The Sun.
London, England, 1864-02-11 00:00:00

SPIRIT OF THE PUBLIC JOURNALS,

POST.—Now that the greater portion of Schleswig
as well as Holstein are in possession of the German
Powers, it is probable that no very long interval
will elapse before Europe is informed what will be
done with them. The strong positions still held by
the Danes on the eastern coast will probably supply
the aggressive Powers with a pretext for alleging
that they do not yet possess that " material guaran-
tee" which they made a condition precedent to
acknowledging the rights of the Danish Sovereign
and making restitution of his sequestrated posses-
sions. If such a pretext should be advanced, the
least that can be said of it is that it will be of a
piece with the reasons assigned in the first instance
for invading the Danish territory. The German
Powers intend to retain possession of Schleswig, and
so long as a single Danish soldier remains in the
Duchy the object of the invasion will not be secured.
Already the work of appropriation has commenced.
That the guns with which the Dannewirke was
mounted should be seized by the invaders as tro-
phies of war was what might have been expected ;
but what excuse can be given for razing that line
of fortifications to the ground ? If all that Austria
and Prussia require be the revocation of the Con-
stitution of November, cannot they put the neces-

sary degree of pressure upon Denniark by the odca-
patina of Schleswig, without wantonly destroying
the defences of that Duchy ? Is it not, however,
but too apparent that the Dinnewirke will be need
to the ground because it is never to be of any fur-
ther use? If Schleswig be annexed to Germany,
there will be no more need of a line of fortifications
across that Duchy than there would be of one
across that of Saxe-Coburg. But, in the presence
of the events which are daily occurring, it is lettle
less than puerile to assume that the German
Powers intend at no distant period to restore to
Denmark her lost possessions. An opportunity
like the present is what Germany has been long
waiting, and it is absurd to suppose that she will
not now turn it to account. Neither the Emperor
of Austria nor the King of Prussia are supporters
of the popular party which at the present moment
clamours so noisily for the spoliation of Denmark.
But the Prussian King has interests which, though
they clash with those of the minor German Powers,
equally conflict with the vested rights of the Danish
Crown, and Austria is content to aid in the accom-
plishment of the designs of her powerful neighbour.
The result to Denmark is in either case the same.
Sue must at any rate be despoiled, and the Duchies
which heretofore constituted a portion of her domi-
nions must be absorbed in that singular agglomera-
tion of States which is popularly described as Ger-
many. Whatever other effect their recent reverses
may have had, they certainly have not caused dis-
couragement to the Danish people. The resolution
passed by the Rigsdag in favour of the energetic
prosecution of the war cannot be considered as the
simple prompting of despair. The Danes have been
worsted at their weakest point, and they not unrea-
sonably conclude that they have now suffered at
the hands of the Germans the greatest evils in the
power of the latter to inflict. Events have followed
an almost similar course to those of the campaign
of 1848. And as that yo.. saw Denmark stripped
of the Duchies, only to be rest-,,, at a subsequent
period, so the Danes fondly hope this: in all respects
the parallel now afforded may be complete. It may
be rash, and doubtless is rash, for them to suppelge
so, but the supposition is so natural that one cannot
be surprised at its being entertained. The Danes,
as we pointed out a few days since, are in a posi- '
tion to carry on a defensive war in Schleswig with
comparative ease for many months to come. They
occupy the Island of Alsen on the eastern coast of
the Duchy, together with the strongly fortified po-
sition of Duppel on the adjoining mainland. From
the island it will be next to impossible for the Ger-
mans to dislodge them ; and yet, so long as the
Danish forces are concentrated there, the allied
Powers will be compelled to maintain a large army
of occupation in Schleswig. Meanwhile, however,
the Danes with their fleet may blockade the Ger-
man ports, and though at present only at war with
Austria and Prussia, may find it convenient for the
purposes of blockade to declare war against the
entire Confederation. By such a proceeding they
would only nominally increase the numbers of their
enemies, since the German Powers are without a
fleet. Meanwhile, however, the Danes may not
unreasonably expect that events may spring up to
divert the attention of their enemies, If the state of
Europe was settled, and if nothing disturbed the
universal tranquillity but the Dino-German quarrel,
then indeed it might be a matter of consideration
for the Danes whether it would not be expedient to
withdraw from an unavailing contest. But casting
our eyes over the map of Europe, and more espe-
cially over the territories of her present foes, Den-
mark may possibly discover a door of escape from
her present difficulties. Deserted though she has
been in her extremity by every State in Europe, she
may still detect a gleam of sunshine piercing the
heavy clouds which are now accumulating over the
heads of her enemies. If the Danish Government
should fancy that we aro on the eve of a great Euro-
pean war they might possibly be mistaken, but they
certainly would not be singular in entertaining that
idea. If they should suppose that a few months
hence will witness an Italian armyentering Venetia,
and a French army marching on the Rhine, they
might prove to be in error, but they would at least
have the excuse that their error was shared by
many observant and impartial persons. But surely,
if there was a general European war, does any one
pretend to say that in such an event Denmark
would not stand a fir chance either of reconquering
her Duchies, or having them reassigned to her by
the Congress which would remap Europe at the
conclusion of hostilities ? It is very well for those
who are interested in the maintenance of European
peace, and who lose nothing by the spoliation of
Denmark, to advise her to ley down her arms, and
accept what they are pleased to consider accom
plished facts. But Denmark may well hesitate
before accepting counsel dictated by such palpably
selfish considerations. Blot out England from the
map of Europe, and still the Danes might find in
the probtible diseensione of the other continental