The Sun.
London, England, 1864-07-19 00:00:00

those prospective advantages which w ould, as we
believed, unquestionably have flowed from the
policy which we indicated. So it has been from
day when Lord Wodehouse arrived as Special
Envoy at the Danish Cour.t to that on which: the
several Plenipotentiaries too),-- leave of each other
after their last meeting in Dsowniugestreet. That
the course of proceeding is unfair and unrea-
sonable everyone will allow, but nevertheless it will
probably be persisted in until tele DanoeGerm.an
war is brought to an end. Even now the Danish
Government are reproached with the ,obstinacy with
which they refused to assent to the p roposals made
by Austria and Prussia at the eonfere rice; and 1.1:1"
directly, no little credit is claimed for the English
Cabinet in having supported those prop osals which
the folly and shortsightedness of Denmark pre-
vented her from accepting. As representatior 18 01
this kind are undoubtedly marked with much p
lao-
- it may be as well to inquire whether the,
admit of being substantiated. Without referrilllll
detail to the several schemes advanced at the Con-
ference for the settlement of the differences pc ni(lll3g
between Germaely and Denmark, it may be stiff!'
cient to say that- the partition of the Duchy of
Schleswig was suggested by the neutral Powers,
the line of the Sc;ilei being named as the most
suitable for the future frontier. To this the I )tines
assented; whilst the eermans demanded tha t the
division of the Duchy should be made as far t orth
as Apenraad. Although this proposal was r nada
by the German Plenipotentiaries, it is by in earls
clear that even the possession of all that part of the
Danish peninsula south of the voint indicated
whichll
them would have satisfied the Governments
they represented ; and, indeed, if W 6 might j 3dge,
from appearances, we should say that the pro] )osel
in question was not made in good faith. How, ,very
Denmark adhered to the suggestion made by the
neutral Powers, and when an agreement bet% von
the belligerents upon this point was found i mpos Bible
she, in common with the German Powers, tteeugh
with more frankness, declined to submit th e line of
partition to arbitration. The war was r esumed.
Alsen was taken and Funen threatened, an d there-
upon Denmark sued for peace from her I eitherto
relentless adversaries. A truce has been e greed
upon, and negotiations for a permanent pea di e are
in progress. But are we therefore to conclud e that
Denmark has been compelled to submit to.'carder
conditions than those with which German y would
have been content a month since ?h We are inclined
to think not. Denmark, as we pointed out ou
late occasion, stands in a twofold relationship to
Germany—namely, as an independent State anatous
to retain its political unity, and as a European,
Power affecting by its existence the interests ca
other States. Now, during those long and fr uitless
negotiations which culminated in the Conference of
London, Denmark sought to preserve her na tionsi
integrity through the good offices of the great nen"
tral States, which, as she knew, possessed a per'
sonal interest in the maintenance of her independ-
ence, and which she believed would exercise their
influence, material and moral, to avert her
threatened destruction. It was natioral, therefore,
that she should range herself by the side of England
and France, and treat through them with her
enemies. But, when she found that they were un'
willing to accord to her the protection which she
necdhd, it might occur to her that if she completeil
abandoned a ;ink of connection which hampered her,
movements without imparting to her any additional
strength, she might be enabled to effect a Beni( anent
more favourable than any she could hope for if the
previous sanction of England and France were inane
indispensable. This, we believe, furnishes the trill'
explanation of those direct negotiations between
Denmark and the German Powers which are 1101/9
to all appearances, harmoniously progressing'
But although the Danish Envoys are entitled
to go direct to Berlin and Vienna without passing
through London and Paris, it is needless to Bel,
that neither of the great maritime Powers, and
more especially France, have abandoned all into'
rest in the future of Denmark, The Scandinavian
kingdom might, for example, assent to an arrange'
ment with the German Powers which would to
it, personally considered, be more advateter
geous than the division of Schleswig e,t Apenraeav
but which France would not assent W—we mean
the admission of Denmark into the Germanic Con:
federation. Every politician knows that even 11
the line of Apenraad were agreed upon between
Denmark and Germany, the absorption of North
Schleswig and Jutland into Germany would b°
only a matter of time. The Danish Government
may, therefore, conceive that ie would be infinitely
better to enter bodily into the Build, and preserve
the independence of the Danish monarchy, than to
allow it to be absorbed piecemeal. This, hovveveri,
as we pointed out a few days since, is but one. 01
several courses open to Denmark, any of wlllOl,,
would be at least as favourable as the scheme 01
settlement proposed at the Conference by the Ger-
man representatives. We think it right, however,
to give it special prominence, not mere ly because it
has been much eanvassed, but because the semi"official organs of the French Governmen t have intl.'
mated that its realisation would give rise to grave
complications. A consideration of this kind
would
scarcely deter Denmark from entering ,the Code'
deration, as she cannot be expected to consult the
interests of those who have left her t o contend
alone with Germany ; but whether it would have
the effect of preventing the Bund admitting the
Scandinavian kingdom would remain to be seen'
The negotiations between the Danish and German
Governments are of course secret, and some time
may elapse before even their basis is made known ;
but, however they are conducted, or u pon what
footing, we must not hastily conclude that the
Danish question is on the point of being dt:fillitiVell
settled.