolent and equitable 'character of
the dispositions by which the Government of
H.I.M. is animated towards Germany and the
different Governments of the Germanic Confedera-
tion ; it is therefore with gratitude that we have
received this important communication, and I beg
Of you, sir, to express it to Prince Gortschakoff.
"We think that we shall give the Imperial
Government the best proof of the sincerity of these
sentiments by replying with equal frankness to the
different observations which have been made to us.

"The despatch of Prince Gortschakoff consists
of two distinct parts. The first, which is retro-
spective, passes .in review the negotiations which
preceded the commencement of hostilities, and
recalls to mind the Congress proposed by Russia to
prevent them ; the second, which occupies itself
with the present and the future, states the views
of the Imperial Government as to the task now
reserved to the Germanic Confederation.
" As to the first part, Prince Gortschakoff will
know how to appreciate the considerations which
induce us to manifest a certain reserve on entering
on the subject. He will not consider a German
Government less excusable for permiting itself not
to share the severe judgment passed on the conduct
of the Austrian Government, which, according to
the despatch of Prince Gortschakoff, is alone re-
sponsible for - the calamities of the war. The
King's Government at the time did full justice to
the efforts made by the St. Petersburg Cabinet to
prevent those calamities by means of a European
Congress; but unless we fail in the duty of impar-
tiality towards a confederate Government, it would
be impossible for us to dwell on the episode of a
congress, which was a mere phase, and not on the
circumstances which preceded and brought about
the war. If, instead of so doing, we regard the
origin of the complications which caused the war
to break out, we cannot forget that the Austrian
Government, having done nothing which could
give offence to its neighbours or to any power
whatever in Europe, was first of all disquieted and
afterwards menaced in the peaceable exercise of
its rights of sovereignty. It is still difficult for
us not to entertain the conviction that if such
enterprises, instead of encountering the sympa-
thies, had incurred the unequivocal blame of
Europe, the scourge of war would very probably
have been averted from humanity even before the
question of a congress was raised.

"We shall be more explicit on the questions
connected with the position and attitude of the
German governments. In this matter we have a
mission to fulfil, and we owe sincere thanks to
Prince Gortschakoff for having afforded us the
opportunity of entering into some explanations
calculated to enlighten foreign Governments as to
what is now taking place in Germany.
" The despatch of the Minister of Foreign Affairs
expresses regret on the subject of the excitement
which prevails in some part of Germany; it ex-
presses the fear that this agitation arises from a
misunderstanding ; and that misunderstanding it
sees in the tendency of some States of the Ger-
manic Confederation to occupy themselves with an
imaginary danger, and to cause real ones to arise
fram it, not only by not resisting passions the
development of which may place in peril the se-
curity and internal force of governments, but by
giving serious grievances to a neighbouring and
powerful State at the very moment at which it
makes reassuring declarations.
There is evidently
misunderstanding, but it
" a
is not on the side of the German Governments that
we must seek for. it.
Prince GortschakoT is kind enough to remind
us, further on, that the Confederation is a combi-
, nation purely and exclusively defensive; and that