The Sun.
London, England, 1864-05-17 00:00:00

Smthern plant6rs may lie exeusei if thy feel
rather indignant when they find themselves ex-
poll-d from their estates, and turned adrift upon
the world, avowedly in the ;:nterest of those slaves
for whom the sympathies of the North are so ten-

derly interested. It must be with singular feelings
that they behold the re-establishment on the ruins
of their former prosperity, not only of a system of
slavery retaining all the harsher features of that
odious institution, but unredeemed by maintenance
in sickness and old age, on which alone the mind of
auy man of benevolence could rest with the slightest
satisfaction. Singularly, too, must they be affected
on beholding the revival of the slave trade in the
shape of a traffic earned on by the Government in
their own fugitive negroes. We also cannot feel
wholly unmoved when we turn from the description
which we have given above of the manner in which
the Confederates are supplied with the necessaries of
life in exchange for cotton, which is furnished to the
exigencies of the Northern Government, and com-
pare this relaxation of their own rules in their own
favour, and the circumstances of pecuniary cor
ruptien with which it is attended, with the rigid
exclusion of this same article from the markets
of Western Eumope. While the American Govern-
ment is denouncing us as little better than pirates
and outlaws for the attempts of individual mer-
chants to run the blockade, we have the satisfac-
tion of seeing that they have no objection to run
the blockade on their own account, and to turn
an honest penny by selling to their own citizens
exemption from the prohibition which they have
created. They have brought to perfection the art
of tempering justice with mercy. Justice requires
that the Confederates should be absolutely excluded
from intercourse with the rest of the world; but
mercy steps in and qualifies the Draconian severity
of the rule by an exception in favour of those who
are willing to pay handsomely for it. Virtue is
said to be the mainstay of republics. If this be so,
we may easily calculate the probable duration of
republican institutions in the State of Louisiana.
HERALD.—Has Denmark any real claim to the
assistance of England in her present conflict with
Germany ? In espousing one side or another in
such an argument men are led as much by their
wishes as by any abstract sense of right. Of the
latter they may be dimly conscious, or so uncertain
that they willingly commit themselves to the
guidance of a more intelligible motive. Thus
those in whom a sense of self-interest predomi-
nates are for taking one view of this matter; those
whose generosity is stronger are for the other
alternative. As in most political questions, there
is:much to be said on both sides. On the side of
prudence it is argued that we have not committed
ourselves to the Danes by any distinct promise or
guarantee ; that we are not bound to Denmark
by any alliance, offensive or defensive ; that
however painful to our feelings it may be
that wo have to witness the spoliation of a
small kingdom with which we are on friendly
terms, it is better to condone the wrong than to
endanger our prestige by entering alone into the
lists with two powerful nations, and excite a gene-
ral war of possibly indefinite duration in vindica-
tion of the] title to two insignificant provinces,
which, after all, are German. ,This argument,
weighty as it may seem, is but a selfish argument.
It is not likely to prevail in the end, as it makes no
account of feeling which is more potent than reason
in directing the actions of nations and of men. The
honour of the country is not taken into calculation ;
the maintenance of her position in the front rank of
the Powers is postponed to a timid apprehension of
her present safety ; the blundering of our statesmen
is made an excuse for desertion of a kingdom that
for some time past has looked to us for advice and
guidance, and has been regarded by the rest of the
world as under our protection. If it should yet
turn out that this unfortunate dispute can be
settled without an appeal to arms, we should be the
last to advocate a resort from which we would fain
escape if it were possible. We are most unwilling
to add, by irritating arguments or appeals to pas-
sion, to the widespread and growing impatience of
the people of England, who are sick of being trifled
with an.l insulted by the spokesmen of nations which
they have been accustomed to regard as their infe-
riors. The German Powers must be convinced by
certain late demonstrations that Englishman are
getting by degrees into a dangerous mood, that it
they are wise in time they will consent to any mo-
derate terms of accommodation that may be pro-

posed by the Congress. If they will not take a hint
they will have themselves to thank for the conse-
quences, and they will find that England is not ex.
aetly that toothless old matron whom Charivari has
depicted and Frenchmen have laughed at, who has
muzzled her lion and put corks on the points of her
trident. The moderate tone adopted by the Danish
newspaper press :shows that the wide constitu-
tional ►iberty which has been granted to the
Danish people has not been abused by political
writers in their country. The articles in
Dagbladet, the Daily News of Copenhagen, would
do credit to any journal in Europe, in point of
ability, and are marked by a common sense and
calmness which are rarely found amid the excite-
ment of an absorbing and irritating struggle

such as that in which the Danes are a t presen

engaged. The arguments by which that paper
urges upon England the obligation of assisting
Denmark against Germany are as nearly as
possible identical with those which we have so
often put forward. In an article published
in the issue of the 11th instant the writer
begins by taking up the broad ground that
all the powers signataries to the Treaty of 1852
were bound to make common cause to resist its
infraction, as that treaty was part of the public law
of Europe. It is known that the other great
Powers do not consider it their duty to maintain
the treaty by arms; but it does not follow because
they have come to this conclusion, that we are quit
of the obligation. The Danish paper endeavours to
convince us that we are committed in a special and
peculiar manner. How does it prove this point ?
It might have been thought that some claim would
have been founded on the dynastic union so lately
and happily consummated between the two Royal
houses. But Dagbladet magnanimously throws aside
this argument as one of pure sentiment, and having
no further weight. It agrees with Lord Palmerston
that "kingdoms have no cousins," or it sets the alli-
ance of the Princess Royal as a makeweight against
that of the Princess Alexandra. Little as foreign na-
tions may suppose that the English people is apt to be
moved by sentimental considerations, we suspect,
for our part, that the marriage of the Prince of
Wales has excited among all ranks of the subjects
of our Queen an interest in Denmark and her King
which nothing else could have aroused. If it had
been Prussia that was attacked the people of Eng-
land would have thought of their Princess Royal;
but it is one thing to fly to the rescue of one whom
we love and reverence, another thing to back up
the relatives of such an one in a career of ruthless
aggression and triumphant wrong. Dismissing
this matter as becomes a serious po'itician,
the Danish journaliet reminds us that English
statesmen have for some years past taken a lead-
ing share in the conduct of the dispute between
Denmark and the German Powers. The letters
that have been written by them on this subject
make together a very balky blue book.
England might, had he chosen it, have been a
passive spectator—she might have recommended
conciliation in general terms. When it came to an
outbreak site might have left the two parties to fight
it out with some show of grace. This was not, how-
ever, the line of her policy. In 1857 and 1858 she
assumed, by ehoipe, the feremost place in the nego-
ciations between Denmark and the Diet. She gave
urgent adeipe te Germany at one time, at another
exerted pressure on Danmark, "The result," says
the Danish writer, " was to weaken our position, to
inure our cause, to arouse among us expeatations
w are now coldly declared to be illusions."
The Danes followed' all the counsel given them,
but England shifted her ground as she encoun-
tered German opposition, and Lord Russell went
to the length at 'get of inditing the famous
despatch of September, 1862, recommending the
submission and capitulation of Denmark. Lord
Palmerston speaks too flatteringly of this re-
markable document when he stylus it as "of his-
toricalimportance without practical interest." There
is no doubt that this letter was the chief cause of
the bold advance since made by the German Powers,
which has had so disastrous an issue for Denmark,
and has sent our diplomacy to the right about. By
urging her to yield point after point Lord Russell has
led Denmark into the snare ; by suggesting to her
fresh encroachments he has given heart of grace to
Germany, and furnished her with an argument
againt himself and his policy. " The reproaches
which we address to England," says the Dane, "cen-
tre themselves in reality on Lord Russell. His super.
ficial ignorance, his unreliable attitude, his utter
want of tact, react upon the Government to which
ho balfongs and the country in whose name he
speaks." The only politicians who have been able
to understand aright the Dano-German quarrel are
to be found, he says, in the ranks of the Conserva-
tive party. But it was Lord Palmerston who said,
on July 23 of the last year, that if the independence
of Lenmark was attacked she ,qould pot be left to
fight alone. having undertaken the chief conduct
of this quarrel we cannot suffer it to be settled in
defiance of our sense of right ; having encouraged
the Danes to lean upon us, and abide by our ad-
vice if they wished to obtain our help in time of
need, we cunn4t deeert theta now, or consent to the
partition of their kingdom at the demand of Ger-
many.

AUSTRIAN SQUADRON.—DEAL, May 16.—A line
of battle ship, a frigato, a rare, with two gunboats, passed
from west to east outside the Goodwin on tho 16th, sup-
pesed to by tiA Awltria4 §gtodr9A.