The Sun.
London, England, 1864-12-19 00:00:00

extricate themselves with the best grace that they
can. It is the best proof that the claims of Prussia
to the Duchies have been kept in the background—
that they were never put forward in all the tedious
and tortuous course of the discussions which took
place during the last few months. Same appa-
rently sided with the Allied Powers in their extra-
vagant claims and vehement manner of prosecut-
ing them; but even they, the few, never remotely
hinted that it was the intention of the belligerent
Powers to appropriate the spoils of conquest to
themselves. It is all very fine for the dodge to
be tried now, but the time has gone by when it
can be done with any apparent success, or a remote
chance of a good t ffect. It hes been stated in two
or three quarters that Prussia has inalienable claims
and just rights to these Duchies. Why, in the
name of common sense and reason, were they not
put forward earlier, when discussion was rife on
the subject, and when public attention was turned
in that direction. We then heard a great deal of
the hardships and injustice that were suffered by
the German subjects of the King of Denmark, but
we did not hear that all the inhabitants of these
localities in question were the lawful subjects of
the King of Prussia. By slow degrees, by inge-
nious devices, and by artful contrivances,
however, this notion has now become cir-
culated, and we are left to wonder at
the extraordinary infatuation which has
kept those most concerned in the affair so mute
during the eventful turn which has taken place
in the affairs of the States in question. It is all
very fine now, at the eleventh hour, for remarks to
ba made and statements put forward ; but what is
the use of such exhibitions when we know that
they have been purposely withheld until their
utterance cannot be challenged in a material man-
ner, and taken up so to damage the intentions of
their originators and promulgators. In a letter in
the Standard of the other day, signed " A Rus-
sian,'' this complicated affair is gone into at great
length, and those who glance at it will see how
ingenious and dexterous are the contrivances by
which the worse is made out to be the better cause.
German philosophy is at all times very abstruse and
mystical, and difficult for simple folks to under-
s and; and certainly the notion of relationship here
made out is remarkably involved and intermixed;
but one thing is plain, and that is the right of
Prussia to the possession of these disputed Duchies,
and doubtless the terms here employed by the
writer are significant enough of the future inten-
tions and determined doctrines of the powers that
be in Berlin. It is said that the Prussian Govern-.
ment wili be held responsible to the Prussian people
if it should prove itself too weak to make
its ancient hereditary rights respected. This will
then most likely be the test of the new

regime upon which we are now entering.
The Government of King WILLIAM will only be
fulfilling the wishes of the people and giving satis.
faction to those who have a full right to be heard
in such an important matter as the resumption by
Prussia of her just rights, and the possession of her
inalienable inheritance that right and reason alike
assure to her. The old question again arises, how-
ever, why were we not told of all this before. If

he subject had been as well ventilated as it ough

o have been it would have been heard of by this

time far and near, and we should not now ba in.
formed of its importanoe and essential bearings
upon the point at issue for the first time. It is

evident that this part of the vexed question of
SchleswipHolstein was purposely kept back ntiti

the convenient period approached for its discussion.
It was deemed expedient that things should take
their course, and at the fitting juncture the thin end
of the wedge should be inserted, and the momentous

undertaking inaugurated whose ultimate resu

should witness the triumph of German extortion

under the convenient misnomer of Russian rights.
It is now too late for the witnessing nations of
Europe to interfere—the case has been allowed to

go by default, but it is important that it should be
seen how much and how far those are to blame who
let the golden opportunity slip by which, once
passed, can never be restored. Had our Government

followed the wise initiative of the French Empire,
and taken up this Danish affair in good time, how
much harm, wrong, and suffering might have been
avoided ; but, influenced by most mistaken notions,
Lord PALMERSON'S Cabinet turned a deaf ear to

ill who attempted to arrest the course of Prussian

aggresasion, and in all probability neither this

generation nor the next will see the end of the il

advised inactivity, atd the effects of the perverted

udgment. Had a firm and decided stand been

made, as it ought to have been done, at the outse

of this affair, we should never have heard anything
of the hereditary rights of Prussia to the Duchies;
but it is like the adage of " give an inch and an ell
will be taken," for our cowardice and inaction have

brought out the latent qualities of greed and grasp.
ing which are strong in the German nature, and

only need opportunity to develop them to an in•
jurious titent. What with one thing and another,
it would seem as if nothing that is done and said
by this country oan now stem the tide of oppression

which has set in in the affairs relating to these die•

prated Duchies ; at all events it is less of conse,

quence to dwell on the subject in order that we may
be wiser for the future. The records of the past
bear truths of awful import and dire significance,

which we may read, mark, and learn to our pro•
fit, if not to our pleasure. The page of history
has seldom had a more infamous transaction to

record than that which appertains to Schleswig-
Holstein, and the sequel of the story may yet
astonish those who would not believe the treachery
which was all along at work.

MR. HOLMAN HUNT purposes making a second
lengthened sojourn in the East. He will probably leave
this country for Bagdad early in the spring, with the object
of painting a Scripture subject on an unusually large
scale.

A WELCH UNIVERSITY.—XSO,OOO is to be sub.
scribed in Wales towards the foundw ion of a University
for the people of the twelve counties, and an appeal is to be
made to the House of Commons for aid in the matter. A
considerable portion of the money is already promised, and
future meetings of the promoters of the scheme are expected
to enable them to complete the sum above named.

TUE HEY. C. H. SPURGEON (or Mr. Spurgeon,
as he now prefers to style himself) will start a ❑ew
Monthly Magazine, entitled " The Sword and the Trowel :
a Record of Combat with Sin and Labour for the Lord,"
on the Ist January. It is said that the Magazine will con-
tai❑ articles of general interest, and an account of tha pro-
gress made by the numerous churches started by Mr
Spurgeon, or by the church over which he is pastor.
Rumour further says it is the intention of the rev. gentle-
man to compile a new hymn-b2ok. His sermon on " Bap-
tismal Regeneration,'' which has recently made such a stir
in religious circles, has reached the enormous sale of
200,000 copies.

FRENCH AND ENGLISH TRANSLATION,—Any
one who has undergone the misery of reading an
English translation of Balzer! or Victor Hugo will he able
to appreciate the inadequacy of the French language to re
produce works like those of " Boz or Michael Angelo Tit-
march." " Jearties's Diary," when Cone into French
under the title of "Jean de la Pluche," must lose perforce
the delicate wit which redeems the original from wearisome
absurdity. We remember once meeting with a French
translation of David Copperfleld. Ihe author was obviously
in a terrible strait when he had to translate the unintel-
ligible exclamation " Goroo, Goroo I" with which the old
Jew slopseller at Deptford greeted David on his flight to
*Dover. The nearest approximation the translator could
arrive at was the paraphrase " Par lea cornea de Moise I"
To any one who appreciates the vague idea which obviously
floated through the translator's mind in the selection of this
oath it will be obvious how utterly impossible it must hays
been for him to enter into the true spirit of the author of