AUSTRIA AND PRUSSIA.

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume I, Issue 149, 27 August 1866, Page 3

AUSTRIA AND PRUSSIA.

Vienna, July 1. The first Austrian army and the Saxon corps were repulsed yesterday by the Prussians. In consequence of this repulse the Austrian army fell back in the direction of Konigsgratz The following official telegram, dated from Prague, June 30, was published in Vienna on July 1 :— Engagements took place yesterdry at Kost, near Turnau, and at Chwalkowitz, between Kalitz and Kouigshof, iv the district of Jungbuuzlau, which resulted favorably to the Austrian^. Bohmnisk and Kamnitz have been evacuated by the Prussians. The latter were also defeated, while flying from Flicin, by the combined Austrian and Saxon forces. They left their dead and wounded on the field. Berlin, July 1. The followiug official despatch has been received from the head-quarters of the Crown Prince of Prussia : — The result of the three days' fighting, in which the sth Prussian corps has been eugaged, cannot be too highly estimated. Ou the 27th it was opposed by the 6th Austrian corps, under General Ramming. A letter was found, addressed by the latter to General Benedek, in Josephstadt, which affords complete proof that the forces under his command were thoroughly exhausted. He therein requested General Benedek to send him two fresh brigades in order that his, troops might bivouac under their protection, and acknowledged that they would uot be able to fight on the following day. The oth Prussian corps was therefore opposed on the. 28th and 29th by the , corps of the Archduke Leopold and General Testetics. The fighting ou these two days extended over a much greater line than on the 27th. The Austrian corps, under General Gablenz, was completely broken up. Besides iunnmerable prisoners, 20 guns, five colors, and two standards belonging to to the corps of General Gablenz, fell into the hands of the Prussian troops. It is announced that the total loss of the Austriaus up to the present is 20,000 meu. England is rapidly ceasing to be a European Power iv the sense iv which she was a European Power in the days of Wellington. She is now an Asiatic Power, a maritime Power, an oceauic Power, much more than a European one. The affairs of Affghan, of Nepaul, are of more importance 1 to her than the affairs of Wurtemburg, aud Hanover, and Hesse-Cassel. To keep the road to India open through Egypt is far more important to her than to insist. that this. or that little Rhenish stronghold shall not belong to France. Her chief interest in resisting the aggressions of Russia on Constantinople is not to protect the mouth of the Danube, or to neutralise the Euxine, or to help the Rayahs of Turkey, but to impress oq the Mahometan populations , under her* rule, or adjacent to her territories, that her strength is unbroken, and that she can rule them with a rod of iron, if necessary.- It makes exceedingly little difference to us whether we are lightly spoken of, and our prestige is pronounced to be at an end in the beer gardens of Munich and the cafes of Florence; but it is of vital moment to us that at Lucknow and Peshawur we should . still be thought quite sure to win in a struggle, if a struggle is forced. Lastly we have oceanic interests : and parts of ourselves, members of our families ; homes of our brothers and children, are separated from us by half the' globe, and must be linked to us by our paths sure and undisputed ou the highway of nations. The taking of a New Zealand pah is more to -us than the taking of Vixi^el.-^SSaficrday Review, •-'-<"