The Sun.
London, England, 1864-02-06 00:00:00

SPIRIT OF THE PUBLIC JOURNALS.

TlMES.—Although the future looks dark for them,
the Danes have no reason to regret the first events
of the campaign. They have undoubtedly stood
their ground against forces probably much superior
to their own, and have proved, as in the last war,
that in everything but numbers the Scandinavians
are quite a match for the Germans. The Austrians
and Prussians ere no doubt both engaged in bring

ing up their forces, for a more general assault of the
D Apish line. At present the fighting is for the pos-
session of the town of Schleswig and the road which
runs north-westward from Eckenforde through
Missunde and over the Schlei to Flensburg. Tee
Prussians acting on the right of the allied line have
as yet failed in taking the works at Missande and
passing the Schlei. Their defeat was the first event
of the war, and in the few days that. may intervene
before another attack is made the Danes will pro,.

bably still further strengthen their position. During
the last three days the fighting has gone on with
exactly the same result as on tho 2d. Hardly any
impression has been made on the Danish line. In an
attack on the 3d an Austrian brigade is said to have
lost 400 men,with many superior officers. The next
day the works near Schleswig were assaulted, but
with as little success. The Austrians appear to be
before Hadeby, a place on the South side of the
Schlei, opposite Schleswig, and their missiles make
their way even into the latter town. But as yet
there is no sign that the Danes will do other than
make a stubborn resistance. If they retreat.
it will be from pressure of vastly superior numbers
and the failure of those natural defences by which
alone so small a force could hope to keep its ground.
The frost has, unhappily for them, set in again,
and it seems likely that there will be a late aud,
possibly, a long winter, The waters which make
part of their line of defence are not yet so much
frozen as to permit the passage of the enemy, and,
of course, the Danes will do all they can to break
up the ice. But if the hard weather continue it
will be diffi3ult to derive any real security from the
Schlei or the Treene, and the overwhelming
forces of the enemy may turn their position
and compel them to retreat, as they did 16 years
ago. This in fact was the design of the Prussian
General in his attack on Missunde. In the last
war the Danes fell back from Schleswig to Flens-
burg, and then made good their retreat to the island
of Alseo,where they were able to defy all the efforts
of Germany. Field-Marshal von Wrangel with, no
doubt, a good recollection of past events, was desi-
rous, it seems, to cross at Missunde, on the Danish
left, and thus cut off the main body from their line
of retreat. This maneauvre has been for the time
defeated; but it will, of course, be tried again, espe-
cially if the freezing of the Schlei facilitates the
passage for troops. Possibly the Dines, finding
themselves left to struggle alone with the whole
power of Germany, and perceiving that the weather
is unfavourable to the maintenance of their positions,
may think it prudent to retire before the enemy
gains the power to cut off their retreat. But their
present attitude seems rather to indicate that they
will ho'd out as long as they can in spite of insuffi-
cient forces and frozen rivers. Germany is not re-
conciled to Vienna and Berlin even by the blood-
shed of last week. Restless suspicion, suppressed
anger, and deep mortification at being so uncere-
moniously set aside are the passions in the smaller
States. Baron von Beast, who represents as much
as any man the feelings of the time, declares that a
reconciliation between the majority of the Federal
Diet and Austria and Prussia is impossible so long
as the latter Powers uphold the London Protocol.
Although Holstein is in their possession, and the
AustroPrussians are beating down the oldest defence
of the Danish State, yet Germany refuses to be satis-
fied, The people cannot deny that they are having
their own way; but, according to the old adage, it
is not their own way of having it. They wanted
" occupation," and through the influence of Austria
and Prussia they only got " execution" in Holstein ;
though the difference is but slight in theory, and
has had no effect at all in practice, they are discon-
tented. They wanted to hold Holstein till the Diet
decided who was Duke; that would be "occupation."
The two leading States compelled the Diet to carry
out" execution" as resolved upon during the late
King's reign, and Germany is inconsolable because
such a course involves a recognition of the present
King's right. Nor is the dissatisfaction lessened
by the circumstance that the theoretical concession
has in no way prevented the Federal corps from
practically placing the Duchy in the hands of the
Prince of Augustenburg's friends. The effect of
these demonstrations is visible in the last answer of
M. von Bismark to the British Minister at Berlin.
The conflict of the two principles, ambition or sup-
posed patriotism on the one side, and respect for
law or fear of European disturbanbef nn the other.
may be traced in its obscure and complicated sen-
tences. The Prussian politician cannot deny—does
not wish to deny—that his country is bound by the
Treaty, and has actually recognised Christian IX.
as Duke. Such is his opinion, and that of King
William himself, however much the latter may
desire that it had been otherwise. Being asked for
a decided answer on the subject, M. von Bismark
writes that " the Government of the King, by basing
on the stipulations of 1851-2 the rights which in
concert with Austria it is proceeding to enforce,
has by this very act recognised the principle of the
integrity of the Danish Monarchy, as established
by the transactions of 1851-2. The Government of
the King, in proceeding to the occupation of Schles-
wig, does not intend to depart from this principle."
Nothing, of course, can be more satisfactory than
this. All that England has contended for is in
principle acknowledged without reserve. No won-
der that our Government considers the Note as of
great importance, for it does in the most decided
manner pledge Prussia to resist the assumption of
the Frankfort Diet to sit in judgment on the ques-
tion of succession, and to give away the throne of
the Duchies to whichever of the rival claimants it
thinks proper. It also pledges Prussia to abstain
from aiding the Prince in his revolutionary pro-
ceedings in Holstein, or from recognising the
change of dynasty which has been proclaimed under
the protection of the Federal corps of execution,
If States could be held by diplomatic notes every-
thing might be looked upon as settled. But where
treaties fail, what can be expected from mere
official communications P M. von Bismark, how.
ever, while accepting our version of the inter-
national duties of Prussia, does not fail to do
something to conciliate the Germans by speaking
of the complications brought about by "the
persistence of the Danish Government in its
refusal to
_accomplish the promises of 1852," es
possibly " compelling the King's Government to
renounce combinations which would no longer offer
a resnit proportionate to the sacrifices which events
might impose oa the German Powers." If this
means that in some possible case Prussia may be
led to recognise or carry out changes in the Danish

monarchy, then the formal acknowledgment with
which the note begins is of little importance. We
believe that even now Prussia is anxious tc leave
the I),Anish F,tete untouched, but anxious also to
satisfy Germany and leave to herself a double course
of action. It will be for England and the other
Powers that signed the former treaty to do their
utmost to keep Prussia to that arrangement ; and
as M. von Bismark especially acknowledges their
right to assist in the settlement of the Danish ques-
tion there will be no undue assumption on their
part if they continue their remonstrances against
the course the allies are still pursuing,
POST.—The general engagement which it was

anticipated would
,have taken place on Thursday
along the entire line of the Danish defences has not
yet been reported. It is probable, however, that the
allied armies have been chiefly occupied in making
preparations for a straggle which they now know
will prove a serious one. An attack, but of what
nature we have not been told, was made on that part
of the Danish line covering the approaches to Schles-
wig, and some shells are said to have fallen into that
town. It was not, however, of long duration, end
was unattended by any material success. A singular
collision is reported to have taken place between the
Austrians and Prussians themselves, and is attri-
buted either to the blunder or the design of two
Danish guides, who led the allied forces against each
other instead of against the enemy. It certainly
seems a very odd kind of mistake; and, calling to
mind as we do the difficulty not unfrequently expe-
rienced ix. maintaining harmony between Austrian
and Prussian troops when garrisoned together in
some of the German towns, we can scarcely
help suspecting that the true cause of
the collision has not been assigned. In
any ease, however, the circumstance cannot
fail to breed ill-will between two bodies of troops
which have never regarded each other with special
favour. Reinforcements are daily hastening from
the South; and, however anxious the Germans are
to strike a speedy blow, they are still more desirous
to make it a sure one. They are well aware that it
will need vastly superior numbers to drive the Danes
from their entrenchments ; and as their collective
standing armies reckon hundreds of thousands of
troops, whilst the entire Danish army does not exceed
fifty thousand men, they are not unwilling to turn
their vast resources to account. The conduct of
the Austrians and Prussians may not seem very
valorous, but no one can doubt that it is wise.
The right wing of the invading army is, as the
public are aware, composed of the Prussians ; the
Austrians, under General von Gablenz, forming the
left wing. Whether from design or from the cir-
cumstance that the Prussians, in advancing from
Eckernforde, arrived at the line of the Danish
defences sooner than their allies, is not apparent;
but no combined action took place between the two
armies on the first day when a collision took place
with the Danish forces. In the attack on Missunde,
Prussians were alone engaged, and whilst that action
was in progress the Austrians remained inactive. On
Tuesday, however, the tactics of the invaders were
reversed, and whilst the Prussians were recovering
from the effects of the repulse which they had sus-
tained on the previous day, the Austrians pushed
forward in the direction of the Danewirke, and an

engagement took place, in which, so far as we are
in a position to judge, they were defeated. The
Austrian army, as our readers will recollect, entered
Schleswic, at Rendsburg, a town lying almost due
south of the Danewirke, and about midway between
the eastern and western coasts of the peninsula.
From thence they proceeded along the Rendsburg
and Flensbarg Railway to the Sorg, which having
crossed, they occupied on Monday evening a vil-
lage named Kropp, a few miles south of the Danish
line of entrenchments. On the afternoon of Tues-
day the vanguard of the Austrians, under the
command of General. von G,:blentz, attacked the
Danish position. With the details of the action
we are as yet unacquainted; but the tele-
grams transmitted from Copenhagen and Berlin
concur in stating that the attacking force gained no
m aterialadvanta ge. According to an official despatch
transmitted by Field-Marshal von Wrangel to Ber-
lin, the Austrian vanguard, together with the van-
guard of the Prussian division of the Guard, at-
tempted to force some of the Danish fortified posi-
tions in front of the Danewirke. In doing this a
sharp infantry engagement took place, the German
Commander-in-Chief taking credit for having com-
pelled the Dines to give way at the point of the
bayonet. Some posts are mentioned from which it
is alleged that the Danes were dislodged, and the
German troops are said to have forced their way on-
wards till they came under the fire of the guns in
the Danewirke, when we are left to infer that they

found it expedient to retire. In his despatch the
Prussian Field-Marshal claims to have taken a rifled
gun, and in a telegram dated from Rendsburg it is
stated that the Austrians captured 200 prisoners.
The Danish version is somewhat different. It is
admitted that a gun was lost, but it is said that the
Austrians suffered a repulse and succeeded in secur-

ing no position of importance. The statement at first
put forward by the Austriane, that they had taken
a fortified position called Bostrop, situated a short
distance in front of the Danewirke, has since been
disproved ; and from the Danish accounts we learn
that the King of Denmark himself witnessed the re-
treat of the Austrians from this position. That the
latter suffered severely is now admitted, 400 of the
Brigade Gondrecourt, including several superior
officers, having been put hors de combat. At all
events, whatever may have been the actual result
of Tuesday's engagement, it was not of such a nature
as to encourage the Austrians to follow up their
success on the succeeding day. It would seem that
hitherto the attacking force has not attempted to
operate against that line of fortifications on which
the Danes chiefly rely for the protection of the
peninsula. Outside the Danewirke are a number of
isolated positions which must be carried before the
main line of fortifications can be attacked. It was
against some of these that the Austrians operated on
Tuesday. The Danewirke, however,which lies behind
them, has still to be assailed, and it is a significant
fact that when the Austrians came within range of its
guns they concluded that they had gone far enough.
Though we must still wait for fuller details of
the engagement at Missunde, it is now clear that
the first hasty telegrams which we received con-
veyed a most inadequate idea of the nature of the
results of the first collision between the Danish and
German troops. Half-a-dozen returned as killed
and wounded on the side of the defenders, and from
100 to 150 on that of the aggressors, led us to sus-
pect that the affair of Missunde was a mere skirmish
between the outposts of the two armies. Succeed-
ing telegrams, however, dissipated the misconcep
tion. The loss of the Danes was raised to 150 or
200, whilst that of the Prussians reached double
that number. A large number of Prussian officers
were reported to have been either wounded or slain,
amongst the former the King's brother, Prince
Frederic Charles. The Prussian Commander-in-
Chief seriously intended to force a passage across
the Schlei at Missunde, and for several hours per-
tinaciously persevered in the attempt. His repulse,
and the subsequent retirement of his troops, must
therefore be accepted as evidence of the ability of
the Danes to maintain their position, though opposed
to a force vastly superior in point of numbers, and
fully justifies the expression attributed to Prince
Frederick Charles, that a serious resistance will be
opposed by the Danes to the Austrian and Prussian
advance.

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