The Sun.
London, England, 1857-10-22 00:00:00

THE DANUBIAN PRINCIPALITIES.

We reproduce the following circular despatch
addressed by the Prussian Foreign-office to its
diplomatic agents abroad. This document, in
spite of: its remote date, is of political value, since
it is the first official expression that has transpired
of the views entertained by the Prussian Govern-
ment :

" Monsieur,—By my despatch of the 30th January,
as well as by the explanatory document annexed to it,
I made known to you the decisions which had been
come to at Constantinople between the Ottoman Porte
nod the other powers who signed the treaty of Paris,
relative to the convocation of the Divans ad hoc, which,
according to Art. 24 of the said treaty, were to be
celiac' on to express the wishes of the people on the
sulject of the organisation of the Danubian principalis
ties. The firosan, the tenor of which I have com•
municated to you, has been since published by the go.
v rnment of the Sultan ; and the members of the special
• remission, formed in virtue of Art. 23 have proceeded
e the spot, in order to watch over the execution of it,
and ultimately to put themselves in relation with the
Divans. The people of Wallachia and Moldavia, to
whom the European powers, in accord with the Porte,
had secured the right of co-operating, by the expression
of their wishes, in the revision of their ancient privileges
and immunities, could not fail to be deeply impressed
with the great importance of the mission with which
their deputies were about to be charged. The elections
ter the Divans were therefore naturally expected to oos
cupy the attention of the public, and the electors, in pres
paring to exercise their rights, could not fail to discuss
ansoag themselves the great 'questions on which their
representatives would have to pronounce themselves in
the name of the country. If at such a solemn moment
the hope of a more favourable future may have been
entertained, and an ardent patriotism have manifested
itself with a certain degree of vivacity, we must admit
that up to the present time the Mold -WallachianS
have scrupul )usly respected the authority of the laws.
Nowhere has public tranquillity been disturbed, and
nowhere have any scenes occurred of a nature to make
Europe regret the confidence which it had placed 10
the good feeling of the people. One of the most important
questions on which the Divans will have to pronounce
an opinion is that of the political union of the two
principalities under one solidly constituted government.
This question is not a new one ; it has long been the
subject of attention en the part of thinking men ; it
was submitted in 1855 to the conference of Vienna, and,
at the congress of Paris, the representatives of several
great powers declared themselves in its favour. Others,
it is true, were opposed to it, and the reason why no
definitive understanding was come to at Paris was I
desire of consulting the wishes of the people. The specie!
commission was appointed in order to inquire into the
actual state of the principalities, and to collect the els'
ments necessary for a mature and close examination intlo
the question of the union. The wishes of the Divans will
form one of those elements, but it will not be the oe!if
one. The rights of the suzerain power, the great pr!od
ciple of the integrity of the 0 Oman empire, the mate'
tenence of order, without which the rights and liberties
of the people would be illusory, are other element.
which will exercise their weight in the deliberation'
f the future European c ingress which will regulate
the definitive organisation of the Principalities. We have
always reserved our vote as far as regards the union
for the moment when the special commission shall
have transmitted the result of its labours. Never Ilse
the representative of the King at ConstantinePla
or the commissioner at Bucharest, assumed an attitude
or used a language which was not strictly in conforraitf
with this reserve. I dwell on this fact, because evil (he.
nosed minds have endeavoured to cast suspicion on the
intentions sf the King, and on the conduct of its repre,
opeatives. Our commissioner has recommended t°
every one calmness, respect for the laws, and fidelity L°
the ,uzeiain power. Be has in the same manner i
•
ways endeavoured to influence the local adminietratiol
both at Bucharest and at Jassy. This conduct is 13°.,
only in conformity with the spirit of the treaty of Psrlel
but it i- also of a nature to remove the danger of the
too great political agitation which might result from
a violent and arbitrary action on the part of t°,
caimakaas. We hope that all the commissioner:
toil be inspired with the same principles of Ile_
lit), and conciliation, in order that the commissie
without descending into the party, questions, but also
webeut acrificing its dignity by a false indifferenCeto
msy be equal to the arduous ta-k confided to it by s
re-pective goverianeuts. I shall not fail to make 9°
acquainted with the ultimate development of any ttlil%ll,,
tions connected with the situation of the Danubian Prl-d.
cipalities. The present communication is only intense
for your personal information, in order that you to%
regulate your language in conformity with the views
the cabinet of the King, but I leave it to your tact to,
mak- what confidential use you may think proper of tn,s
despatch.--Accept, &c., Mareret7lllo.
" Berlins May 28; 1857."