The Sun.
London, England, 1864-10-24 00:00:00

siders, however, that there is no need whatever for
diplomatic questions to be " overlayed with a mass
of unintelligible rigmarole." Perhaps some persons
might advise him to look at home and ascertain
whether there might not be some very profitable
alterations in that respect in the arrangements of
his own profession, which are sometimes very
difficult of comprehension. After saying that
he would not enter into the Danish
question, Sir R. COLLIER did go into
it very fully, and said quite enough for the most
inveterate Ministerialist to desire as to the propriety
of the conduct of the Government in their difficult
part. Ile also informed his hearers that those
politicians were mistaken who thought that there
were only two courses to adopt in foreign affairs,
namely, to fight or to keep the peace. Thera a
third, which, of course, our sapient Cabinet adopted,
of "expressing an opinion." According to this
showing they protested against a great wrong, and
thus discharged their duty. This sounds very fine,
but it must be the mere love of talking which makes
people speak when they see and know that no one
cares for what they are saying, and this was pretty
plainly evidenced in the demeanour of Prussia
when Earl RUSSELL sent forth his wonderful de-
spatches, and talked so glibly of honour and good
feeling. Sir R. COLLIER declared that he had read
all through the correspondence, and, therefore, he
considered himself justified in giving an opinion
upon it. This was that Earl RUSSELL'S were the
best letters in it, and that the noble lord had
tried to keep peace between two parties who put
3 forward incompatible pretensions." Surely it
was the duty of the law officers of the Crown to
have informed the Foreign Secretary that he was
attempting what was impossible in such an awk-
ward matter, and had better leave off in time to
save his credit. The Solicitor. General also thinks
that what has happened was Denmark's own fault,
for not agreeing to the noble lord's proposal of
1862, and he was at some pains to show this to
his hearers by his details and disclosures. It is
almost amusing to notice the vehemence with which
he defends the conduct and character of the Go-
vernment. If they were so much in the right, it
seems strange that the fact requires such immense
exertion and energy to disclose it to us. It will
require more teaching yet, however, before the
people of this country understand that justice has
been meted out in the affairs of Denmark, and if
Sir R. COLLIER aspires to be the chorus who is to
explain matters he had better look to his laurels,
for he has entered upon an undertaking that will
tax all his energies, and test his powers to the
atmost, and it is not too much to say that ho will
be in the need of him who said—

" To speak it all requires a thousand tongues,
A throat of brass, and adamantine lungs."

The young Prince and Princess, in whose move-
ments England takes so deep an interest, have at
length commenced their homeward journey, The
public have followed with a kindly concern the
record of their proceedings—it has watched them
receive the first polite but mournful greeting of the
people of Denmark—the cordial welcome of the
Royal family—and has seen how the popular
enthusiasm of the loyal little nation gradually led
them to forget all the wrongs and the sufferings of
the stormy interval between the bridal and the
return in the joy of again welcoming their beloved
Princess, and in sympathising in her domestic
happiness. The warmth and brilliancy of the S wedish
hospitality was also especially gratifying to the
English nation, who saw in it a proof not only of
the popularity of their own Royal House, but of the
cordial amity felt for England by her kindred
people of the North—kindred in their hardihood
and energy as in their patriotism and unconquer-
able love of freedom. King CHRISTIAN himself,
whose brief tenure of the regal dignity has as yet
brought him little satisfaction, must have derived
much consolation from this visit of his daughter and
the young Prince of WALES. Not only must he
have felt the pleasure natural to a father under such
circumstances, but the defeated KING who, by an
ingenious mixture of the cajoleries of diplomacy
with the sterner arguments of force, has been de-
spoiled of half his dominions, must have been gra-
tified, in some measure, by this token of respect on
the part of the young Heir Apparent to the first
throne of the world. It is true that the near
relationship existing between them has as yet
brought little profit to the Danish Monarch ; that
English help has only proved a lure to guide him
to defeat and discomfiture, to encourage him to
armed resistance by the promise of active support
connection
—a promise which obtained no better fulfilment
t h e even
n near
a r Prussia than Lord RUSSELL'S high sounding platitudes.
Nevertheless,
i a herselfof the
m pus sometimesish
I NG
remember
with the future English QUEEN, and although we
cannot detect much moderation in her proceedings,
possibly she might proceed to even greater extre-
mities without that salutary remembrance. King
CHRISTIAN indeed seems fated to find in the bril-
liant destinies of his children some consolation for
his misfortunes as a Monarch. lie has no
reason to esteem the Royal station to be
especially enviable, bat it is only natural that be
should feel pleasure in the exalted fortunes of his
children. His second son, who seemed to have no
other fate before him than that of an obscure
member of a retired family, has been called to rule
over a distinguished if not a powerful State, while
his two oldest daughters, whose beauty and ac-
complishments well fit them for romantic fortunes,
have the prospect of sharing two of the first
thrones of Europe. Between them they will reign
over a large proportion of the habitable globe, for
no other State can compare for a. moment in extent
with the dominions of England and Russia. In
these reflections the King of DENMARK, as father
and as monarch, must feel a natural pride; they
must help to support him under the complicated mis-
fortunes of his dynasty and the threatening aspect
of the political horizon. The affection of his chil-
dren will enable him to participate in some degree
in their good, and we trust that through their
agency brighter days may yet dawn on the gallant
and unfortunate little kingdom of the North.

_CHARLTON FAIR AND THE POLICE.—The annual
three days' pleasure fair known as Horn Fair was
held during the past week at Old Charlton, and, as usual,
was visited by many thousands of persons from the metro-
polis and elsewhere. A considerable number of pickpockets
and card-sharpers were arrested by the police, and charged
before Mr Traill, at the Woolwich Police Court, who, in
some flagrant cases, ieflicted a slight imprisonment; but
the majority of the prisoners were discharged, and the ma-
gistrate remarked that he was surprised the police authori-
ties should take the trouble to protect the idle people who
visited this fair. If persons chose to go to such a place, they
ought to do it at their own risk ; and if the refuse of society
were allowed to run loose there, it would result perht,-)s in
this annual nuisance dying out. At all events the public
ought not to be taxed and inconvenienced in order that the
police might look after the profligate persons who made up
the assembly. Police-sergeant Seymour said that Sir Thos.
M. Wilson, the owner of the land, applied for the assistance
of the police to preserve order at the fair, which was held
under a charter, and could not be put down. Mr Traill said
he was not so sure of that. The police ought not to have
granted the assistance asked for. At all events, ho (Mr
Trail!) should not put the county to more expense than he
was obliged by sending these persons to prison, lie might
certainly convict them under the Vagrant Act, but should
not do so, as, for all he knew, it might be the object of per-
sons interested in this fair to allow such things. The owner
should himself look after the conduct of the persona whom
he admitted to his land.