The Sun.
London, England, 1850-04-02 00:00:00

04 Ming glut

LONDON, TUESDAY, APRIL 2, 1850.

Apparently the cause of absolutism has triumphed
over all the difficulties raised against its authority
by the revolutionary explosions of 1848, and by the
democratic victories of 1849—the spring of this year
of Grace, 1850, opening under auspices seemingly
most propitious for all despotic Go►ernments. The
expectation of so many glorious nationalities appears
to have melted away from the European population
like a brilliant but illusive daydream. The
period of emancipation, which recently for divers
races on the Continent had the aspect of approxi-
mation, has vanished beyond the limits of the
political horizon. Germany, but recently the
land of hopeful patriotism—thrilling from end to
end with the aspirations inspired by the battle songs
of KORNER, and the civic hymns of UHLAP4D—has
found itself again deprived of the prospect of ad-
ministrative unity and territorial consolidation,
With GAGERN hurled down from the Presidential
chair of Frankfort, with JOHN the ARCHDUKE de-
posed from his supreme rank as Dictator, with BLUM
crumbling into dust in a grave which the princes
have declared to be dishonoured, but which the
people have canonised in their recollection—the
kingdoms and principalities of Germany have seen
their chance of alliance or amalgamation into a
free and gigantic confederacy slip from their grasp
and evade their ambition. Italy, at one time, and
that, moreover, very recently, far advanced along the
road leading to her moral, social, and intellectual re-
demption, has sunk back exhausted into that condi-
tion of sadness and calamity which the greatest elle-
gorist in our literature, the ,inspired cobbler of
Puritanism, has felicitously designated the Slough
of Despond. GIODERTI forgotten; CARLO AL'•
BERTO the Magnanimous dead of a broken
heart by defeat, misfortune, and ingratitude ;
MAMIANI slighted as a man of medio-
crity; PEPE set aside as a worn-out veteran; PIO
NoUo still exiled in the Neapolitan palace of Portici ;
LEOPOLDO of Florence but half welcomed back by
the remorseful inhabitants of Tuscany : Genoa
awed into obedience by military supervision ; Venice
but partially restored to tranquillity ; Naples still
disfigured by the marks of carnage, pillage, and con-
flagration; Rome garrisoned by the French sol-
diery ; Milan garrisoned by the dragoons of Austria ;
Palermo and Messina yet reeking in their
blood-stained embers from the horrors caused by
storming and bombardment,—such is the lamentable
spectacle disclosed by that land which but two sum-
mers back was rising from one extremity to the other,
from the Carpathian mountains to the mountains of
the Abruzzi, in the hope of reclaiming its pristine in-
dependence. Such is the desolation which has suc-
ceeded the rejo icings of Lombardy and the triumphal
paeans of Piedmont—leaving only sorrow and des-
pair to the children of the Roman Peninsula.
Meanwhile France finds herself again assailed by the
secret daggers of the Legitimatist conspirators : the
serene and majestic quiescence of Democracy,
now that it has realised the fulness of its aspirations,
causing the Orleans faction to conspire, the Bourbon-
ists to intrigue, and the malcontents, such as the
Socialist fanatics, to prepare for a renewal of their
struggle ; exciting TIMERS to covert machinations
in the very palace of the Elys4a National, and impel-
ling LA ROCHEJACQUELIN to a flagrant acknowledg-
ment of bis treasonous wishes in the very tribune of
the Legislative Assembly.
Turning our attention to the southern and eastern
countries of the European continent, we find the satne
deplorable spectacle presented to contemplation as
those we have already alluded to as existing at this
moment in Italy and Germany. Poland, on the one
hand, mourns over her political annihilation, depressed
by the presence of her predominant partitioners.
Hungary, on the other, exhausted by her prolonged and
daring efforts to repulse the united armies of the
&USSR and the AUTOCRAT, Hungary paralysed
by the disheartening treachery of one of her favourite
heroes, the clever but infamous renegade ARTHUR
GEORGE; Hungary yet weeping in the desolate soli-
tude of her plains over the banishment of KOSSUTH
and the murder of B ATTEITANY, Hungary defeated but
not degraded, laden with chains but covered also with
glory—has witnessed like NIonE the destruction, one
after another, of her children until the sight of her
bereavement has frozen her likewise into an attitude of
unutterable despair.' There too, more to the south-
ward, we are enabled to recognize the growing panic
of the Mussulman rulers of Constantinople, a panic
which, notwithstanding the friendship of England
and the partial support of the French Republic, is
but too seriously justified by the large and rapid en

croachments—the encroachments now stealthy and
now flagrant—of the terrible power of the Russian
AUTOCRAT. Aware of the weakness of his
own arm, when contrasted with the mighty
strength of an imperial and lawless despotism
it is but natural that the Caliph SULTAN
should regard with terror the advances of that dread
antagonist, lusting for the acquisition of his domi-
nions, especially when the large dimensions of Eu-
ropean Turkey, together with its scanty population,
lure on to their acquisition the countless hordes of
the Cossacks. Knowing, moreover, that this splendid
and fruitful country, abounding as it does with the
luxurious vegetation of a soil affording nourishment
alike to the orange and the olive, the fig and the vine,
yielding crops alike of the golden maize, and the silver
cotton, and the dark and aromatic tobacco, presents
every tempation to the cupidity of the northern rob-
ber—the Ottoman Porte watches with dismay the
progress of his domineering armies downwards
through Bucharest towards the gorgeous city on the
Dardanelles. Nor can the trepidation of the Maho-
mettan Government be any matter of surprise, if we
remember that, in addition to these external attacks,
it has found ample reasons for fear in the
triumphs achieved, from time to time, over its
agents and representatives, now in one province
now in another. It bad to struggle ferociously
before it could compass the defeat of the great and
renowned SCANDENBEG, the chieftain of Albania.
Hardly any opposition could ►anquish the strength
of the redoubtable BOTSCEIAN, the hero of Greece. !

And, even after having brought about the, assasai

nation of the heroic TZENNI:GIORGS, the famous

champion of Servis, it was found impossible to
prevent the elevation of the son of that great man
to the throne which he bad occupied with so
much distinction, and to reign, as be does to this day,
the Sovereign of the Principality. Reasons, and
ample reasons there are, consequently, for anxiety on
the part of the Turkish Government, just as there is
sufficient cause for the general depression of European
democracy. Yet, with a full knowledge and apprecia-
tion cf the things already enumerated, we have yet
that reliance in the cause of justice and of liberty,
that we re gard with confident aspirations the mainte-
nance of her territorial integrity by Turkey, and
the revival of all the glorious hopes recently enter-
tained by the democratic genius of the continent. I

....,
Some time since, about_ the latter end of last year,
we directed the public attention to a document of
considerable importance which then appeared in our
columns, relating to the policy of the Anglo-indian
Government towards the native Princes and Chiefs,
with whom treaties of alliance had been concluded.
It wag the translation of an address, by RuNco
atroc EE, the vakeel of the late Raja of SATTARA , de-
tailing the unparalleled injustice and oppression to
which that unfortunate Prince was subjected, end
cautioning those who were placed in similar positions
to look to their treaties without a moment's delay,
and to come to a proper understanding on the subject be-
fore circumstances might arise which would enable their
faithful ally, the Company, to confiscate the territories
of their friends, and to increase their own dominions
and revenues, at the mere expense of that character I