The Sun.
London, England, 1857-10-23 00:00:00

HIGH WATER AT LONDON BRIDGE.

This DAY— Morn. 33 min. aft. 4—Even. 4.) min. aft. 4
To-Ifonatow —Morn. 7 min. aft. 5 —Even. 26 acn aft. 5

VIE WEIMER. -SUN OFFICE, OCTOBER 23. In
THERNIONETZR, IN THE SHADE.
51—highest since noon yesterday.
47--lowest this morning and daring the night
55 —this day at noon.
BABOHRTBR, 29.99—a rise of a quarter of an inch since
yesterday.
WIND. S.W. ; light and fine, with sunshine. It rained
incessantly yesterday, and up to this morning, being about
30 hours in all.

- •
nn,,

LONDON, FRIDAY, OCT. 23, 1857.

The future government of the Danubian Prin-
cipalities is a quei,tion of no ordinary magnitude,
But for the Indian difficulty it would attract
universal attention in Great Britain ; and is
France, it may be doubted whether it does not
occupy a more prominent position in the public
mind, than the Sepoy mutiny and the indiscrimi-
nate massacre of English men, women, and chil-
dren. It is well known that France and England
take very different views of the policy that ought
to be pursued by the Western Powers with re-
spect to the union of these important provinces,
and, as a natural consequence, respecting the con-
tested elections in Moldavia, where an over-
whelming majority of anti-unionist deputies had
been returned to the Divan ad hoc. Indeed, it
was only during the visit of the French EMPRItOR
to Osborne that these differences were arranged, I
and that England gave its assent to the setting
aside these elections, in accordance with the
imperious demands of the representatives of
Russia, Prussia, France, and Sardinia, who struck
their flags at the slightest hesitation by the Otto-
man Government, although supported by the
English and Austrian Embassies.

The new elections have taken place. The Divan
had been duly constituted, and by a telegram,
received from Vienna, dated Tuesday evening,
the 20th October, it is said that, "The Divan
of Moldavia yesterday voted almost unanimously
the following principles —c Seli-govarument of
the Principalities conformably to the treaties with
the Porte, whose rights are admitted. Union of
the two provinces under a prince belonging to a
dynasty of the West. A represmtative form of
government, and neutrality of the new State.' "
It is right to say that "the Nerd," the Russian
organ in Belgium, publishes the above, "with re-
serve," or, in other words, does not commit itself
to the accuracy of the intelligene3. Considering,
however,
what has already taken place, and the
attire of the returns already kno vn, it is by no
means
improbable taw: it may be authentio; 1
the French and Engli,h journals are fully war-
ranted in :peculating on the possible resulis
it must not be forgotten that the Lite war, .wh'cl
cost England so many of her gallant children, and
l
nearly eighty millions of pounds sterling, was oc-
casioned by the unauthorised and unwarrantable
invasion of these very Principd,tie.. The cros-
ing of the Pruth by Russian troop ~ being IL--
gal-Jed as an adequate casusbelli, although tne de-
claration of hostilities was protracted in the vain
hope of arriving at a more pacific solution. Then
both France and England boldly entered the field,
to preserve the Ottoman Etrapire from dismember-
ment, and to prevent Russia from obtaining access
to the Danube at any moment. But what was saved
by "the sword," was virtually sacrificed by " the
pen., What our heroes shed their blood for in

the Crimea—what occasioned the fall of Seba,sto-

pol, and all the sanguinary contests—what deve-
loped the Christian virtues of FLORENeE NIGHT-
INGALE and her devoted band—were all over-
thrown by diplomatic cunning on the one side,
and diplomatic oversight on the other. In place
of having the matter fully and finally disposed
of, it was permitted to remain an open
question, and was partially remitted for
the consideration of the inhabitants them-
selves. We need not say what a fertile field
for intrigue was thus opened out, or that the most
unscrupulous would ultimately prevail. Russia
first, for reasons not quite explicable, achieved
the co-operation of France, Prussia, and Sardinia,
and thus obtained a majority of votes over Eng-
land, Austria, and Turkey, although the latter
was the interested party, who was to be stripped
of valuable territory without obtaining any

equivalent.
The decision of the Moldo-Wallachian Divans
is, however, by no means conclusive. Self-
Government, conformably to the treaties with the
Porte, they were entitled to, and no English per-
son would strip them of a particle of their just
rights and privileges. But then comes the ques-
tion of union with a Prince belonging to a dynasty
of the West. This involves the whole difficulty
—Who is the happy candidate for the prospective
throne ? Twenty German Princelings grasp at
the imaginary sceptre. Fifty-five marriageable
Princesses heave sympathetic sighs at the eligible
opening. Russia, of course, seeks one who
will become a Russian tool, far more dan-
gerous to Turkey than even Russia herself.
One Royal personage breathes a wish in favour
of " poor little NASSAU;" another has some other
equally eligible protege whose graces would adorn
the purple. And when was there a sovereignty
to be gained where a Coburg candidate was not
forthcoming ? Even Uncle LEOPOLD was ready
to devote his youthful Flanders to the arduous
task. It is by no means improbable that NAPO-
LEON would have no objection to inaugurate his
novel dynasty with a second sovereign from his
House, and either Prince NAPOLEON or MURAT
would be spared for the purpose. Nor would Aus-
tria remain idle in the diplomatic contest ; she, too,
would have her favourite. Nor is it improper that a
Neapolitan Bourbon would be quite willing to
give a further specimen of entitled government.

Who then will be forced to unite the suffrages
of the various conflicting elements at the confer-
ences that must decide the interesting and impor-
tant question ? These are matters that will not
be easily or speedily decided ; and when they
are, we suppose a new loan, guaranteed by the
Protecting States, similar to that of Greece, in its

inception, and most probably in all other respects,
will be inaugurated. The young couple, for of
course there will be a marriage growing out of it,
to satisfy two of the Electors, must have a tidy
sum in hand to commence housekeeping, and set
up an adequate establishment, and the English
tax-payers will be expected, selon les regles, to
contribute handsomely, not merely to the Trous-
seau, but to the entire stock of the young be-
ginners, who will have something analogous to
the penny weddings known in some of the pro-
vinces.

1 The Wallachian Divan bas, it appears, passed
a similar resolution to that of Moldavia, so the
electioneering tactics will commence amongst the
young gentlemen having the true "azure" blood
in their veins. It is not often that such a chance
arises, and we may be sure that they will make
the moat of it. The Sultan ought, however, to
have a leading choice in the election. He
is the most deeply interested of all in ob-
taining an unobjectionable Prince, who will
respect his suzerainte, which it appears is
still to be maintained, although it will rank higher
than the Princedom of Neuchatel, or other of the se
all but imaginary titles. We shall patiently abide
the issue, but we ao nut thilik that it will be so
very easily decided as the Unionists at present
imagine in consequence of the concurrence of the
Divans. It is one thing to settle principles, but
very different to carry them into practical and
effective operation.

It is gratifying to see that while some public
men, chiefly Peelites or Tories, are maundering
about humanity to mutineers, all our men of
weight demand humanity to the millions of India ;
for that is the real meaning of stern justice on
atrocious rebels. Some Tories, of whom we had
hoped better things, have joined in the maudlin
cuckoo note, of hoping that we, as a Christian
Nation, shall remember the duty of mercy to our
enemies. Good Heavens ! When have English-
men been guilty of anything but too much mercy ?
Every English soldier, unlike the brutal wretches
who pass by that name in Austria or Russia, or
Naples, is much more liable to be guilty of undue
pity than of undue severity ; much more is this
the danger of our officers and generals. With
them it requires courage not to repress vindictive
rage, but to be justly severe. For Lord JOHN
RUSSELL, Lord ELLENBOROUGH, and the Duke of
CAMBRIDGE to give utterance- to the manly
sentiments they have just expressed, and to do
what they each may in their high position
in the country's councils to give effect to them, is
what really requires the firm nerve of the honest
and farseeing Statesman or Commander. And
we confess we must despise the cant—the effemi-
nacy, we were about to say—but that we would
not wrong the other sex, the sex which has joined
even in* wielding the weapons of death in India,
—we despise the easy cant which assumes to be
merciful overmuch, in a case like the present—
the cant of men, at public meetings, praying pity
for the hell-hounds of India, when to have a fling
at their political opponents is their intent. On
the other band we confess that W. 8., in Essex,
the other day, in our opinion, fairly and fully
atoned for all his electioneering sins, by nobly
avowing that he would be no party to thwarting,
or in any way embarrassing a ministry to which
he is politically opposed, while they are engageJ,
as they now are, in doing the common work of
Englishmen. Sir E. B. LYTTON, also, honourably
txpressed similar views at the Tring Agricultural
meeting on Wednesday.
The occasion was a befitting one, at Sheffield,
en Wednesday, for a Commander-in-Chief to
speak ; one to call forth the feelings of a noble
soldier on the duties of the Army and the Govern-
merit in India. He was laying in Sheffield the
foundation-stone of a monument erected to the
Memory of Soldiers who had fallen in the Crimea
in vindicaing international justice—a monument
to be erected, as we may (ity, by the class from
which our private soldiers are taken ; he was
speaking, too, in a town which has set a splendid
example of its readiness to furnish soldiers for the
present emergency. He could tell them of his
firm belief that the tide was now turned in India,
and that our vast reinforcements would soon sweep
with crushing
where out might over the extensive districts
noble, few, ani scattered men have held
their own so
long and against such vast numbers ;
but, like LordELLEN
his language present
0070/1, what a contrast does
not only to the Pharasaical
humanitarians, but to the
circular of Lord CAN-
NING himself. The Duke of CAMBRIDGE would
not trifle with the solemn sense of a ,