The Sun. — 1866-07-19 (London, England)

HERALD.—The last hope of an armistice has come to an end. The intervention of the Emperor of the French seems to have been mainly confined to a recommendation to Austria that she should accept the demands of Prussia as preliminaries of peace. While wishing to do all justice to the " lofty motives" for which the Constitutionnel and the Moniteur claim credit as having uniformly actuated the diplomatic movements of their Government, we cannot ascribe to them the merit of having effected much in the interests of peace. Prussia and Austria might as well have been left to deal with each other independently if all that the neutral Powers can do is to recommend abject submission to the Power which has hitherto certainly been worsted in the strife, but which has not yet lost all hope of turning the tables against its adversary. It is pretty clear now that the Emperor of the French will do nothing to prevent the utter humiliation and ruin of the Austrian empire. We are now informed that the French Minister at Berlin, M. Benedetti, has been sent to Vienna with a pass through the Austrian lines, to urge upon the Government of the Emperor Francis Joseph, the expediency of admitting " in principle" the demand of Prussia that Austria should be excluded from the German Confederation, in the hope that such compliance would clear the way to the conclusion of an armistice. The Austrian Government has declined to commit this act of suicide, and the battle for German supremacy has still to be fought in front of Vienna. France has tacitly recognised the obligation which binds Italy to follow out the provisions of the treaty which she concluded with Prussia before the war began, has allowed the cession of Venetia by Austria to remain a dead letter, and forborne to protest against the advance of ialdiui on the rear of the Quadrilateral through Padua and Vicenza. France, too, if we may believe the official Provincial Correspondent of Berlin, has admitted the moderation and justice of the claims preferred by Prussia. The German belligerents are left to tight it out together. As far as the Italian war is concerned, it is obvious that if Italy is to be allowed to regard Venetia as still Austrian territory, it is open to Austria to look upon it in the same light  for all pnrposes ofjwar. The great fortresses will still hold General Cialdini in check. The Austrians who were in front of Verona have retired within that citadel. The Garibaldian Volunteers have been repulsed on the Stelvio Pass, and near the head waters of the Chiese, and the advance into the Italian Tyrol makes no progress. The eyes of Europe are fixed on another battle-field, from which the Italians are still far removed, and where there indignant remonstrances and fiery patriotism are little heeded. The Austrians have removed a whole arms from Venetia, and left enough men there to hold all Italy at bay for the moment. The moment is allimportant ; it is so momentous that the issue of everything may depend upon this march northwards of 150,000 men with a man at their head in whose veins flows the blood of the great archduke who vanquished the French at Aspern. The Archduke Albert, the son of the Archduke Charles, is the new commander of the Austrian army of the north, in which the ill-fated Benedek remains a general of division. It is curious that the conqueror of Custozza will to all appearance have to meet the Prussians on that very plain by the Danube where his father won his laurels. There never was a Power in difficulties so bankrupt of allies as the Austrian Government is at this present crisis. After the defeat of the Bavarians and Hessians at Aschaffenburg the Federal army is reported to have been utterly demoralised. Bavaria is said to be making terms with Prussia. The Prussians have entered Frankfort, and the shadow of a German Parliament which sat there has removed to Augsburg. The Prussians are in Darmstadt, and the inheritance of the Princess Alice lies at their mercy. The Prussian forces in the west of Germany will, however, scarcely be able to converge in time on the field of strife in the Archduchy of Austria. Here the first Prussian army has advanced to Lundenberg, the railway junction of the line from Braun and Olmutz to Vienna. The second army has fought a battle with the Austrians near Olmutz, in which it claims the advantage. It has not, however, invested that fortress, but has taken its way south to join the first army at Lundenberg. The Austrian garrison remains at Olmutz, and by the occupation of the railroad it is cut off from direct access to Vienna. The third Prussian army, called the army of the Elbe, has made its way south through Iglau and Znaym as far as Jetzelsdorf. There seems to be no opposition as yet to the junction of the three armies, one of which has advanced to the south bank of the River Taya, within 40 miles of the Austrian capital. The plain, about 40 miles wide, which stretches from Znaym and Lundenberg on the north to Vienna in the south, is intersected by numerous branches of the Taya and March rivers, and other tributaries of the Danube, and it is well suited by nature for defensive purposes, and for the strategical dispositions of the commanders who have such confidence in their strength that they are willing to risk all on the event of a battle. For either side a defeat in such a count** would be disastrous—a victory conclusive. It is not only the fate of the Austrian Empire, it is the destiny of Prussia, which is staked on this final combat. 'We will presume that the Austrian Archduke in command and his able advisers have had reasons of their own for making no attempt to prevent the junction of the Prussian armies and the advance upon Lundenberg. The Emperor of Austria has no intention as yet of falling back upon HunerY• But whether the battle is on the banks of the Taya or in front of Florisdorf, on the Danube, or on the historic field of Aspern or Wagram, its issue will decide for the moment the fate of Vienna, and do, something towards settling the vexed question 01 supremacy in Germany and the exclusion of Austria. from a country in which Prussia claims the chid place.