The Sun.
London, England, 1864-02-03 00:00:00

T EfE r NVASION OF SCHLESWIG,

(From the TiMeT Correspondent.)
HAMBURG, San. 31,
As is &DI netimes the case on the eve of a struggle,
the neare r one gets to its contemplated scene the
more unf ►nimous becomes the opinion concerning it.
la E ngl and, judging from what I hear from travel.
lers recently arrived thence, many still believe in
the maintenance of peace ; in Berlin, where the rea-

eor•.s are better understood that render this most

difficult, persons are still to be found who, although
tL ey can hardly state plausible grounds for the hope
or fear, yet imagine that war may be averted. But
here, in Hamburg, at three hours' rail from the
'?:der, I have met with nobody who did not seem

convinced that Denmark and Germany (so far
at least as Prussia and Austria represent the latter
country) are on the very verge of inevitable hosti-
lities. It is hardly necessary to add that the
opinion is equally unanimous as to the side of the
question on which the right is, and that one hears
on ail sides, here and in Altona, the most fer-
vent wishes expressed for the speedy ejection of

tile Danes from Schleswig, Anybody who came to
Hamburg to try to get at both sides of the question
Nvould make but a bootless journey. You may find
not a few persons among the very intelligent
inhabitants of this great and prosperous city who
will state the case temperately and in a moderate
and impartial spirit; but the result arrived at is
invariably the same—the one inexorable condition
of contentment is the absolute severance of the
Duchies from Denmark. As regards war, the mere

passage of such large bodies of troops through the
place suffices to inspire the belief that they will
hardly return without blows having been struck
from a frontier where they will find themselves, so
to speak, foot to foot with the foe. But, apart from
the impression made by the martial display and by
the arrival of an army from Germany's southern-
most State to array itself on her most northern
frontier, every probability seems in favour of a fight,
always supposing the general conviction correct
that the Danes will not quit Schleswig, except at
the bayonet's point. The time appears, indeed, com-
pletely past for the discussion of the legal or diplo-
matic question. It may return soon, let us hope,
and be more successfully employed, but just now
the voice of the cannon seems about temporarily to
replace all other arguments pro and con. The re-
spective theories of Russell and of Bismark on the
Treaty of 1852, its value, the pretensions of Augus-
tenburg, &c., fall into the background for the mo-
ment, in presence of the conflict about to commence
—which must commence, apparently, barring the
intervention of something not unlike a miracle. We
are told of a strong note sent by our Government
two or three days ago to that of Prussia. It will
he of no avail. The Germans do not believe that
England will fight in a quarrel which does not more
directly affect her interests or touch her honour
than this about the Duchies. They greatly doubt
that her respect for the Treaty of 1852, and her
conviction of the importance of preserving Schles-
wig from being trampled by a German army will
induce her to send troops to Denmark, and to risk
,detriment to her trade and increase of her income-
tax. We hear reports of a contemplated expedition
of 20,000 or 25,000 British troops, but such a force
would not suffice in addition to the little army of
Denmark, and, moreover, supposing that it would,
it cannot arrive in time. If it comes of course it
must be to fight ; as a mere garrison for Copenhagen
and the islands it is not required. A British squa-
dron in the Baltic, say some, a rigorous blockade of
nil the German ports, would soon bring them to
reason. It might do so ultimately, but it will
hardly stay the advance of 70,000 Prusso-Austrians
who, before a week is out, will be ranged along the
Eider. In short, the feeling among the Germans
seems to be that if England does anything, it may
have influence on the progress or close of the war,
but it will not prevent its beginning. The only
thing that might, and probably would, even at the
point to which things have come, make the two
_great German Powers to hesitate, and perhaps to
recede, is a decided declaration on the part of
France. Doubtless, that would have a great effect,
especially on Austria. France, however, it seems
generally believed, will do nothing of the sort, but
-will maintain her independent attitude, sulking over
the rejected Congress, and will let the cannon speak
before uplifting her own voice. Whatever she as
yet has done in sapport of British urgency has
evidently been too light to have weight at Berlin
and Vienna.
It was fully expected that the summons to the
Danes to evacuate Schleswig would have been de-
spatched before the end of the month now expiring,
but the bringing up of the troops has taken rather
more time than was calculated upon, and this is the
cause of the delay. Through Hamburg and Lubeck
the armed tide has flowed in two concurrent streams.
.Austrians are still passing through this city, but it
is believed the last will leave to-day. One sees
them in the streets and sauntering on the broad
walks of the Sungfernstieg, in white coats and gray,
infantry, cavalry, and artillery, some with the queer
enelon-shaped caps which the French laugh at,some
in the tight blue pantaloons of the Hungarian regi-
ments ; and many are the tongues in which they
discurse.

A train full of Italian cavalry or artillery went by
on Friday at a station at which I found myself. We
are accustomed to hear of the French in a good many
places—sometimes, as at Rome, in places where they
have no business to be, or, as in Mexico, in places
whither they rather wish they had not gone—but
really, when we look back on the last eight or ten
years, it seems as if the Austrians were still more
übiquitous, at least as far as Europe is concerned.
One meets them quite as old acquaintances. Here
are the same uniforms and some of the very same
faces which I saw, only the other day it seems, living
in fat and almost free quarters in Wallachia, and
larding it over the malcontent Italians in Lombardy.
Gladly would they have remained in both places;
but though expelled thence, in one case by a peace
and in the other by a war, we still find them pretty
-widely spread from the Danube to the Rhine, and
down to that Mincio which their brave columns
crossed, after a reverse which was no disgrace,
on the bloody evening of Solferino. And now, here
we have them on the Elbe, bound northwards to
the Eider, a fine army, although of many races and
a very Babel of tongues. In Holstein they go east-
'wards, and the Prussians west, Rendsburg being
the Paint where the armies touch each other. Neu-
raunster and Kiel are the chief Prussian places of ren-
dezvous; but it is presumable that the former will
only be a place of passage, as the whole army is to be
echeloned alongthe Eider. According to information
on which I have reason to rely, the combined army
numbers 68,000 met. "Besides these there are the
3.2,000 Saxons and lianoverians, but it is, of course,
a question 110 W far the co-operation is to be reckoned
upon. The Austria-Prussians have a, superabundance
of cavalry,
which may be said to diminish their ap.
parent strength, since in an attack
on the Danne-
werk it would be of comparatively little use, the
work there being forinfantryand artillery. As re-
gards the strength of the Danish army
Southern
Zehleswig, an excellent authority in Hamburg
yes-
terday told me it was from 55,000 to 40,000
; an
equally good one in Altona stated it is certainly not
exceeding 30,000. So we may take it as from
30,000 to 35,000 at the outside. The whole Danish
army is not more than 50,000, and wo must allow
for troops in garrisons out of Schleswig and for the
battalions of Holgteiners and Schleswigers which
have been weakened by desertions, or which it is
deemed unsafe to bring to the front. Some Selales-
wigers are quartered in the Island of Alsen—not
alone, but mingled with troops on whom greater re-
liance can be placed. In the town of Schleswig, ac-
cording to very recent intelligence, there were 1,000
men. The great length of the Dannewerk, and of
the lake in connection with it, renders a large force
necessary for its defence. The state of the weather
will make a great difference in the prospects of both
parties. Thursday was a pouring day in Hamburg,
but at night a keen wind sprung up from the north,
and before morning everything was ironbound with
frost, and the cold was very severe all Friday, yes-
terday was bright and sunny, and there were some
indications of a thaw, but the frost held to a con-
siderable extent; there was skating in the warmest
part of the day, and last night it again froze,
altheugh the absence of wind makes ili;) cold leas

sensible. It is fine weather for marching and fight-
ing, and if the cold is sufficiently severe in Schleswig
to freeze the water defences on which the Danes
greatly reckon, the moment would be favourable for
the Germans. On this head I shall know more at
Kiel.

The Crown Prince of Prussia passed through
Hamburg this morning on his way to Marshal
Wrangel's head quarters. Prince Frederick of
Augustenburg—or the Duke of Schleswig-Holstein,
as be is now invariably called in these parts—has
left Kiel for a few days' shooting on the estate of
Col. Buchwaldt, at Neundorf, about 20 miles from
that town. There are a good many people going
out shooting just now in that direction, and we may
hear of some very big bags being made before many
days are over. You will probably have learnt by
telegraph that the Danes have begun to retire from
the Eider. For some days past it has not been ex-
pected that they would make a stand on this side
the Dannewerk. That is their stronghold, their
, quadrilateral," and they are not going to risk a
Solferino by'engaging superior forces in front of the
good defensive position it affords. The universal
opinion here seems to be, so far as I have had time
to ascertain it, that they certainly will fight. There
is great irritation on both sides, and the conflict,
when once engaged, ought to be both fierce and
stubborn. The forcing of the Dannewerk seems
considered tantamount to the expulsion of the Danes
from Schleswig. There is no position, I am as,
sured, in rear of that line, of a nature to encourage
a defeated army to rally and defend it.
The report, of the accuracy of which strong doubts
were recently expressed to you from Berlin, of a
neighbourly convention between Denmark and Swe-
den, in virtue of which the Stockholm Government
would send troops to occupy Copenhagen and Zealand,
so as to allow all the Danish army to be sent to the
front, has been received since I wrote. Information
I have obtained here induces me to renew the ex-
pression of my disbelief in its correctness. Recent
letters from Gottenburg declare it wholly devoid of
foundation. A Dane lately told me that he and
many of his countrymen would extremely regret to
see Swedish troops occupying their capital, and
that feeling is doubtless to be taken in connexion
with the designs of the Scandinavian party. You
remember the reports current just after the death
of Frederick VII., and when it was doubted whether
Christian IX. would sanction that unlucky joint
Constitution,—rumours with which the name of
Prince Oscar of Sweden were connected. They may
think at Copenhagen that it is bad enough to have
Schleswig overrun by Germans, without risking the
proclamation of a Swedish Sovereign in Zealand.
Without impeaching the good faith of the Swedish
Government, there is a party in Denmark itself
which might endeavour to profit by an opportunity.
And the poverty of Sweden might make her hesi-
tate before the expense of despatching an army
abroad, except with the certainty of advantages to
be gained, or at least of compensation.

P.S.—Since the above was written I find that the

whole of the Austro-Prussian forces will not have
entered Holstein before Tuesday night at soonest.
The last of the Austrians are here, completing about
26,000 men. Twenty-eight to thirty thousand
Prussians have passed here and at Lubeck. Some
infantry of the Prussian Guard and some other
battalions have still to come, and will be followed
by the heavy artillery. The head-quarters of the
Austrians are at Nordtorf, and of the Prussians at
Bordesholm. Should the Danes be dislodged from
the Dannewerk, the next position they could take
up is at Bau, by Flensburg., whence their retreat
would be to the island of Alsen, opposite to which
the Germans would have to leave a strong force to
keep them in check while the main body advanced
into the north of Schleswig. The Alsen Sound,
between that island and the mainland, is very nar-
row, but extremely deep, alio Ting the passage of
large ships of war.