The Sun.
London, England, 1864-03-05 00:00:00

SPIRIT OF THE PUBLIC JOURNALS,

PoST.—Although the publication of the corre-
spondence relaiing to the Dane-German dispute is
not yet completed, the last instalment given to Par-
liament marks the point where negotiations virtu-
ally came to an end and hostilities began. We
have now before us the complete history of the
special mission to Copenhagen, and are in a posi-
tion to form an opinion of the means adopted by
the British Government to prevent an open rupture
between Denmark and Germany. The opennig
despatch of the present series announces the first
interview of Lord Wodehouse with M. Hall, the
Danish Prime Minister; and the last conveys to
the British Government the intelligence that the
Danes have been summoned to evacuate Schleswig
by the German Commander.'in-Chief. If war could
have been averted by diplomacy it was during the
six weeks which elapsed between the dates of these
two despatches that the most fitting opportunity,
presented itself for attaining that end, and conse-
quently it is from the correspondence co'ttained in
the present series that we must mainly draw our
conclusions as to the soundness of the policy pur-
sued by those Powers which vainly (as the event
proved) endeavoured to prevent the Dano-Gertnan
war. When Lord Wodehouse reached Copenhagen,
fresh from an interview with the Prussian Minis-
ter Count von Biemark, he had just received
from Earl Russell a despatch instructing him to
urge the Danish Cabinet to suspend the common
Constitution which had been promulgated on the
18th of November. To this despatch we directed
attention a few days since, and especially noticed
the fact that it was penned after the British Cabinet
had been made aware that the true cause of the
hostility of the German Powers to Denmark was
supplied by her " democratic institutions." Lord
Wodehouse lost no time in putting himself in com-
munication with the representatives of France,
Russia, and Sweden, with the view of obtaining
their assent to the proposals which, at the sugges-
tion of England, were to be made to the Danish
Cabinet, and in a despatch dated December 19 he
informed the Foreign Secretary of the result of these
preliminary negotiations. From this communica-
tion it appears that the French, Russian, and Swe-
dish Envoys were taken by surprise by our Ambas-
sador's announcement that he was instructed to press
upon the Danish Government the revocation of the
Constitution of November, and candidly admitted
that they were without instructions upon that point.
They agreed, however, to telegraph to their respec-
tive Governments for instructions; the Swedish En-
voy not concealing from Lord Wodehouse his inten-
tion to recommend his Government not to accede to
the English proposal. Ultimately General Fleury,
the French Ambassador, received a reply . from
Paris authorising him " to urge the revocation of
the Constitution," but also, as it would appear,
directing him to act independently of his colleagues,
"The general," writes Lord Wodehouse, told me
that he should speak to the King and M. Hall in
this sense before his departure for Berlin which he
has fixed for to-morrow." M, d'Ewers, the Russian
Ambassador, however, received orders from his
Government to act in concert with Lord Wodehouse,
and accordingly on the following day, December 20,
the English and Russian Envoys had an interview
with M.Hall, when they verbally communicated to
him the wishes of their respective Governments.
The scheme propounded in Earl Russell's letter of
instructions of the joint co-operation of the four
Powers, or the embodiment of their requests in an
identic note, was consequently not realised. In a
despatch dated December 21 Lord Wodehouse in-
forms his Government of what passed at this inter-
view ; and it is the most important of the series,
as it marks the total failure of the English ne-
gotiations. Lord Wodehouse met M. Hall on
that occasion prepared to urge the Danish
Government to modify their entire political
system, and authorised, if need be, to enforce
compliance with his demands by assurances that,
in the event of refusal, "Denmark would be left
to encounter Germany on her own responsi-
bility." Notwithstanding, however, the apparently
overwhelming influence which the English and
Russian representatives brought to bear on the
Danish Minister, Lord Wodehouse is compelled to
confess that " M. Hall gave us very little reason to
hope that our advice would be listened to. Nor is
this result to be wondered at. The English Envoy
who acted as spokesman, although in a position to
say what England would not do in case the Danish
Government refused to revoke the obnoxious Con-
stitution, had no authority to promise them any
material assistance in the event of their compliance,
and of such compliance failing to satisfy the Ger-
man Powers. When the Danish Minister, waiving
the consideration of whether the Constitution of
November was a violation of the Danish engage-
ments towards Germany, asked " Cul bond, it we
withdraw it?" the English Ambassador was obliged
to evade the question by asking another. " He had
asked me," wrote Lord Wodehouse, "what Denmark
was to gain if the Constitution was revoked, but the
question was rather what she would lose if it was
not revoked ;" and then followed the threat, re-
peated at second hand, from M. von Bismark, that,
if the Constitution was not repealed before the Ist
of Jauuary, Austria and Prussia would repudiate
the Treaty of 1852. M. Hall thereupon pointed out
that however willing the D finish Government
might be to follow the counsels given by the
neutral Powers, it would be practically impos-
sible to revoke the Constitution within the pre
scribed time, to which Lord Wodehouse, with a
lamentable ignorance of the policy of the German
Powers, replied that, ho " felt confident that her
Majesty's Government would urge upon Prussia and
Austria to extend the term they had named, and it
could hardly be supposed that so reasonable a re-
quest would be refused." The Danish Minister,
however, with a more thorough acquaintance with
the real designs of Germany, thought otherwise,
and declined to adopt the English proposals. The
dangers attendant on their refusal were, as he ad-
mitted, great ; but those which might follow on
their acceptance were in his opinion still greater.
"At present," said he, " the King and his people
are united, and this cordial union of the King with
his people is a tower of strength. But if the Consti-
tution were revoked, this great advantage would be
lost." How just were his conclusions was subse-
quently proved when, his Cabinet having been dis-
solved, his successors, having adopted. the English
proposals, convened the Rigsraad with the view of
revoking the Constitution, but, nevertheless, failed
to arrest the advance of the German armies, or to
enlist more than the barren sympathies of Eng-
land. The most that can be said for our fruitless
negotiations is, that, however framed, they could
not have been successful. Austria and Prussia had
finally determined on invading Schleswig before
Lord Wodehouse left England, and nothing that he
could have said, or the Danish Government have
(lone, would have averted the catastrophe. This
was fully foreseen by our Minister at Berlin, who,
on the day after Lord Wodehouse's departure from
that capital for Copenhagen, wrote to Lord Russell
that, in consequence of the German Cabinets having
refused to specify their demands, a successful issue
to his mission could not be anticipated. " Is it pro-
bable," wrote Sir A. Buchanan on the 14th Decem-
ber, "that Lord Wodehouse will find the Danish
Government willing to abandon one line of policy
with respect to the organisation of the monarchy,
which, in the event of war, has solid advantages to
offer to Denmark, before he can give them any idea
of the manner in which Germany will expect them
to carry out another system P" There was, we re-
peat, at no time any reasonable hope that diplomacy
" pure and simple" would have secured Denmark
from aggression ; and, such being the case, it is a
matter for regret that the British Government should
have thought proper to employ it, However good
our intentions were, there can be no doubt that our
interference has prejudiced instead of benefiting
Denmark.
HERALD.—‘` The loss of a month," says a New
York paper, " is equivalent to the loss of a battle."
The months of the swing of 1864 are already in full
movement. towards the summer, in which, if the last
prophecy is worth anything, the world without is
to witness the triumph, too long delayed, of the
armies of subjugation, and to put on mourning, if it
pleases, for a brave people. And
yet the prospects
of success of the opposing forces seem to an outsider
to be marvellously equal, so much so that we still
feel confident in the ultimate triumph of those who
inspired
are by
a higher aim and sustained by a
nobler feeling than the lust of conquest. It has
oc of mmee too fibgeh at i
ogf
battleor of
they know
mercenaries
no at ga
what,ins for
they patriots,
care not what, against men who are maintaining
what to them is more precious than life. So that
if on mere strategical grounds we are disposed to
say that the Federal generals occupied as good
or even a better position than their adversaries,
we should find that those adversaries had so
greatly the advantage in the hopes that animate
them, the confidence that inspires men who have
faith in their cause, that it would be impossible
to deny that the chances of success were in their
favour. As we have always believed that even
if the. Federals were to succeed in their attempts
against all the fortified places of the Southern Con-
federacy, were to plant their flag in every town
between Maryland and the frontier of Mexico, they
would yet find it impossible to hold the country
against the wishes of the inhabitants, and so bo as
far off as ever from the goal of their ambition, it is
natural that we should feel more confident still of
the success of the cause of independence when we
find its champions contesting a large portion of their
territory with such success against a foe overwhelm-
ing in numbers and in the resources which are the
sinews of war. The attitude of the great armies
confronting one another in the North and in the
West, is still an attitude of mutual defiance and

mutual expectancy.
forward move of its adversary, of mofswwhaiicthinigt mfoarystfl;
advantage. Each seems to be saying to its eneraS:
like the polite Frenchman to the English troops !,'",
Fontenoy—" Gentlemen of the Guard, fire first;
There is Gen. Lee, still confronting Gen. Meade lo
Virginia. The latter, contrary to expectation,is to be
continued in his command throughout the coming.
compaign. Disgusted with the ill succees of his last
ill-advised advance across the Rapidan, Meade doe&
not seem to have any distinct idea of attacking
mond. The second American Fabius seems conteln
to emulate the noble example of his
and to cove; Washington to the host of his ability'
As the general feeling in the So:ith is strongly
favour of transferring the war, if pocsible, to the
enemy's soil, we shall not be surprised if the aora
federate commander, now that the roe'de are letho
predecessor,
and the fine weather is setting in, should tine rte.
the spring is seasonable for an advance of L Is ,oil of
lery once more towards the Potomac. The e now
Maryland and the Pennsylvanian border is • ee
femiller enough to Southern strategists, and t• •
next time they enter upon it they will not fail t°
turn their past experience to good account. Tn°
Confederate troops are more eager than ever for tee`
fight ; they are burning to aveege the reverses 018
the year that is past. The ardour veith which whole
brigades of discharged soldiers have re-enlisted into
the ranks has deserved the eloquent thanks of Pee;
sident Davis, who addresses his troops like
general on the eve of 'tome great victory. fore:
shadowed by the hopes of e patriot leader and tbe realised by the stalwart arms of patriot soldiers;
Then, turning to the armies on t tie Tennessee and
Georgian frontier, we find them, too, confronting
one another, and the balance of cLehAdence in
dining to the Confederate side. So ecelr fr
h °o
having retired from Dalton, General Johne'en „"cii
advanced his pickets to Ringold, a position nvt"iic
nearer to Chattanooga, and threatening the fl4`
of General Grant's army. An advance northwards'
a few miles only from Ringold, would sever tb°
communications of Grant with the beleagured aro?:
at Knoxville, still threatened by Longstreet. It
said that Longstreet has retired across the Freeee
Broad River, but we have no reliable information
of his recent movements. Far to the south-west,
and across the State of Mississippi, the Feders,l
General Sherman has been executing an extraord''
nary and, to us, inexplicable movement. He b5.,5,
marched across the state from west to east, We";
Vicksburg, through Jackson, to Meridian, close
the Alabama frontier and the line of the Ohio an
Mobile Railroad, Crossing first the Big Blan'a
River, then the Pearl River, he finds himself el(*,
to the waters of the Tombigbee, which fall into
the Bay of Mobile. But the defenders of Mobile
were not to be caught napping, Bishop P°l'
one of the bravest and most skilful of the COI;
federate leaders, covers Mobile with his army. ho
appears that Sherman managed to interVeSs
force between the warlike ecclesiastic and AJ-°"i;
gomery, the capital of Alabama, with which
was necessary that he should maintain his enui;
munications. On the 13th February there '1
a severe engagement between the Federo
and Confederate armies at Enterprise, a place O1'"f,
the frontier of Alabama, and on the line of the .
bile and Ohio Railroad. The result, sas the tel
gram, is unknown. No news, in such a case, is tijo
reverse of good news for the North. If Sher
should have met with a repulse his immense dig
tance from his base of operations at Vicksburci
more than 150 miles of an enemy's country, NO:v
seem to place his army in the most imminent all„i
ger of being either destroyed or captured. A stre.'cri
force of cavalry under Grierson was charged
the duty of protecting this road, but even this au 'd
Lary has not passed unchallenged. We hear 00,
cavalry encounter between Jackson and .Merid°4
in which either Wheeler or Forrest must have bed`i
engaged on the Confederate side. The adettattAs
was claimed for the Federals, but the fact that -ef
communications are thus threatened aid in elange
ofe being o
t he audacious
the
aoff adoiu s s
eosn othseerrmv
Sherman
in
a v
t o
e presentr.,,, the Picf pccl
light, It is tolerably clear that he will nee-erfele
Mobile. He has displayed more boldness thane— f
ment in this attempt of his to penetrate wbßtlll
supposed to be a vulnerable point of the South, rf
will probably fail to establish himself on the 09°
frontier of Mississippi, and the only questieng
whether he will be able to retire with 136r0
from the net into which he has plunged with etive
apparent disregard of coneeouenees. The last le
td
of our correspondent at Richmond gives us a Mit,
ful view of the state of things at the Confederso
capital. It is a new thing in the history of t;i
young nation, it may be taken as s cheering 7,
of their future, that they seem in this fourth yea',l
their war of liberation to have given up withowo
murmer the idea of foreign aid, and to be cont.levlS
fight out their battle alone against all odds. 118 el
were they more hopeful, never more detere3'„s
than now. The language of the President, the Prot
of private citizens, breathes the same unaein'hii
spirit of calm resolution. When the hard fiee
over, and the battle woe, it will be a pleasing t'di;
to them all, it will be the proudest thought 'e
ever shaped the character and guided the dest'vii:
of a nation, that while other states looked on 1,0
indifference or disapproval, while the outside."'"
folded its arms and left the Southern Confedet'of
to vindicate its rights by the strength of its °,lO
right arm, the Confederacy, accepting the issee're
looking neither this way nor that way, but vot!
forward at the foe, went on from victory to Yie,td
in the strength of the God of battles, who de?
the weak, till at last its independence was lOU
and its triumph confessed.

COUNTRY MARKETS.

• -,1%

LIVERPOOL-FRIDAY.

v
There was a limited attendance of the town and coo
trade to-day, and but little demand, buyers being '3ol'
suit themselves out of the recent arrivals at nearlY
cental under the rates of last Friday. Flour unsale,worcil
6d to is decline on the week. Oats and oatmeal
ABcA
inquired for. Egyptian beans in small supply,
qr dearer in price. Peas and barley are the turn ell,
There was very little doing in Indian corn,
offered at 6d per cental less money.

WAKEFIELD—FRIDAY.
Only a small business was done in wheat to-d6l'eti
millers generally succeed in purchasing on ratherie,,
terms than on Friday last. Barley met a limited 0.130
the prices in favour of buyers. Other articles nAlli
former prices.

Wheat Averages for the week :
1 582 , qrs , at 39s al
Rye Od
Beans —
29
Peas Oa
Oats • •
—s
8ar1ey,,,,, 370
315

STAMFORD—FRIDAY.
White wheat, 42s to 44s ; red, 38s to 41s per 36,
Barley, malting, 33s to 35s ; grinding, 29s to 32°;
Oats, 18s to 22s per 24 stone. Beans, old, 40s to
qr. ; new, 34s to 365.

LINCOLN—FRIDAY. 3os
White wheat new, 42s to 48s Barley, grinding'.
,23s
Red do. 36s to 41s Oats, old, .. ...... ,3
Old white ato —s New do ......... ~'w
Red do.. —a to --s i Beans.
Barley, malting.... 34s to 36s 1 Beans, new ..... .343

CORK—FRIDAY. • 0.
The following were the quotations this morlllll4rl
wheat, 8s Od to 8s 10d; white, 8s Od to 9s Sd
6d to 8s Od ; oats, 4s 10d to 6s 2d ; black do.,
5s 3d.

BRISTOL SUGAR—FRIDAY. to t 1
The raw sugar market exhibits a very firm
somewhere about 350 hhds of Demeraras, partlitlei
used, have been sold at prices fully 6d per cwt. big
to
last week. Refined goods sell freely, at full r 4
rum the demand is inactive, but prices are firm.

Persons in debt may obtain instant protection
imprisonment or seizure of their goods, and an elltireo
from all debts and liabilities without publicity, by aP/cf
to Messrs. Marshall, solicitors of the Court of Bapoil
Charges under £5 payable by easy instalments. 4
(established 1830), 11, ifatton-garden. City branch--"'
gate-street, Bank.—ADVT.

Births. 0
HUNT.—On the 3d inst., at 5, Rutland-gate/ the l4'
George Wards Hunt, Esq., M.P., of a son. er
RIDLEY.—On the 3d inst., at Gloucester-road. So, i
park, the wife of Arthur S. Ridley, Esq., of a B°o,llB
VivlA.N.—.on the 3d inst., at Penzance, the wife 0 li'
tus Vivian, Esq., of a daughter. f(3 of el
WRAP.—On the 4th inst. at Mortlake, the svi
Wray, Esq., of a daugl:ter.
Marriages.
n :Pe
„„ ~
BURRA—Cunis.—On the 3d inst., at 'Thorn ~
7
Henry Burra, Esq., of Rye, Sus=ex, late 115°I
to Frances, second daughter of Major Cartels, t(
tt;
Rye, Sussex.
~0
ry,
GuisoN—M‘ButuE.—On :the 31 inst., at I‘lls 001(
Church, Capel-street, Samuel Gibson Esq., f t 11"
square, London, to Jane, late third daughter °
George M'Bride, Esq., Leeson-street, DeWitt'
I.
Deaths. ,dO9
'''rt., BROWN.—On the 3d inst., at his residence, ''' tf ' r ,
hill. near Liverpool, Sir William Brown, .11 oil
80.
scili
HATToN.—On the 3d inst., at Camden-town, —ci 4.'
ton, Esq.
.golif ,{
MASON.—On the 2d inst., at Deal, George )1— ili'
M.R C.S.E., aged 50. net'.
ao, i
POOLE.—On the 29th ult., at u sea, a
So th M jor— f,'
Poole, late R.A., aged 65.
~,.,agia9o#
RUSKIN.—On the 3d inst., John James onobe'
Billiter-street, city, and of Danmark-hill, "" er/l'
fol/'
aged 79. 1, Alf'4
SOUTHWELL,—On the Ist inst., at The PriorPestorr
the Hon, Miss Southwell, of Hindlip, Wr°r°
/11'
aged 59.
~

_____...._.....___...„... i,;0,4
,071 P" Irj
London : Prfrized and Prb!ished by NVILLI.Vi-A` SY
NW 1
of No. 112, Strand, Printer, at 'DIE SUN - CO
Strand, In the Precinct of the -Savoy, ,11 al-

I,AriinaE CAN WE MEET AFTER TILE
/ PANTOMIMES ? My dear Fellow, Gentlemen sup
at EVANS', Covent-garden.

LLBpIAVNipySK I( V. COGNAC,
'Phi; ePlebrated Ohl IRISH WHISKY rivals the finest
FRENCH BRANDY,
It i i Pu,e, Mild, Mellow, Delicious, Mal very Wholesome.
Sold in Bottles, 3e. Bd., at the Retail Flguses in London; by
the Agents in the Principal towns in Enqtnd ; or wholesale
at
5, GREAT WINDMILL-STRVRT. W.
Observe the Red Seal, Pink Label, and Cork branded
" Kinahan's LL Whisky."

ATLANTIC and GREAT WESTERN RAIL•
WAY.—(PENNSYL VANIA DIVISION).
CAIIK,na due Ap:i I 1, 1864, will be paid in London at the
Conso idatc.l Bank (Limited), No. 7, Fenchnteh-stree , Lon-
don, at the exchange of Is. the dollar: The Coupons will
In requ red to be lodged at the Office of the Company two
day 4 previous y for exbminstion.
London, 2, 0 d Broad-street, March 5, Mt

T" CREDIT MORILIER (Limited).
Incorporated under " The Companies' Act, 1862."
Capital £1,000,000, in 20,000 shares of £5O each.
First issue, 10,000 shares.
Deposit on application £1 per share, and £4 on allo ent.
Subsequent calls not to exceed £5 per share, and at i vals
of not less than three months. No ;call will be ma until
after the expiration of three months from the date llot-
ment.
It is not intended to call up more than £2O per stare; put
as the operations of the Company increase, and rare Sh re
Capital can be advantazeously employed, 1 urtheri issues of
shares will be made, a preference being given to the then
existing shareholders.

DIRECTORS.
The Right Hon. James Stuart Wortley,l
Chairman.
The Hon. T. C. Ilaliburton, M.P.
Edward Warner, E.g., M.P.
Lord Otto Fitzgerald, Director of the Mid-
land and Great Western Railway of Ire-
land.
Alexander Dunbar, Esq., Old Broad-street.
Charles Ellis, Esq., Lloyds.
Adolphe Hakim, Esq. (Messrs. Pinto,
Ilakim Brothers and Co.), London.
James Levick, Esq , 9, King's Arms-yard,
London.
Charles E. Newbon, Esq., Stanhope-place,
Hyde-park.
Henry Pownall, Esq.' Russell-square.
John Westmorland Esq. (Director of the
Royal Insurance Company), London. j
EAIstKERS.
Messrs. Masterman, Peters, Mildred, and Co., London.
Messrs. Smith, Payne, and Smiths, London.
SOLICITORS.
Messrs. Newbon, Evans, and Co , 28, Nicholas-lane.
BROKERS.
Messrs. Field, Son, and Wood, 9, Warnford-court, Throg
morton-street.
Francis Barnand, Esq., County-chambers, Lombard-street.
SECRETARY (PRO TEM).
C. W. Smith, Esq.
TEMPORARY OFFICES.
Offices of the Credit Fonder, 80, Lombard-street.

Directors of

'Credit Fonder

(Limited).