The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1869-05-24
SECRET HISTORY OF 1866.

From tho LOad0H Spectator.
The fourth volume of the official account in
course of issue by the Austrian Government of
the events of 1866 contains assertions and gives
versions of dispatches hitherto unknown,
which have excited no little attention in Berlin,
and are deservedly calculated to invite general
notice The volume itself we have not seen.
We are indeed doubtful whether it has as vet
been actually published. Certainly no copy has
reached this country. We write therefore with
only such knowledge of its contents as are fur
nshed by privileged and anticipatory communi-
cations made to German papers, evidently by
favor of the Austrian authorities 1t cannot be
supposed that the extracts arc not
authentic, for though their matter
has given rise to much controversy their cor
rectness has not been challenged. On the con-
trary. the press favorable to the Austrian Gov
emmcnt, after startling the public with dOcu-
meuts, has strivcn hard to work out Il sensa-
tOnal charge, on the authority of the text it has
given OF these official papers But if the accu-
Tacy OF the extracts as given in the Austrian
journals has not been mpugned. that of the
version given by the Austrian Government of
dispatches not of lis composition, and which it
cannot pretend to have come by fairly, has been
distinctly challenged 10y those who have the best
right to know what they themselves wrote, and
have substantated their protest by publication
of the original text.
The document which is the principal subject
matter for controversy is not an entire despatch,
but only the end of Il despatch OF the date of
the 2Oth of July. 1856, from Count Bismark at
! NilSolsbug, to Coun, GOltZ, Prussan minister
| in Paris. As given hy the AUstrans, its text
| conveys the following pOints:-Ihat the King
| of Prussia had consented To an armstice; that
| Barral Gtaan envoy mad asked for instructions
! and powers from Florence but it was doubtful
whether these would come in time: that the
! King attaches les importance TO q North
! German Federation than ! do, and, therefore,
above all sets store 10y annexation, which con-
! slider in a certain degree (GLLojJOhS) as incum-
! bent along with rc.orm:" that the King had de-
ola
| than foTcgo large additions of territory 10
Prussia: that the French propositions, pro-
Nided there were q rCctihcatiOn OF frontiers
with Austria, might be suitable for 4 separate
treaty with the latter, but that they were in
sufficient for coming To terms with the other
enemies OF Prussia especially in South Ger
many. On the strength OF this text, the charge
has been advanced that after SadOwa the King
OF Prussia had no tarc tor Germany: that what
alone ran in his mind was 10 grasp certain
amount o. conquest for himself sovereign of
Prussia; that provided he could secure sufficient
personal advantages tor himself, he was ready
not merely to discard any consideration for
Germany, but also to leave Italy in the lurch;
and that Count Bismark ON this occasion was
not strong enough 10 control his masters narrow
and selfish disposition. The immed. ate reiOinder
to this publication has been the issue in Berlin
of the true text of this portion OF the despatch
| That despatch was written in a leNicOn-cipher
/ Such Il cipher cannot De unrayclled by
| ingenuity, it can he read only through
|
possible excuse for mistakes Either the despatch
would remain altogether mdeciphered, or the
! key must render its contents as clear as if they
had been written in plain letters. Now, how are
! we to explain ON any other ground than malice
prepense the fact that the text rs given by the
! Austrian authorities IS marked by suppressions
| and by subsUitutonS. every one of which has
been necessary to make the despatch bear the
| unfaVOrable sense against the Prussian King s
Minister which the Austrian publication gives to
il ? The first suppression, right in the middle of
| the despatch. is the following Your telegram,
! via Vienna Just to hand. ] send this one also,
! via Vienna, and observe that the French propO-
sitions would satisfy us as preliminary, provided
there be rectifcatiun of frontiers with Austria,
for separate peace with Austria. should she
| be disposed TO conclude one in the sense of your
telegram, No. IS, of the l1th July 1t is, there
fore, not true that Prussia was disposed to ac-
| cept the French proposals as regards peace
! with Austria on any other basis than had been
laid down in previous Prussian despatch, the
wording of which we do not know; but the refer
ence TO which, made in the present one must
have been deliberately eXpunged by the Austrian
publicsts. Equally discreditable is il to have
left out the other passage, indicating the way
the despatch travelled-thOugh why this was
done is intelligibe-as it shows how the Aus
trian authorities. by a gross breach of honor
cOntrived to get hold of the document. The
next suppression j. not less unblushing. The
Austrian writers have actually dared 10 bring
the charge of readiness to throw over Italy o.
the strength of a tent mutated by themselves
in this sense, by their having left out the words
.Dnt without the participation OF Italy We
cannot come conclusion Thirdly
the word dtLenJdlls Gin a certain degree) is sub
} sutnted Tor dterdiHgs undoubtedly thus max
ing blsulark appear to rate anneXatiOns at
| slght value, whereas he expressly guarded him
sell py the word he really used against such M
assumption though he did convey confdentially
10 holtz an mtlmation that the King was, in hi
! opinion 700 exclusively eager for anneXations
e l9isty, lhere Is the quite unaccountabe sub
S stitgtlon on any other ground than deliberat
ialslhcation, OF enemies in South" instead o
g North, Germany in the passage which rive
. the reason why the French PROPOSITIONS SonI,
= not be considered adequate for any but n snecio
G and single-handed treaty between Prussia an,
G Austria, the reason naturally being that afte
a what had happened Prussia could not tolerat
q on her TANKS such hostile power
q IN the North rs Hanover, Hesse, an
4 Saxony The whole structure it ha
been sought artfully 10 raise on the basis of thi
r garbled despatch is a fabric of casuistry Their
: is nothing In this despatch-or rather, in tina
s portion Of the despatch which Is alone mad
) ] public-whicR warrants the jmputations whic