Daily national era. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1854, 1854-04-12
THE SECRET CORRESPONDENCE AND FRANCE.

The Moniteur has lost no time IN confirming,
by the authority OF the French Government,
the statement which had been published lew
days before by this journal, to the eject that
on the failure of the secret and confidential pro-
posais addressed BIZ The Emperor Nicholas TO me
British Ministry, that sovereign turned ms ouer-
lures to France, and recsived from Louis Nopo-
leon a similar refusal We may add to these
facts, which are indistinctly stated by the or
gan of the French Government, that these
propositions were not made by the Emperor
Nicholas in person to the French minister at
his Court, AZ they had been made to Sir Ham
ilton Seymour, but that they were communica-
ted in conversation by M dc Kisselef the Rus.
sian minister in Paris, to the Emperor OF the
French, who received them with that caution
which is part of his character, and rejected
them with fidelity to the great interests OF
Europe and to the alliance Of this country,
which does him high honor. This circum-
stance was all that could have been de-
sired to complete the case against the Emperor
Nicholas, and to give the finishing stroke to the
demonstration of his bad faith.
Had it not been for the deliberate and hon
est policy Of this country, and for the no less
straight-forw ard and disintorested conduct Of
France, the affairs not only Of the East, but of
all Europe, would unquestionahly have been
settled without asking the German Powers for
their assent or their opinions; for we have it
from tho lips Of the Emperor Nicholas himself,
that he considered the interests OF Austria to
be identical with his own, and those Of Prussia
to deserve no notice at oil. Had either Of the
Western Powers consented to sacrifice the in
terests of Germany on this question: can it be
doubted what would have been the result !?
Germany must either have engaged in des
perate struggle on both her frontiers, or she must
have succumbed to apolioy which placed her
at the feet Of Russia. But what return is
Germany prepared to make to the Western
Powers? What acknowledgment does Prussia
give for this respect Of her existing rights?
She sends at this moment a confidential envoy,
General Lindheim, to St Petersburgh, to ten
der no doubt fresh assurances of neutrality
and confidence to Power which announces
that it will return no answer at all to the sum-
mons Of the Western Cabinets, and thus gives
the signal of war.
Austria, we are happy to learn, continues
firm in the course she has hitherto pursued in
conjunction with her allies and it is not their
fault if Germany is not already united by closer
ties to the policy of the Western Powers There
is M reason to attach credit to the report that
been concluded between Prussia and Austria,
for the purpose of maintaining an armed neu-
tralty; for, in all the more recent part of these
transactions, the wavering conduct Of Prussia
has offered no inducements to found any alliance
on her promises The real principle which
must ultimately make its strength felt through
all obstacles is the public opinion and national
spirit Of the German nation. II is that which
must ere long dispel these uncertainties, and
vindicate the independence of the country and
although we observe that even our own 0bser-
vations on these subjects are garbled before
they are allowed to circulate through the Ger
man press, we have no doubt that enough es-
capes, and is diffused abroad, to make the peo-
pie of Germany feel that England and France
look to them as allies in our common cause
While we acknowledge with satisfaction the
effect produced throughout Europe by the pub
lication of the "secret and confidential COR
respondence of Russia with this country, we
are not less gratifed by the additional proof it
has afforded us of the sincerity OF the French
alliance. The Emperor of Russia no doubt
expected when he challenged the British Min
listers to produce these documents, either that
they had been kept secret from the French
Cabinet, or that they would in some manner
contribute to impair the mutual confidence of
the two States Not only has this malignant
been utterly disappointed, but on
the contrary, the incident has furnished to both
Governments, and to the public in both coun-
tries, irrefragable evidence to each of the good
faith of their respective ally; and the case is
rendered stronger by tho fact that the propo-
sitions of Russia were 10 both instances made
separately, and separately rejected.
We do not hesitate to declare that the con-
duct Of the Emperor Louis Napoleon in this
transaction deservedly raises him to an honor
able position in Europe, and gives us reason to
hope that all his dealings may be regulated by
the Same strict observance Of good faith. As
q representative Of monarchical principles, and
Of those sentiments which ought to be met with
upon thrones, it is impossib . not 10 draw a
contrast between the honest nne5s of a SOW
ereign who won his crown az the tumult of
a revolution, and the character which the st
orthodox Emperor Nicholas has earned for in
tegrity or the King Of Prrrsia for an enlight-
ened consideration Of the public interests. They
have contrived 10 place Louis Napoleon i'm
above the position in which they
stand; for in the d,spsesionste Judgment OF
Europe the respect he has shown for treaties,
aad his moderation in the exercise of his pow
or abroad have done more to raise his charac.
ter and to consolidate bis power than if he had
initiated the exploits Of his uncle, and filled
the world with bis fame.
From the Paris Moniteur March %
We have published the documents respecting
the overtures made to the English Government
by Russia, during the first portion Of the last
year. The views cf the latter Power are now
confirmed, by official proofs emanating from
the Russian Chanccllerie, and from the private
Cabinet Of the Emperor Nicholas; and it is
now sufficiently demonstrated that the French
Government was justified in characterizing the
demonstrations made under tho pretcxt of pro-
tacting the sanctuaries Of Palestine as designs
dangerous for Turkey and for Europe, IL is
now known with what precision Of language
the English Cabinet refused to Join with Rus.
sia in any attempt to make partition Of the
Ottoman Empire, and IL is not necessary for us
to indicate which Of the two Governments has
the advantage in this correspondence.
If there be- in the propositions thus rcpudia
al ~ E.oiand ,,ronc, IF oxaae s,vo ho~d,haod