The Sun.
London, England, 1864-12-16 00:00:00

and honest and honourable men will judge between
the oppressed and oppressors. All must respect
the notion which influenced the Danish inhabitants
of Schleswig thus to come forward and " greet
their old Sovereign for the last time." The occa-
sion was a touching one, and it sadness and sor-
row prevailed, shame and disgrace had no part on
either side. There was a quiet dignity in the tone
that pervaded both the deputation and the King
that were suitable to those who were in such try-
ing circumstances. It must be a source of dissatie.
faction to the tyrants who have wrought their
destruction to find such sentiments of loyalty and
attachment to the throne influencing those subjects
of King CHRIsTIAN, whom it has pleased them to
depict as ill-content with the rule that was over
them. In earnestness and eloquence this spirit of
devotion is expressed, and a more honourable me-
mento could not be put upon the grave of their
departed allegiance—" We shall preserve our re-
membrance of bygone days, and the Dscish people
on this side of the Konigssu will never forget its
brothers beyond, for all our recollections are in
common." Who can peruse these words and not be
roused to indignation at the scandalous course of
policy which has caused such misery and wrought
such evil. " What millions died that CzSAR might
be great," has been truly said in censure of such
extravagant attempts at conquest ; but it is diffi-
cult to conceive for what purpose all this misery
has been inflicted on the kingdom of Denmark and
her possessions. Certainly neither greatness nor
glory has been achieved, and the gain has not been
so considerable that a powerful kingdom like Prussia
should compromise its reputation and alienate
its best allies and most strenuous sup-
porters. The King's reply was characteris-
tic of himself, and well adapted to the occasion.
Self-reproach cannot attach itself to King CHRIS-
TIAN, for under very trying circumstances he has
always endeavoured to act in accordance with the
claims of justice, truth, and honour, and he can thus
claim the sympathies of all who respect misfortunes
nobly borne and sorrows that are endured with
fortitude and resignation. He dwelt at length
upon the regrets with which he viewed this inevi-
table separation from Schleswig, and declared that
it was his chief concern at the present time ; of all
his cares and sorrows, lately so numerous, nothing
has so depressed his mind and weighed upon his
heart than the " separation from the brave, faithful.
and loyal Schleswigers." It is impossible to dwell
upon this address, and the reply to it, without
feeling more and more convinced that England
has much to answer for in this disastrous and dis-
graceful affair. Much is required from those isdi-
viduals,to whom much is given, and nations are
not exempt from the duties and claims of great
power, wealth, and influence. The best satire on
the conduct of our Gcvernment in respect to its
policy, is to reflect how different would have been
the case had Prussia been in peril from enemies as
unscrupulous and exacting as herself. We would
not then have witnessed such base truckling to the
strong—such desertion of those Rho had received
our promises of support, and such a condonation of
cruelty and injustice on the part of our Adminis-
trators. Right and reason are not affected, how.
ever, by the accidents of place and power ; and in
this quarrel between King CHRISTIAN and his
former subjects, we recognise another proof of the
evil effects which have been occasioned by the un-
due preponderance of German influence which pre-
vails in our Councils and Cabinet.

Were it not for the €3.traordinary lengths to
which men sometimes allow themselves to be
carried by foregone conclusions and long-established
prejudice, we should almost be inclined to regard
the proceedings of the gentlemen who yesterday
waited upon Mr ADAMS as conducted in a spirit
of satire. It is certainly dlficult to believe that
at the present date a number of intelligent and

influential Englishmen should be found to attend
upon the American Minister with the view of

tendering him an address for presentation to Mr
LINCOLN, in congratulating him and the world
at large on his re-election as President. It is
still more difficult to believe that the intentions
of these gentlemen were really serious when we
find them both in their introductory speeches and
in the terms of their address felicitating the
Northern States on their abhorrence of slavery,
and their sacrifices on behalf of the negro, and
more especially congratulating the Federal autho-
rities on their kindness to their wounded pri..
soners, and the general spirit of moderation and
humanity in which they have conducted the_war,
in grateful contrast to " the deplorable and san-
guinary ferocity of European despots.' Of course,
when addressed in such terms, it was not neces-
sary for Mr ADAMS to keep too closely to incon-
venient facts, so accordingly we learn that with
reference to the late Presidential election,
"Never was a canvass more perfectly free,
nor more latitude taken in the discus-
sion of public questions and of the charac-
ters of public men." Certainly these gen-
tlemen on both sides have contrived to bring some
very novel facts to light—facts which are strik-
ingly in opposition to all ordinary intelligence.
But the members of the Emancipation Society are
not inclined to be governed by any ordinary influ-
ences or to accept the conclusions which to most
men seem inseparable from existing facts. Mr.
EVANS, the Chairman, as the exponent of their opi-
nions, leaves no doubt as to the view which they
take of the complicated struggle now going on in
America. The "awakened conscience" of the
North is the explanation which he gives of the con-
flict between commercial and agricultural or pro•
ductive interests. " The awakened feeling of the
North on the subject," he says, " has driven the
slaveholders to rebellion, and that is really the
whole cause of the war." He does not explain
why the slaveholders should have proceeded to
open hostilities when the awakened conscience of
the North had produced no visible results. If the
North had proclaimed abolition and the South had
taken up arms to resist the enforcement of such
a measure, there might be some ground for putting
the cause of dispute on such a footing; but as
nothing of the kind was ever talked of, and as
the North began the war on the plea of enforcing
the Southern contributions to the national)

expenses, it is not easy to see the connection
between the effect and this pretended cause.
The North did not attempt to quit the
slaveholders, or to cast out the offenders from
among them, their great object is to retain them
in their midst. The famous Emancipation Pro-
clamation, which is the only base upon which Mr
LINCOLN can rest his pretensions as an Aboli-
tionist, was not issued till after many months of
deadly war; and when it did appear, it took very
good care only to deal with the slaves of the so
called rebels, and did not interfere in any way
with the property of loyal subjects. If emancipa.
tion was an imperevive duty on the part of the
State, it was as much obligatory on the loyal sub-
jects as the rebels, but no modification even of the
hardships of slavery was pressed upon them. Those
who wish to extend their principles by force should
at by practising them th€
least begin
elves ; bra?me
a sudden Wholesale emancipation the negroes,
without any provision for finding ea ployment for
the abliabodied or proFiaiou for the Fick and aged,