The Sun. — 1855-12-31 (London, England)

CONSTANTINE—the turbulent leader of the War party—on the throne, the Cesarewitch ALEXANDER Succeeded without difficulty or disturbance. The hopes that had been formed from his supposed peace propensities were, however, dissipated by the proclamation with which his accession was inaugurated, in which he professed his unflinching determination to pursue the traditional policy of Russia—the policy of PETER and CATHERINE, and their successors. The " hair-splitting diplomacy " at Vienna soon followed—in which Lord JOHN RUSSELL committed political suicide, sacrificing any remnant of character which he had previously retained. Disregarding the very clear and distinct instruotious which had been delivered for his guidance, he suffered himself to be cajoled by Austria, and promised to support with all his influence the sinister and inadequate propositions which had been put forward by Count BuoL. M. DROUYN DE L'Hurs, who had been similarly misled, was forthwith removed from office by our august Ally ; but Lord JOHN RUSSELL still clung to place, and thereby seriously imperilled the existence of the English Cabinet. His colleagues—or rather a bare majority—fortunately remained firm, the views of the French EMPEROR turning the scale at the decisive moment. While the conferences were still pending Ni a demonstration . against Riga, commenced and concluded the exploits of the Allied squadrons in the Baltic.  The return visit of her MAJESTY and Prince ALBERT to the Emperor and Empress of the FRENCH proved how fully the kindly feelings of the English were reciprocated by their French brethren, and afforded powerful evidence of the cordial and, we trust, durable alliance that prevails between these mighty peoples, the great champions of liberty and civilisation.  On the Bth of September the long-anticipated attack on the Malakhoff took place. The French troops seized the disputed position by a very brilliant coup, and maintained it despite the most energetic efforts to regain the decisive ground —the gallant onslaught by the English on the Redan, which has immortalised the name of General Wrzfnuelt, having created a very valuable diversion in their favour. The evacuation of the South side of Sebastopol, and the destruction of the scanty remnant of the Russian Black Sea Fleet immediately followed, and the standing menace to Cous t of its a nt in opleanstdint( Europe was thus at length deprived g).  The capture of Kiubourn and the occupation of the portals to Nicolaieff and Kherson followed. It was, however, too late for any decisive operations during the present year. Much valuable time had been lost, and we must patiently wait the return of spring for further efforts. Kars has unfortunately fallen. The noble defence which so strongly excited the popular enthusiasm proved unavailing. The heroes who so greatly signalised themselves are prisoners to the Russians, and it will be the first duty of Government to retrieve the serious loss thus occasioned. On the whole, although our triumphs have not been unalloyed, we have every reason to be satisfied with the military events of the year, and to look forward hopefully to the future, when more energetic and determined efforts will, doubtless, produce corresponding results.  So, after all, it is Austria that is to gain the benefit of the sacrifices of men and money to which the peoples of France and England have so freely and willingly consented. The free navigation of the Danube, by which Austria will be the chief gainer, is the main object of the new proposals, and that is to be attained by the cession of that part of Bessarabia which lies between the Fortiess of Chotzn on the north, the Salt Lake \Sasik, on the south, and the Pruth on the west. Three weeks are given for the consideration of this proposition, which Russia will doubtless turn to the best advantage.  " Unus seminat alter metat " is a time-honoured apophthegm, but never was it more powerfully illustrated. The Western Powers distributed the good seed—the skulker, who left others to bear the brunt of the encounter, takes the lion's share of the profit. French and English blood has abundantly manured the crop. French and English capital has been lavishly expended in the work, but the produce is garnered by Austria for its own peculiar aggrandisement. This would indeed be a very ludicrous termination to the struggle ; one only paralleled in the fable which describes the fox as stepping in between the exhausted lion and tiger, and bearing away the spoil for which the more generous combatants had been so fiercely contending. We cannot, however, conceive that such a scheme could be accepted. The nobler animals are not so grievously exhausted as to submit to such a termination of the War. The free n vigation of the Danube is dec►dedl-: matte) of considerable magnitude,  but it is not the luestion for which France and England have unsheathed their swords ; and it is of very secondary importance when compared with the security of the Ottoman empire, and adequate guarantees for the permanent tranquillity of Europe, together with a reasonable indemnity for the expenses which we have sustained in resisting the unwarrantable attack of the unconscientious aggressor.  were sugar the most profitable crop in the world, and had Jamaica been the best soil fir it, its cultivation was carried on after a fashion that, slave or no slave, could nob but have ended in ruin. The proprietors of the soil and the slave gangs that cultivated it lived, as we showed altile back, iu luxury here, leaving the management of their estates is the hands of attorneys, who took special care to make a good thing of it, and to give the capitalist a chance of getting gold interest out of them by way of mortgage. The result was when the day of emancipation calm it found a large body of the proprietors little more than nominally owners—land, slaves, and all being heavily mortgaged. Slavery, that foul system on which humanity can hardly utter too prolonged a curse, being branded bone deep and sent adrift, left the plausible demon of Protection in its place to plague the old tyrants, and Protection, in its turn, left Compensation, which troubles the planters now. Fcrtunately the Jamaica press is taking them in hand, and, however glad we may be of this, they ought to be more so, the advice it gives being the best that can be given ; for let them rest assured that, knowing what the British public know, they would as lief see Jamaica a desert as remunerate a quondam slave-owner for his folly and laziness.