The Sun.
London, England, 1864-02-26 00:00:00

The Dano-German Correspondence.

The second part of the correspondence respecting
the affairs of the Duchies of Schleswig and Holstein
was issued yesterday. The correspondence begins
on Jan. 21, 1863, and is brought down in the present
publication to Sept. 30, 1863. Two distinct periods
are embraced in it. In the first, extending from
Jan. 21 to March 30, 1863, we have several
despatches from our representative at Copenhagen
and from others, relating the proceedings of the
Danish Landsthing and the Holstein Estates, show-
ing the motives and nature of the resolution of
Denmark, embodied in the now repealed patent of
March 30, 1863.

Amongst the most interesting papers is the
following despatch, dated Paris, Sept. 18, in
which Mr. Grey communicates to Earl Rus-
sell the remarks of M, Drouyn de Lhuys
upon certain propositions of the noble earl.
Mr. Grey says :—" The communication which I
made to him to-day involved, he (M. Drouyn de
Lhuys) said, a more formal step, and one in which
he, for his part, could see no prospect of advantage.
The offer of good offices would he thought be useless
(inutile). The second mode of proceeding suggested
by your lordship, viz., To remind Austria, Prussia,
and the German Diet, that any acts on their part
tending to weaken the integrity and independence
of Detimark would be at variance with the treaty of
the Bth of May, 1852,' would be in a great measure
analogous to the course pursued by Great Britain
and France in the Polish question. He had no in-
clination (and he frankly avowed he should so speak
to the Emperor) to place France in the same posi-
tion with reference to Germany as she had been
placed with regard to Russia. The formal notes
addressed by the three Powers to Russia had re-
ceived an answer which literally meant nothing,
and the position in which those three great
powers were now placed was anything but
dignified ; and if England and France were to ad-
dress such a reminder as that proposed to Austria,
Prussia, and the German Confederation, they must
be prepared to go further, and to adopt a course
of action more in accordance with the dignity
of two great Powers than they were now doing in
the Polish question. France was not, his excellency
said, by any means indifferent to the maintenance
of the integrity and independence of Denmark, and
it was not from any indifference that he disapproved
of your lordship's suggestion. He had already re-
presented to the German Powers that if they
invaded Holstein for the purpose of effecting
a revolt in Schleswig, or if they went further and
invaded Schleswig itself, they would be infringing
on the rights of an independent sovereign,
and entering upon a grave question affecting
the balance of power in Europe, to which
France could not remain indifferent. His excel-
lency conceived, therefore, that all your lordship
now suggests had been done, unless it was desired
to take a more formal step, such as the presentation
of an identic note, or the simultaneous presentation
of notes of similar purport. To this mode of pro-
ceeding he had the strongest objection for the rea-
sons stated above. He desired to preserve entire
liberty of action for France in this matter; and unless
her Majesty's Government was prepared to go fur-
ther, if necessary, than the mere presentation of a
note and the receipt of an evasive reply he was sure
the Emperor would not consent to adopt your lord-
ship's suggestion."
The following " extract', is also interesting :
" EARL RUSSELL TO COUNT WACUTMEISTER.

"Foreign Office, 25th September, 1863.

" (Extract.)

"Her Majesty's Government set the highest value
on the independence and integrity of Denmark.
Her Majesty's Government would be ready to
offer their good offices to the two parties to contend
in arms. Her Majesty's Government would be
ready to do so in conjunction with France alone.
But the course which her Majesty might be advised
to take with regard to these matters, if the good
offices of her Majesty's Government should be un-
successful, must be the subject of future considera-
tion and decision. Her Majesty's Government are
not prepared to say that Denmark is altogether in
the right, or that Germany has not some grounds of
complaint in reference to the condition of the Ger-
man population in Schleswig. But they think these
d fferences should be the subject of negotiation either
in conferences or otherwise, and should not be
brought to the issue of war. Her Majesty's Go-
vernment will be ready to remind Austria and
Prussia of their treaty obligations to respect the
integrity and independence of Denmark."
In September Prince Gortchakoff, on behalf of
the Russian Government, wrote to Baron Brunnow
that Russia, France, and England had an equal
interest in the maintenance of the independence
and integrity of the Danish monarshy, and " if the
Cabinet of London thought fit on its part to reas-
sure the Danish Government on the result in the
event of war, its representative at Copenhagen would
meet with the most sincere cooperation on the part
of the Baron de Nicolay." And to the Russian
ambassador at Copenhagen, that no one could contest
the right of the German Diet to give effeet to the
resolutions to which it gave expression by its vote of
July 9. But "it will reflect, we trust, upon the seri-
ous consequences for the tranquillity of Germany
itself, which might be incurred by an intervention,
which should exceed the strict limits of its com-
petence. Whatever may be the rights which may
result to it from the arrangements of 1851-52, as
regards Dachy of Schleswig, the Diet could not
have the intention to cause a purely Federal ques-
tion to assume the proportions of an international
affair."

It may be mentioned, however, that all this cor-
respondence took place previously to Kin; Frederic's
death, and that the public has as yet not one tittle
of information to enable it to form an opinion on the
policy of the Government during the last three
months—that being precisely the period in which
the whole interest of the question is centred.