The Sun.
London, England, 1868-04-08 00:00:00

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LONDON, WEDNESDAY, APRIL 8, 1868.

The President of the Ministry, Prince Carl von
A UEP,SP ERG, has written a letter in answer to the re-
mrmstrances of some Church dignitaries against the
Civil Marriage Bill. This reply is couched in very
moderate terms, and is yet fully explicit in his re-
solve to keep to present arrangements. There is a
good deal of truth in the remarks here made, which
must strike all who attentively consider them. In
the first place, the Minister refers to the op-
portunity which was most full afforded by

the debate on the bill in the Reichsrath,
and this opportunity was not neglected either.
Considering the stage at which the bill has now
arrived, the Ministry must respectfully but firmly
decline to interfere in the matter of arresting its
progress. The law as at present constituted does
not permit the Courts to take cognisance of reli-
gious teaching, or to regulate the administration of
the Church's affairs. The letter concludes by stat-
ing that the Government is at all times ready to
keep within the legitimate limits of State power, and
while it desires to afford "powerful support" to the
authority of the Church, and entertains the highest
regard for " religious liberty," it cannot agree to
exceed the bounds of State authority. Finally,
therefore, the Ministry declines to enter upon the
remonstrance which might lead the sentiment of
duty in the minds of officials astray. On the
whole, it seems as if the Government had got out
of this awkward affair with as much suc-
cess as possible, and they have contrived
to maintain their consistency, while they have not
put forward their opinions in a vexatious style. All
kinds of reforms and alterations are certain to be
resisted at first, and must certainly prove unpalat-
able to some, but the principle to be followed is to
make all other considerations give way to that of
the public good. The present Ministry in Vienna has
indeed a difficult task before it, and deserves to be con-
gratulated for the spirit and courage which they have
displayed. Austria has taken a fresh start, and
seems likely to make more real progress in a month
now than she did in a year before ; and that she
may go on in this fashion will be the earnest hope
of all independent minds. From Dresden we learn
that the Second Chamber sanctioned the abolition
of capital punishment after an animated debate by
a majority of two-thirds of the members, A spirit
of progress appears to be infused into most of the
Constitutionalists just now, and the old and irk-
some doctrines and notions are gradually vanishing
before a better and freer condition of things.

In Berlin they are occupied with settling the
various arrangements connected with the new ad-
ministrative organisation of Schleswig-Holstein,
and Schleswig has been fixed upon as the seat of
Government. It is declared semi-officially that
the Danish Government have confidentially
notified that the journey of the Danish Minister
of War to Paris has only been undertaken in con-
sequence of private affairs, but whether this be true
or not it is difficult to say. In Paris the circum-
stance seems to have given rise to a good deal of
discussion, and the effect on the Bourse was not
propitious. Perhaps, however, the chief rea-
son of this was that men's minds were
unsettled before, and therefore any occurrence
at all of a significant nature was naturally
construed in an unfavourable manner. There is no
doubt that either for prevention or for active ser-
vice great preparations are being made in France
to forward all military arrangements, and the ob-
ject in view seems to be to allow of a French army
entering the field at twenty-four hours' notice, and
therefore it is not extraordinary to find that people
are beginning to lose faith in the oft-repeated
assurances as to the security of peace, and that
sort of argument which has been so common
of late. Some are quite impatient at the state of
things, and would rather get it over, and let a deci-
sive war be succeeded by a long peace that we could
believe in.

The Government, as is generally the case when
the public mind is dissatisfied and impatient come in
for a large share of the blame of the situa-
tion. They are told that they are insincere,
profess one think and practise another, and
uphold principles that they virtually deny
by their acts. Thus they talk largely of the effi-
cacy of liberal doctrines at home, but meanwhile
they prosecute the Press; and abroad we hear of the
advantages of a peaceful policy, and all the time an
extensive system of military preparations is being
carried on, which burdens the country and perplexes
the public mind. One thing is observable in all
this, and that is, a satisfactory change has
taken place in the way of expressing opinion.
It is far easier now than it used to be to arrive at
some definite knowledge of the public mind, and
what is popular, and what is not popular, is freely
commented on, and by this means the truth is more
easily arrived at than it used to be. The Opinion
Nationale has an article which is entitled " Peace
or I,Var," and mentions some points relatin g
to the state of things in Europe that are
dilated upon with its characteristic ability.
All the Cabinets of Europe declare to
each other that their intentions are most pacific,
while the high prices of food and the difficulties of
commerce are felt to be burdensome everywhere.
It seems strange in the face of all this to have to
consider " whence is the danger of war ?" Prodi-
gious armaments appear, and it is impossible to
explain away this awkward proof of the likelihood
of war. Six divisions in lieu of three will
form the camp of Chalons this year, and
no one can deny that there is great haste being
made in the organisation of the new National Guard.
This journal declares that all doubts must speedily
be set at rest by questions asked in the Legislative
Body, and that the Government must not cease to
declare whether its policy be peace or war. Public
opinion, it is added, should be so distinctly pro-
nounced as to admit of the Government clearly
indicating its course, and putting a stop to this
very undesirable state of things. The question is
to find out what France, whose interests are in-
terested, and the Government think of all this —a
somewhat novel mode of argument to meet with in
a French paper. But the time has gone by when the
intelligence of France can be wholly ignored, and
when it is no longer considered necessary to
consider a little how this change will affect
the people, or that policy be a popular one on the
whole. At the present time a war would be much
to be deplored, but it is idle to say that the sky is
all clear, and that no indications of hostility pre-
sent themselves. On the contrary, each trifle
seems to be made into magnitude and importance,
and again and again the simplest rumours are in-
vested with an imaginary significance, and all be-
cause of the restless and unsettled condition of the
public mind in Paris.

Those who are familiar with Lord MACAULAY'S
famous description of the brilliant scene at West-
minster when the beauty and genius, and rank and
fashion of the day assembled to witness the im-
peachment of WARREN HASTINGS, will read with
interest the vivid accounts which reach us from
time to time of the proceedings in the Senate
Court of the United States. America in-
deed may well be deeply interested in the trial,
for it is one which has no parallel in her history.
Not only her elected ruler is arraigned to answer
grave charges of misdemeanour and maladministra-
tion, but her Constitution
.itself is upon its trial.
The old land-marks are broken ;down, the
old securities removed ; new theories are
in the ascendant, and men of standing
and experience deliberately give utterance to
views and sentiments which of old they would have
been the first to denounce. The eager audience
which daily fills the galleries of the Senate may not,
indeed, be attracted by eloquence like that of
SaERIDAN'S celebrated oration, nor may they wit-