The Sun.
London, England, 1864-05-25 00:00:00

of the Confederate States is so clearly con-
tradicted by their actions that it is regarded by the
world—not even excepting the United States—as a
mere cover for actual hostility, and the President
cannot but feel that this is a just view of it. Were,
indeed, her Majesty's Government sincere in a de-
sire and determination to maintain neutral, the Pre-
sident could not but feel that they would neither be
just nor gallant to allow the subjugation of a nation
like the Confederate States by such a barbarous
despotic race as are now attempting it. He cannot
but feel, with the history and traditions of the
Anglo-Saxon race before him, that under a Govern-
ment faithfully representing the people of Great
Britain the whole weight and power of that nation
would be unhesitatingly thrown into the scale in
favour of the principles of free government on which
th se States were originally formed, and for which
alone the Confederate States are now struggling.
He cannot but feel that with such a Government,
and with the plea of neutrality urged on the people
as it now is, no such pitiful spectacle could be wit-
nessed as is now manifested by her Majesty's pre-
sent Government in the persistent persecution of the
Confederate States at the beck and bidding of offi-
cers of the United States; while a Prime Minister
mocks and insults the intelligence of a House of
Commons and of the world, by excusing the parmis-
sion to allow British subjects to go to the United
States to fight against us, by the paltry subterfuge
that it was the great demand for labour and the high
rate of wages that were taking them thither. He
cannot but feel that a neutrality most cunningly,
audaciously, fawningly, and insolently sought and
urged, begged and demanded by one belligerent and
repudiated by the other, must be seen by all impar-
tial men to be a mere pretext for aiding the cause of
one at the expense of the other ; while pretending
to be impartial, to be, in short, but a cover for
treacherous, malignant hostility.
As for the specious arguments on the subjecct
of the rams advanced by Earl Russell, the Pre-
dent desires me to state that he is content to
leave the world and history to pronounce judg-
ment upon this attempt to heap injury upon
insult by declaring that her Majesty's Government
and law officers are satisfied of the questions in-
volved, while those questions are still before the
highest legal tribunal of the kingdom, composed of
members of the Government and the highest law
officers of the Crown, for their decision. The Pre-
sident himself will not condescend to notice them.—
I have the honour to be your lordship's obedient
iervant,

BURTON HARRISON, Private Secretary.

Prussia and the Federal Diet,

The following :circular despatch, forwarded by
Herr von Bismark to the diplomatic agents of
Prussia at foreign Courts, and relating to the Prus-
sian negotiatiors with the Federal Diet respecting
the occupation of the island of Fehmarn, has been
received at Mr, Rsuter's office :

" BERLIN, May 8.
" Your Excellency is already aware that the

Commander-in-Chief of the Allied Army in Schles-
wig had proposed to Lieutenant-General von [take,

commanding the Execution troops in Holstein, to
undertake the occupation of the island of Fehmarn,
and that the latter applied to the Federal Diet for
instructions whether he should comply with this

request. The manner in which the proposal was

received determined us to abstain from further pro-

secnting the idea, the execution of which was of no
particular value to us. I cannot refrain from an-

vexing a few remarks to this communication, which
will be of themselves obvious to the unprejudiced

observer, but with regard to which I must wish
that they should not escape the especial attention

of the German Gvernments.

"It will be within your recollection that, in
common with the Imperial Austrian Government,

we had desired to see the German Confederation

participate in our efforts to liberate the duchy of
Schleswig from Danish oppression.
" By its resolution of the 14th of January last the
Federal Diet declined this participation, to our
lively regret, and we saw ourselves compelled to
take in hand the maintenance of German interests
with Austria alone. Our proceedings were crowned
with unexpectedly rapid results; yet even after the
first success serious warlike activity remained in
prospect, and we expected then to find in the Ger-
man Goverments the very natural and justifiable

wish to take part in this activity. We were ready
to meet this wish, for we parfcctly understood how
painful it must be, especially to the German troops
stationed in Holstein, to remain inactive spectators
of the warlike deeds of the allied army. This was
the motive of the Austro-Prussian proposition of

the 25th of February, which was clearly most sui
able to the circumstances, and offered the German
Governments the easiest opportunity of participat-
ing by a rapid resolution in the further develop-
ment of warlike events, and at the same time of re-
moving misunderstandings which had arisen with
regard to the requisite measures for securing the
safety of the rear of our army and its provisionment,
and which threatened to offer to the world the
lamentable spectacle of German want of unanimity
at so decisive a moment. The capture of German
ships in addition to Austrian and Prussian vessels
by the Danes without declaration of war, which
followed, was, in our opinion, only calculated to
facilitate this resolution.
" The acceptance of our proposals, on the con-
trary, encountered unexpected obstacles in the most
various quarters. Upon the one hand it was de-
manded that an ulUtnatum should be previously
addressed to Denmark ; upon the other, the parti-
cipation of other German Governments in the oc-
cupation of Holstein by means of distant Federal
army corps was required. Difficulties were further
raised upon the score of expense ; and, finally,
claim was laid to participation by the Federal Diet
in the administration of the duchy of Schleswig
(conquered by our forces) by a commissioner to be
appointed by the Diet. Little as we could regard
these demands as necessarily based upon the nature
of the matter, we have not opposed the wishes of
the German Governments in one single particular.
The Imperial Austrian Government was equally
ready to come to an understanding. It was only
obliged to insist with us upon preserving the unity
of the military chief command, which it is self-
evident is an important condition of every success.
"As, nevertheless, the negotiations iu the corn..
mittees became protracted, the occupation of the
island of Fehmarn appeared still to cffer a means
for at least the partial practical fulfilment of the
wishes of our allies to participate in action without
waiting for the eventual development of the ques-
tions involved in the proposal of the 25th of Febru
ary. The very circumstance of the exposed position
of the island to attack, and the prospect thereby
afforded of actual warlike activity, must as we
conceived render our proposition agreeable to the
troops in Holstein and to the German Govern-
ments. It was eelient that above all rapid deter-
mination was here required, and we were all the
more justified in expecting such, as the Federal
Diet had raised claims to this island years ago in
the name of Holstein, the fulfilment of which could
but have been facilitated by the measure proposed.
" But here also delays, scruples, and preliminary
considerations again stepped in, and here also it
was of no avail that we were ready, in full accord-
ance with the Imperial Austrian Government,
rapidly to terminate these preliminary considera-
tions as to reinforcing the Execution troops by our
consent. General von Hake has not yet received
the powers requested weeks ago, and there is no
prospect of his receiving them at present. In face
of this turn, which we had indeed not anticipated,
it becomes our duty to allow the matter to drop
and to pursue our proposal no further.
" But we have also been forced by this condition
of affairs to gather the lamentable experience with
what difficulties we should have to cope if we were
to rely upon the Diet in political action of great
extent, or—b as been so frequently demanded of us
—were to follow its impulse. If, after the rejec-
tion of the resolution of the 11th of January, we
had not availed ourselves of our right of indepen-
dent action in common with Austria, the whole
matter would probably not yet have emerged from
the stage of theoretical discussion. And if it had
come to such a Conference as is now assembled icy
London, and as was proposed even then, wtat posi-
tion would the Diet and a representative of the