The Sun.
London, England, 1864-01-19 00:00:00

their assent, Whereupon these sticklers for tretlV
rights present an ultimatum to the D(1131811 Glrierlti;
ment, and, in default of its acceptaoce, tb.reat
occupy Schleswig and break the pea ce E3hrePte.
to be roe
There is still one flagrant contradict.;"
corded of the many-sided German
Prussian people urges on its Government WiiQea
elsteia
tion, occupation, war, upon this Schleswig -P-° n
to
question ; but when the King asks for a •lo:1090
carry out its martial intent he is snubbed. Th,_ flgly
is refused. The Prussian people would WWl' ,sto
the a
see Kiel a German port, but refuses to pay ind.
of the annexation. The whole thing would be lot.
crous but for its tragic aspect. The AUStrian 119,`,
Prussian ultimatum has been presented and declinie:ft
end the envoys of the two Governments have er
Copenhagen. Nothing else could have bet° "bit
between
The German people have got tusoi
be.tween their teeth and are fairly running I,r
bee a I've..
with their Governments ; the latter have
ing with the national passion until it has !not
mastered them ; and now Austria and Prussia ,"eut.
go with the stream. They cannot stultify WI of
selves by patiently submitting to the retes3ol
their ultimatum. They probably intended,
they
hoped, that it would be refused; otherwisenaect
would never have addressed to an in 5P two
European Power an ultimatum leaving' °lee
days for deliberation and reply. Moreger'hided
the presentation of the ultimatum has been pr ore
by the significant announcement of military ;ore'
parations and movements of troops, whie too
shadowed but too plainly the designs of to° .ive
Powers. There seems, then, to be no alter°%,tl
for them but the occupation of Sehleswig'ficea
that means war, which may be conlEae,"itta
by the advance of the Prussian and Atis`raii
armies against the Danes, but which will itslitretbe
bring other Powers into the field.
occupation of Schleswig would be a direct agg ore
sion upon Denmark. The German Diet /Ws n:3305
locus standi upon the soil of Schleswig than to
upon Denmark proper, and the Danes are bO
t3u'oent
resist the aggression. To counsel their abanaffiode
of Schleswig to Austria and Prussia as the bdel—Vio
of preserving it as a Danish province is absorwelir
Danes have retired from Holstein, and it is re; belt
t. onised. Prussia and Austria must retail) ,:tiler
ascendancy in the Diet. They cannot afford all';'the
heinbund ; they cannot even face a union !;iticil
minor German Sovereigns for a purpose le t (3,
their own peoples are heart and soul inteAr!feetit.
and which they would be doing their best to into
In the present temper of Germany there ca° ,be,infie
doubt that the occupation of Schleswig by German
troops would mean the realisation of the us,,,der
aspiration of a dukedom of Schleswig-Holstei of-t
Frederick of Augustenburg, and the erasurecivers.
name of Denmark from the list of European re,", be
Denmark has taken her course. It remains i'tneo
seen what support she will receive from they 5.; la'
to the Treaty of 1852. We look in vain for °.'„ti,
dication of the policy of the British Goveron'!"o.
Loid Russell's written despatches. Alwar '4lecte
tremes, never to be relied upon, our Foreigo loge
tary's forte seems to consist chiefly in enaeol Peg
quarrel, preventing its pacific solution, and ltr1:0
both the disputants. To us the question eet\-role
resolve itself into one of honour and polieY• ' der,
parties to the treaty which is now insolentil
ridden. We have an interest iu the Illainteo4l3ooll
the integrity of the kingdom of Denmark,. 036
faith and expediency alike demand that 'e,
should neither shirk her solemn responsibili ,00
tY:n
signatary of the Treaty of 1852 nor sanctioyot t,
of aggression which will hold out a Preee:neleo
every potentate who has an army to move)"
nationality to offer, or a province to gain,