The Sun.
London, England, 1864-07-25 00:00:00

Caries, who voted for the condemnation of "Essays j there is every reason to expect that within that in-
and Reviews," reminded one almost painfully of terval negotiations conducted directly between the
another somewhat cruel person who had all Lord Northern Power on the one hand and Austria and
Westbury's unctuous pleasure in giving pain, Mr. Prussia on the other, will convert the truce into a
Whackford Squeers. " ' Here's flesh,lcried Squeers, treaty of peace. On what terms, and at what saori'''
turning the boy about end indicating the plumpest flee, on the part of Denmark, a final arrangement
parts of his figure with divers pokes and punches may be come to between the belligerents, it is use.'
to the great discomposure of his son and heir. less to conjecture with our present means of knovr•
Here's firmness, here's solidness; why, you can ledge. The neutral Powers have by their conduct
hardly get up enough of him between your finger forfeited any right to be informed of what is going
and thumb to pinch him anywhere. . . , You on, and they will have only themselves to blame if
couldn't shut a bit of him in a door when he's had the result is one detrimental to their interests or in-
his dinner. Look at them tears, sir,' said Squeers, furiously affecting the balance of power. Although
with a triumphant air, as Master Whackford wiped we know nothing positively, we are inclined to think
his eyes with the cuff of his jacket, there's Dili- that Christian IX. has really made an offer to enter
ness." Lord Westbury's proceedings with the the Germanic Confederation with the whole of Dew'
bench of bishops, but more especially with the mark. Whether he is in earnest in such a proposie
Bishop of Oxford, are painfully similar, He "pokes tion, or whether he has thrown it out merely with
them and punches them in the plate-pest parts of a view of sowing dissension between the German
their figure," he makes the Bishop of Oxford cry Powers and exciting the alarm of France, it is not
wilt the pain, and then he says virtually in his easy to say ; but if the latter he his object, he has
reply, with a triumphant air, "Look at those tears, probably succeeded es completely on one
my Lords, there's oiliness." First he does his best point as he certainly hes on the other. Ause
to hurt all the bishops, and observes in effect, tria may well look with favour on the accession of
" Here's firmness, here's solidness," or in Lord West- Denmark to the Bund. For, while the strength Of
bury's own words, "Imagine, my Lords, what an the whole body would be increased, the peculiar
opportunity it would be for my right hon- influence of Prussia would be diminished by the
onrable friend the Chancellor of the Exche- presence in North Germany of a state independent
quer to spread his net, and in one haul take —to say the least—of the influence of the Court of
in £30,000 from the highest dignitary, not to Berlin. Fur that very reason M. von Bismarck will
speak of the of voXXot, the Bishops, Deans, Arch- probably set himself against the scheme attributed
deacons, Canons, Wears" (and observe the artistic to the new Danish Ministry ; and in this he will
incidental poke of calling such dignitaries the have the support of Russia, which can hardly view
of. eroXXot " the mob"), " all included in one common with indifference so marked an addition to the
crime, all subject to oue common penalty"—and then strength of Germany on the Baltic. How France
after these more distributed and general tweaks and regards such a combination we are at no loss to
twinges, he applies himself more especially to his conjecture. The official organs, no doubt under the
own chosen adversary, Bishop Wilberforce. " I airs immediate inspiration
,of the Foreign Office, have
extremely anxious to know what the thing is, called been denouncing it during the past week in terms
a synodical judgment. . . . Assuming that the re- which sufficiently indicate the irritation and alert/2
port of the judgment I have read is a correct one, I which it has excited in the mind of their imperial
lam happy to tell your lordships that what is called master. Beneath their affectation of disbelief that
a synodical judgment is simply a series of well- any proposition of the kind has been made, one can
lubricated terms, a sentence so oily and so sapona- readily perceive a very substantial uneasiness lest
ceous that no one could grasp it. Like an eel it slips in some form or other it should be accepted. It is
through your fingers—it is simply nothing, and I not impossible that by this time the Emperor is
am happy to tell my noble friend (Lord Houghton) convinced that he has made a mistake in leaving
that it is literally no judgment at all." This is what Denmark to her fate; and that even at the last
we call positively rioting in the indulgence of pinch- moment his interposition may somewhat soften her
ing, like Mr Squeers, rich and high-fed natures, the fall. But we cannot pretend to calculate upon the
more so that we do not know that there was any action of any of the Powers with whom the decision
particular reason for referring the wording of the of the question now rests. Having no real basis for
sentence of condemnation to the Bishop of Oxford, the formation of an opinion it is better not to ex"
beyond the Lord Chancellor's quick perception of the press one. Considering the conduct of her Majes-
opportunity he should thus gain of giving a little tv's Government, which has now by the vote of the
additional pain by these playful allusions to that House of Commons become that of the country, few
prelate's well known soubriquet. Towards the end Englishmen will desire to say more than
of his speech, Lord Westbury even ventured so far is absolutely necessary on a subject so fraught with
as to affect the solemnity of clerical warning and painful and self-accusing reflections.
illustration, in a way that assures us, no less than his THE " TABLET" ON THE HOPLEY CASE.—Since
more serious efforts in the same line, that had he Canning wrote the parody on Martha Browning,
entered the Church he might easily have be- Who whipped two female prentices to death
come a " most reverend" prelate, if he could And hid them in the coal hole ; for her mind
but so far have subdued his native arrogance of Framed schemes of sagest discipline. . . .
mind as to persuade himself to act through life there has been nothing like Sir James Wildilig
a part that he can easily assume to perfection either euphuistic allusion to Mr Hopley's peccadillo Or
' for a light or serious purpose. When he earnestly ads which he was sentenced to four years of penal Ser,',
vised the bishops and other members of Convocation vitude. "It was a prominent fact in the case,
that "if there be any attempt to carry Convocation said Sir James, " that in 1860 the respondent con'
beyond its proper limits, their best plan will be, mitted some act which brought him within the
after protesting, to gather up their garments and grasp of the law." [He only beat one of his pupil*
leave the place—remembering, the pillar of salt, and the poor boy Cancellor, to death. 7 ant pis pod!
resolving not to cast a look behind," he carried the ‘Cancellor " and very heavily," contained Str,
mock solemnity of his allusions beyond the verge of James, " did the hand of the law fall on him; and
decorum, and almost lett some of his cruel advan- a man of education and refinement" (so refined al
tage by this open display of his feelings towards to collect a large amount of saliva in his month and
the Bible. It must have been a triumphant moment spit in his wife's face for beckoning her children in
for Lord Westbury when the Bishop of Oxford gave upon a cold snowy day), "of great natural ability,
vent to the cry of pain which Lord Westbnry's tor- and with a great many noble though visionary (IB'
ture extracted. The Bishop directly admitted that pirations, was taken from his home and ieoprisoneu
Lord Westbury's words had blistered those on for three years." No man, said Sir James, "0e
Lord
whom they fell, and consoled himself by explaining had heard Mr Hopley, could say he was wanting
to the House of Lords what he should have felt on in warm affection and in proper religious feelings`
his deathbed if he had not laid himself open to this but he was plainly a man whose opinion was Pe
persecution. Lord Westbury's delight was evidently in harmony with the rest of the world, and thal
unbounded. "The right reverend prelate," ho says, want of harmony was likely to produce a continua
" has in that excited manner which characterised jangle—and he had thought so much on certain
the greater portion of his speech—and at which, I subjects, particularly that of the bringing uP °,„
beg to say, that I was not at all surprised—with young children that he was extravagant, not to la
much licence of language, charged me with misre- more, in many of his views. The husband ev00,4
presenting a passage in an act of Parliament. His no doubt learn a lesson from this case, and m
apology, I think, must be that he himself does not would know that if he ever lifted his hand against.o.
quite understand it." Squeers' triumphant e.rcla- her she would be entitled to protection. If they
nation when Master Whackford wiped his eyes were separated the children must be deprive
with the cuff of his jacket, "Look at them tears, either of a father or a mother. If they lived togs:
sir—there's oiliness !" was humanity itself compared thee again there might be better things in store 1°:
with the exultation of Lord Westbury. As a mere them. The husband had hitherto been ie
literary effect no doubt the unctuous style has ranch wrong-headed man, but seeing how other peoPt,
mare to recommend it when it just gilds the Intel- viewed his conduct, he might surrende;
lectual cruelty of such cold vivisection as Lord West- .some of his opinions. His wife had taken hive fe
bury, but we wish it were wholly left to those better or worse. Even if a decree were granted, b°
whose words, though " softer than butter," speak doubted whether that devoted woman would be On:
the " war in their heart," and strike like swords tent to settle down with her children and her ot
though they be " smoother than oil." The family, and see her husband struggling with the
Psalmist who wrote those words was a very different world apart from them" We have given these elr"
man, we take it, from the Bishop of Oxford, but we tracts from the leained judge's summing up, Detail
feel sure he had some adversary who was the anti- a correct summary or abridgment of it, for there
type of Lord Westbury. was much more of which no one could complain::
THE " EXAMINER" ON BISMARK,—The offer, said and we think that few will differ from the tag_
and jury in holding, both that Mr. Hopley had bee:
to have been made by Prince John of Glucksburg,
of Denmark's joining the German Confederation, guilty of cruelty, and also that the wife's condone;
was a derisiee one. The great monarchs of Vienna tion of that cruelty was clearly shown. The learn 4:
and judge told the jury that unless they believed Not,
and Berlin do not want a democratic associate,
Denmark can be no other than democratic. Its Hopley to have perjured herself which he did y%
aristocracy has died away, and the last monarch of her husband had undoubtedly been guilty of grebe
Denmark, quite a Jacobin in his line, helped the cruelty, and they should say so; still if they thntufnig
remains of the national noblesse to extinction. We that condonation had been proved (and he did IP
The
have heard a good deal of the hardship of German that it had) they were also bound to say so. bee
SehleswigtHolsteiners being ruled by Danes. But jury found accordingly, and, so far, no injustice we
the Danes had similar objections to being ruled by been done. But how did those passages whitelibeir
Schleswig-Holsteiners. The latter have a noblesse, have quoted and of which we complain, fir' lila
nay, a 'feudal noblesse, just the stuff of which way into the summing up which they so grievo uid
M nisters are made. And King Christian has disfigure P In the mouth of an advocate they v,
r°oll
nominated one of them, Count Moltke, a Holsteiner, be understood, as instances of the rhetorical
to be Prime Minister of Denmark. He may use- with which a lawyer often seeks to work uPes If
"d
fully serve to drive the nail, in other words, con-
jury,, by the introduction of irrelevant topics,
elude a peace. But he could not long govern Den- by appealing to sentiment instead of to reason• boa
mark as it was, much less as it is, in that feudal the prevailing feeling in Sir Jame Wilde's inin,adoiad
and reactionary manner which it seems that Bis- been, this man is a great brute and a savage, hal' of
mark and Rechberg require. The attempt to with pride and pedantry, fanatical theories, ow
will produce the inevitable result of a popular in-
govern in Copenhagen according to their behests religious cant and fulsome self-conceit, and not etity
capable of, but actually guilty of, shocking barb.° his
surrection. The efforts of the two worthies, to a woman who is his own wife, to a baby evil °still
Rechberg and Bismark, in Schleswig-Holsteiv, are own child, to a schoolboy who was his pupil ;oft
of the Same tendency, and will produce similar
justice is justice, and law is law, and duty le jos
results. They refuse to recognise the Duke of
and he is entitled to his rights, and it is my hnen the
Augustenburg, because he declares that, owing to influence the jury to find a verdict for hiln,eitt
of
ads
n
his success to the attachment and choice of the Plea of condonation, no body could have corarte
people of these Duchies, he must impart But in that case the summing up would surelYttia
to them a liberal constitution. In that case
have contained the passages which we have ql.loo'
you shall not be Duke, said Bismark. The
King of Prussia looks to the Sultan of North Ger-
many, as the Emperor of Austria is to be the Sul-
tan of South Germany, and minor Powers must
consent to occupy the position of Hospodars. We
need not say that the pretension excites the utmost
resentment and disgust. The minor Powers and
Princes of Germany, excluded from the negotia-
tions at Vienna, will meet at Frankfort or elsewhere,
when a formidable schism will be the consequence,
with the Confederation of the Rhine looming in the
distance. There are, however, certain complica-
tions, as all the minor Powers are not liberal, and
do not favour liberal constitutions. And Napoleon
himself, however ready to patronise a Confederation
of minor Powers against Austria and Prussia, does
not like constitutions after the English fashion—
that is, with liberty of representation, of speech,
and of printing. A prince therefore must be found,
and the Duke of Oldenburg has been pitched upon
by Prussia, less with the idea of installing him than
of forcing the Diet to consent to the terms of Prus-
sia. The Duke of Oldenburg, however, has not the
shadow of a rightful claim. If he had, we should
have heard of it, and have seen it expounded before
now. Prussian bayonets have held Slesvig, and
Prussian bayonets may undertake to dispose of it.
If so, there will be an insurrection there too. And
if Bismark 'turn his bayonets on the Slesvig-
Holsteiners, what will Fatherland get next
from the absolutism of a statesman who
seems to have undertaken the task of rendering
Prussia in everything the antagonist of Germany ?
The worst of Bismark's policy is that he loves to
weave schemes, and he has by some underhand
policy induced the cautious Austrian Government
to adopt, in this respect, his views. He pushed the
war with Denmark to the verge of war with Eng-
land. And having succeeded in carrying his point
without incurring the dangerous alternative, he is
now bold enough for anything. And his aim seems
to be now co provoke the Liberal party in Germany
to insurrection. He is convinced that he will get
the better of it by bayonets, and that lie can do-
minate not only to Prussia, but North Germany.
Perhaps, if the German people were to be let alone
in this agitation, the military • ht mg prevail. Bat
there is another potentate who certainly will have
his finger in the pie, and thatthe
French Em.
peror. Nor are we prepared to blame him. He
cannot allow a military power like Prussia to ag-
grandise herself as to become his equal. The pros
pect is that a German insur might
rect on make a
war undertaken by France necessary to aid the
popular party. This is the Italian campaign over
again, fought on the Rhine and Elbe, not the Po.
Austrian despots,
we presume, may red:gain neutral.
Who can doubt that the enormous aggrandisement
of France would follow tb t
such an on urs this
is what Bismark is • Is• ;4'
*
gran
~,ousiy risking,
by keeping the qnestion -ffl •
striving to - • et the Duchies open, and
extract some personal advantage out of
it. King Leopold has undertaken the task of re-
presenting the danger of Bismark's madness to the
Emperor at Vichy. But often that potentate
seems to be so amused and tickled by the Prussian
statesman's frenzy that he is almost inclined to
patronise it.
THE " LONDON REVIEW" ON THE DANISH WAR.
--The war between Denmark and Germany is over.
A suspe isien of hostilities by land and sea, from the
26th to the 31st instant, tea been agreed,upon, and