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
and 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
called on to express the wishes of the people on the
sue jest of the Organisation of the Danubian principab-
t;es. The &man, the tenor of which I have conk
munieated to you, hag been since published by the go-
v,rn merit of the Sultan ; and the members of the special
a ,remission, formed in virtue of Art. 23 have proceeded i
t the spot, in order to watch over the execution of t,
and ultimately to put themselves in relation with the
Divans. The people of Wallachia and
Moldavia, t°
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 privilege!
and immunities, could not fail to be deeply inspresse°
with the great importance of the mission with which
their deputies were ab ,ut to be chanted. The eleetionc
f sr the Divans were therefore naturally expected to 00'
cuisy the attention of the public, and the electors, in pre'
paring to exercise their rights, could not fail to discus!,
atrioug themselves the great questions on which their
representatives would have to pronounce themselves 0
the name of the country. Eat such a solemn moment
,he 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 adroit
that up to the present time the Mold,:-Wallachiao
have scrupul iusly respected the autbority of the laws.
Nowhere has public tranquillity been disturbed, ne:
towhere have any scenes occurred of a nature to make
Europe regret the c.mfidence which it had placed 0,1,
the good feeling of the people. One of the most importao''
questions on which the Divans will have to pronounce_
an opinion is that of the political union of the tyry
principalities under one solidly c3nstituted government'
This question is not a new one ; it has long been tb:
subject of attention on the part of thinking men ;
was submitted in 1355 to the conference of Vienna, al
at the congress of Paris, the representatives of severe
great powers declared themselves in its favour. 001
it 'is true, were opposed to it, and the reason wby est
definitive understanding was come to at Paris cres.
desire of consulting the wishes of the people. The spee'4
".
commission was appointed in order to inquire into t"::
actual state of the principalities, and to collect the !if_
meats necessary for a mature and close examination ipt
the question of the union. The wishes of the Divans /4
form one of those elements, but it will not be the ci?i!,
one. The rights of the suzerain power, the great Pitto,
ciple of the integrity of the 0 toman emir® the
tenance of order, without which the rights and liberti°ll
of the people would be illusory, are other etemee's
which will exercise their weight in the deliberatl.
of the future European congress which will reels,.
the definitive organisation of the Principalities. We have
always reserved our vote as far as regards the
for the moment when the special commission eu'o
have transmitted the result of its labours. Never
the representative of the King at Constantinoll;
or the commissioner at Bucharest, assumed an attitn°,,
or used a language which was not strictly in conforth!,;l,
with this reserve. I dwell on this fact, because evil of a
posed minds have endeavoured to cast suspicion on
intentions of the King, and on the conduct of its rcpt,
sentatives. Our commissioner has recommended to
every one calmness, respect for the laws, and fidelity 1.
the euzerain power. He has in the same mannero
ways endeavoured to influence the local administrateos
both at Bucharest and at Jassy. This conduct is '1,6
only is conformity with the spirit of the treaty of Fl'the
but it is also of a nature to remove the danger of! •
0
too great political agitation which might result fi'm
a violent and ' arbitrary action on the part of ors
caimakans. We hope that all the commisel(Ldea
be inspired with the same principles of
.lea
lily
02
lity and conciliation, in order that the co,ol6Aso
without descending into the party questions, but 00,
without -acrificing its dignity by a false indiffdre'its
may be equal to the arduous task confided to it by
2evective governments. I shall not fail to make Yee
acquainted with the ultimate development of any cl?,10.
tiona connected with the situation of the Danubian Poi
cipalities. The present communication is only intelLo
for your personal information, in order that you
of
regulate your langsage in conformity with the views to
the cabinet of the King, but I leave it to your tacf tbio
mak- what confidential use you may think proper o
despatch.—Accept, &e., MANTEIOIII4
" Berlin, May 28, 1857." . ,