The Sun.
London, England, 1864-06-14 00:00:00

much assurance, to inquire a little into the hype'
thetical questions which it raises, What, then,
would the Conservatives have done if they helei_
office for the last two or three years, which would'
have placed the country in a better position than
that which it hold's now? The answer is very
simple. They would have known their own minds.
They would have determined how far it was the
duty and interest of England to defend Dentatirk.;"l,
and they would have intimated their decision 1,
clear and unmistakeable terms to Denmark hereelil
and to Germany. If Both the Powers had kney,_
before passions grew warm that the objects were
for which England had resolved to fight, it is 9b
,ak
eioasly improbable that any serious contest woure
have arisen, The mistaken persistency with which''
in the earlier part of the controversy, Denmert
contested some points of mere detail, upon
needless aeiimony was engendered,was
a conviction which Lord Russell had left in the
mind of the Danish Minister that England
pledged, come what might, to uphold the integri.4
of the Danish monarchy. The absolate
rence to English threats with which GereanY.° ty
trodden under foot the plainest treaty obligiti'le
producer, P):
and the most elementary national rights was bilnFl
the result of a profound conviction that Enheitg'l,,lief,
would not fight for anything. That
based upon the issue of the Polish negociatioeel
was disseminated widely
has been fully justified by the result. But 3,30
existence, with all its fatal conseqnences, Igo
through Europe, Bel;
wholly due to the misconduct of the Pree,eo,
Ministers. If Ministers is power had been less
addicted to bluster and more sensitive to Wld
honour, both parties in the present dispute elau,t
have known from the first exactly what they aligmk
depend on, and how far they might go. Dellnlalet
would have known to what extent she might east
upon English aid, and upon what points she 111,11,0
trust to her own strength. Germany would Rabe
known that there was a limit beyond which, 0017
might not step without encoantering the whole of
England's power. Forewarned beforehand, neitt"o
would have drifted into this fatal struggle, pop
which embittered feeling and compromised h°
13°;e0
now forbids either to retreat. The Conservallo
have strong ground, therefore, for censuring 're
Ministry, and looking simply tu, the past. The,;
is no need to inquire whether the policy the 0°1,,,,
1;;
merit are now following—if they are following
at all—is a right or a wrong one. It is net a qba
tion of present policy. The question is hoiv
men who now hold office are fit to be trusted IV fir
any policy at all. They are simply incoropeten„o
Their conduct upon the Danish and Polish questie;
has shown them to be unfit depositaries of PeWehe
They have dragged England's honour through '0
dirt. They have threatened where they dared .13i0
strike, and their timidity has betrayed 0,44
nations of men far nobler than themselves. .I."'ae
have brought matters to that pass that England
Ito
arm is no longer feared, and England's words filt.,fr
inspire confidence. If no alteration of policy wim.„6,
ever were to ensue from a change of Governeihe're
' still a change is indispensable, because, if the feta
conduct of men may be judged by what they hags
done in the past, new dishonour awaits Englae.„"ot
the result of any negociation these Ministers e";/3
undertake. It is probable, however, that nevi it-b,
would bring to some extent new measures, theuetbr"
of course, it is difficult to speculate upon
nature or extent of any probable change of p°l the
fbe
unless the precise point could be fixed at which
new comers would have to take up the thread
of negociation. In any case, however, ,slO
assuming that a new Government found itselys,
much bound by its predecessors' acts as to bed
110
shied for the moment from going back upon rigoi
and claims that have drifted into history, It"bie
change of Government would bring considers be
assistance to the Danes. Their position would wo
better fitted, their hands would be more free, soy!),
for the task of negotiation. In dealing with nes
vernmeuts of a despotic type personal feeling g"„.
for a great deal. Now, Lord Russell has Cebv,
trived to make himself personally detestable to t.do
two potentates whose voice will principally deels
the future progress of this war. To Austria his
party is traditionally unacceptable, and a perse+l34
point has been given to the general feeling 111,8
extravagant and inconsiderate partizanship of te
Government during the disturbances of which Italy
has recently been the theatre. With France his
position ought to have been better. He has no tra;
ditional predilections to contend against, and ,I 3
great question of national policy has arisen on which
he could well take a side openly antagonistic to the
Emperor napoleon. But what he wanted in OPP°"
tunny he has made up by ingenuity. He has con' d
trived to offer to the Emperor a deep personal
fence upon a matter of simple form. There is no
doubt, that ever since the appearance of the caustic
and rude dispatch in which Lord Russell rejected
the proposal for a Congress, the Emperor has been
unwilling to take any public step in conjunction
with a statesman from whom he had received Bo
gratuitous an affront. A new Foreign Secretor,'
would come into office exempt from these disadvan'
tages, and free from the personal ignominy which
our ancient Pistol has justly earned. It will be
something to have a Foreign Minister whose dip'
lomatic obligations have eat been protested as did'7
honoured in every Chancellerie in Europe. He will
atrike with more effect if vigorous measures are
needed; and if the path of negociation be still open
he will have a better hope of pursuing it to the at*
tainment of an honourab'e settlement.