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

SPIRIT OF THE PUBLIC JOURNALS.

-4

TIMES.—The first blood in the Schleswig cam-
paign has been shed in a battle which has been a
victory for the Danes. The telegraph informs us
that the Prussians attacked the Danish position at
Missunde yesterday morning, and were repulsed
after a conflict of six hours. Thus are we once
more spectators of warfare the details of which are
brought us fresh from the field of battle, before the
dead are cold, and while the wounded are still drag-
ging themselves to the rear. The little town of
Missunde, on the Schlei, is the scene of the first
encounter in a campaign which may have the most
important effects on European policy. History
seems as if it were about to repeat itself in the new
Schleswig campaign. In these countries there is,
indeed, not much choice of fields of battle. Two or
three main lines of road leading to two or three
principal towns are to be lost or won, and then the
contest is at an end. Almost 16 years ago the kro.9-
sians entered Schleswig, and took the towns of
Schleswig and Fiensburg, just as they are now in-
tent on taking them. A year later the Schleswio6-
Holsteiners attacked the Danes at Missunde and
Eckernforde, pretty much as is described in the
telegraphic despatches of to-day. The position of
the opposing armies in this campaign is soon de-
scribed. The Danes occupy a line south of the Schlei,
from Eckernforde to Hollirgstedt. Their left is
strengthened by a work extending from the bay of
Eckernforde nearly to the Schlei. Their main force
protects the town of Schleswig, and their left ex-
tends to the Dannewerk, their whole force, of which
very different estimates are given, being spread over
a rether long line of defence. According to the
report of the Danish Commander,the Prussians had
attacked his outposts, and were advancing towards
Missunde with the intention of forcing the passage
of the Schlei. The later news gives the result of the
movement. Missunde is on the south bank of the
firth, at the point where what may be called the bay
of Schleswig narrows to the dimensions of a river. It
is here that that the Prussians' it seems, desire to
cross in order to cut off the Danes from the sea. Field-
Marshal von Wrangel, probably, has his recol-
lections of 1848, when the Danes retired before
him and gained the island of Alsen, where their
fleet made them secure, and in the neighbourhood
of which the Prussians and Hanoverians met with
the bloody repulse of Doppeln. It is, therefore, an-
ticipated now that the General will operate on the
east coast of the peninsula. A German despatch de-
clares that the passage of the Schlei is to be at once
forced at this point, and the Danes cut off from the
sea, while the Austrians operate on their centre.
This, the Germans expect, will end in the destruc-
tion of the Danish army. The Prussian Commander,
with the Crown Prince and Prince Albrecht, who
accompany him to see the only campaign of their
countrymen in later times, had set out to join the
advancing army, and the Princes were possibly pre-
sent at the defeat of their countrymen. The retiring
which the despatch speaks of refers probably to the
retreat from Eckernforde which General tleza men-
tions, and, as the events prove, gives no ground for
believing that the Danes will evacuate their present
strong positions without a contest. It is useless
further to speculate on the events of which intelli-
gence may be brought us at any moment. The
Austro-Pruesian army hes taken the field in num-
bers which must make the tack of the Danes in de-
fending their territory one of the most arduous
that ever fell to the lot of a nation. From the cam-
paign of 1848 both parties have learnt losaons. The
Danish army at that tiers was quite unprepared for
war, as the Government could never have expected
the revolutionary fervour which arose in every dis-
contented population as the coneequenee of the
events at Paris. As now, a new King was on the
throne, a new Constitution had been adopted, and
the civil administration of the kingdom was una
settled. But the Danish military system is now in
far better order. For a long time the people have
been expecting some such events as are now taking
place, and both in numbers and efficiency their army
is highly respectable. The fortifications, which
had been neglected, are in excellent order ; and
were the Danes opposed to anything like equal
forces, their ability to hold the: Northern Duchy
would be undoubted. But the GZ,rman Powers
have also been careful to avoid the mis-
take of 1848, which consisted in fighting
the Danes on too equal terms. A sturdy people,
holding a country which they have spent EO much
in rendering secure, must be dangerous opponents.
In the last campaign the Danes showed an obsti-
nacy in defending positions and a capacity for mak-
ing the best of narrow resources which have gained
for them the ready applause of their opponents.
Although compelled by the strength of Prussia to
retire, they took up an impregnable position in a
neighbouring island, from which they were able to
renew the struggle against the revolted inhabitants
of the Duchies. Their fleet played a great part in
the war, blockading the chief ports of Germany
both in the Baltic and the North Sae, and though
at one time the monarchy seemed to have come to
its last gasp. fortune in the end remained with it.
The Austro-Prussian leaders no doubt think that it
will be unpardonable to allow so doubtful a game
to be played over again. Denmark successful, or
even struggling heroically for a time, would gain a
sympathy that might make the position of Germany
insecure. For their own credit, and for the safety
of the Fatherland, it is necessary that what is done
should be done quickly and thoroughly. Hence the
overpowering force which is sent to the Eider, and
the attempted cutting off of the Danes from their
former line of retreat. What the success of this
strategy may be remains to be seen, but from the
speeches of the Daribh statesmen, the addresses of
the Legislature, and the acts cf the King, we can
hardly believe that the great line of defence will
pass into the hands of the enemy without such a re-
sistance as these unanimous declarations of patriot-
ism are likely to inspire. Turning; from military to
political events, we see with satisfaction that Field
Marshal von Wrangel has declared to the Pn
tants of the Duchies that the Commissioners of Aus-
tria and Prussia would assume the administration of
both Schleswig and Holstein. This announcement
is likely to cause a great outcry in Germany, and deep
disappointment among the partisans of the Prince of
Augustenburg, but it is consistent with j ustice,Enro-
peen policy, and the laws of war. Prussia and Aus-
tria have virtual possession of one Duchy, and they
aim at establishing themselves in the other. If they
conquer, they have a right to rule. Holstein has
been evacuated by the Danes through deference to
them, and not to the Federal corps; Holstein may,
therefore, be considered as resigned to Austro-Prus-
shgn rule. If Schleswig be abandoned, the same
ruli3 be established by the same right—that of
conquest, If the allies actually bring the Duchies
under their owi:
administration, they will be able
with greater case to
carry out their engagements to
Europe and restore the
Duchies to the King of
Denmark, after taking scout-ill' for the observance
of all that was promised in 1h'..5 1 by the late King.
That the partisans of the Prince of Augustenburg
are endeavouring to do in Schleswig Nethat was done
in Holstein is evident from the news which we
publish to-day, that the Prince had been proc:etimed
at Eckenforde. So long as the Duchies remain in
the occupation of Saxon or Hanoverian troops, no
opposition to these proceedings can be expected;
but the Prussian Commander's warning to the
Schieswigers to abstain from party agitation shows
the responsibility era great Power, and gives hopes
that the engagements of the two States will be held
sacred.
POST.—The announcement which we publish this
morning, that George Victor Townley has been pro-
nounced sane, and that the capital sentence of Beath
has been commuted to one of penal servitude for
life, will probably occasion some surprise. That
surprise, however, will vanish on a perusal of the
medical report on which the Home Secretary has
based his present proceeding, and of the letter ad
dressed by his directions to the Visiting Justices of
Derby. We believe there were not a dozen men
in the entire community who believed in Townley's
insanity, and it will bo a source of some satisfaction
to the public that the criminal has not entirely
escaped punishment. To be confined in a lunatic
asylum, especially if sane, is undoubtedly a ter-
rible hardship, but it cannot be termed a legal
punishment in the proper acceptation of that
term. Logically, the Government were undoubt-
edly bound, on being furnished with evidence
of fownley's sanity, to allow the law t o take
bits
course, and offer no opposition to the fulfilment
the Sheriff of Derby of the terrible duty imposed
upon him. But it was felt that, after respite, it
would have been indecent to hang
sentimenteenwt
ofre wretched
criminal. We almost doubt if a
sentiment deli-
cacy has not in
the
conclusive evidence is now
present
strained, The
furnished that Townley was not only sane at the
time he killed Miss Goodwin,
most
the verdict
since that o f the jury, bat that ls whiche
vheaass
atno foundtime by
insanebeen act was committed, Cue-
' sistently, then, the Government were bound to de-
liver him ovhorowtoevthere executioner.ith Under all the cir-
commute the sentence cumstances, /as been considered advisable
to
pass nce of death, and. George Victor
Townley will
Townley rase" frontttl
the rest of his life in penal servi-
tude. Without
to the present recapitulatinge thus
of thethe
m historyurder
con-
victionmurderer's
that, moment, it may be sufficient
to state in consequence of the representations
made by the Visiting Justices of Derby, of the sin-
gular statements made by those on whose certificates
of Townley'a insanity the Home Secretary deemed
himself obliged to direct the criminal to be removed
from a gaol to a lunatic asylum, and above all, of
the unceasing demands made by the press for further
investigation, the Home Secretary, with the tioneur-
rence of the Lord Chancellor, appointed four phya
sieians to institute an inquiry into the state of
Townley's mind. Of tb.eso gentlemen, two are