The Sun.
London, England, 1864-12-28 00:00:00

EWSpApv
The Schleswig-Ilolstein
•
An address has been drawn u
party in the Duchies and forwardecttio llrsget
Bismarck and Count MensdorffsPouilly, with the
request that those Ministers will be pleased to lay
it before the King of Prussia and the Emperor of
Austria respectively, and support it with their in-
fluence. The document is as follows :
"To his Majesty the Emperor of Austria Francis
Joseph I. To his Majesty the King of Prussia
William I.
"Most Gracious Emperor,—Most Gracious King,
—After the peace of the 30th October last was cone
eluded and ratified by all concerned, the undersigned
inhabitants of the Duchies of Schleswig-Holstein
agreed to represent to
your Majesties most respect-
fully the expression of their wishes with regard to
the future form of the public relations of the said
Duchies. As we have hailed with joy the arrival
of the long-desired moment in which it has pleased
your Majesties to permit the uoity of the adminis-
tration of the Duchies of Schleswig-Ilelstein to come
into existence under your moat gracious dominion,
we hope for the lasting grant of such unity by the
reception of Schleswig into the Germanic Cenfederas
tion. We surrender ourselves further, with the
most implicit confidence, to the hope that your
Majesties will make arrangements calculated per-
manently to secure the governmental unity of the
Duchies, and to afford them the best pledge for the
blessings of external peace.
" For this purpose we consider essential 1. That
an impartial legal examination of the question, who
is entitled to the succession in the sovereignty over
the Duchies of Schleswig.Holsteie, should be en-
tered upon ; and 2. That the result of such exami-
nation shall be communicated in a convincing
manner to a Schleswig-Holstein Assembly of
Estates, called together according to legal precedent.
"Should the examination lead to the result that
a certain prince has an incorstr,ovible tight teletalee,...
ii:Vaesfesiee-in-bsseheisereis, stAh'in all parte of the
same, we may expect, from your Majesty's love of
justice, that you will graciously make over to this
prince the Government of the Duchies. We rely
also upon the wise care of your Majesties in case it
should appear that an application of the principles
of hereditary right would lead to a severance of the
Duchies. Claims to parts can constitute no right
to the indivisible whole. Such claims must give
place to considerations for the prosperity of the
country. These require the utmost possible security
by sufficient conditions of strength, which your
Majesties will not be disposed to withhold from the
Duchies. It is, however, our most profound con-
viction that they cannot be better guaranteed than
by the closest connection with one of the great Ger.
man Powers, and with the Prussian monarchy in
especial, as the nearest is position. In expressing
this view we proceed with full assurance, from the
expectation that the Duchies will, under all circuit'.
stances, receive an independence with regard to in.
ternal affairs corresponding to their peculiar re.
quiremente.

"We request your Majesties to allow yourselves,
in your most gracious resolutions for the welfare of
the Duchies, to be guided by these considerations,
and in such case to forward a communication to the
united Assembly of Estates of the Duchies of
Schleswig-Holstein. Your 31;josties will thereby
place the crown upon the work of peace, and bind
to everlasting gratitude the Duchies thus perma-
nently secured in their united existence.
" Schleswig-Holstein, Dec. 1864."
The signatures follow.