The Sun.
London, England, 1864-01-19 00:00:00

41
less not without being fully aware of the unpsla•
table nature of their demands that these Powers
make their request, or rather intimate their inten-
tions and issue their commands. They ti ierefore men-
tion the measures to which they will resort in case
of their desires not being complied with. In the
event of this alternative taking place, they declare
that their Ambassadors will be withdrawn. That
this threat is not mere bombast is proved by the
accounts lately received, which testify that Ambas-
sadors before mentioned their intention to the
Government at Copenhagen, and have fixed the
limits of their time to this day (Monday). These
worthy Governments of Austria and. Russia seem
to be trying the coup detat system of policy in this
recent resolve of proc.!ediug to ex'aemities, and it
is quite sufficient proof to those who before doubted
their good intentions and honourable feelings in the
matter; that those were justified who took the
worst view of their actions and gave them credit
for the most inimical intentions. The interests of
Europe are outraged by this violent course of pro-
ceedings; common sense, justice, and national
honour are all arrayed against it, and it remains
to be seen how Denmark will receive the astound-
ing intelligence and resist the flagrant insult so
gr at uitously put upon her. That brave little
country is now indeed upon her trial, and stimu-
Leto( I to show her mettle before the gaze of asto-
nisla ed and bewildered Europe. That she may
come out of this fiery ordeal uncrushed in spirit,
unt a rnished in honour, and unrifled of her posses-
sion c must be the sincere desire and earnest trust
of e eery wellwisher to the cause of freedom, and of
eveley advocate of truth and rectitude. It is not
to b e imagined that the Government of Copenhagen
will tamely brook this insult, and submit to this
indignity, and the accounts that afford the intelli-
gen,;l3 commented upon concur in stating that sub-
misKion is out of the question. It remains, then,
to consider what will next ensue, and to watch
wit'a eagerness and solicitude. But still something
move will be required, and an additional duty will
rest upon the authorities of this country, and be
expo cted by the general expression and avowed
sentiment of public opinion. It is a matter of con-
gratulation that Parliament will so soon meet, for
spirited as were Earl RUSSELL'S despatches, it is
well known that the Foreign Secretary's words and
deeds are not always open or generous. In truth
the dissimilarity is considerable, and they bear as
little resemblance to each other as the contrast ex-
pressed in the national definition of a celebrated
character " who wrote like an angel and talked like
poor Poll." It will not consort with the honour of
our country, it will not represent the principles
that should animate our statesmen, nor exhibit the
spirit and sentiments of our people if we " rest and
are thankful" while a gross injustice is perpetrated
on a people we are bound to support, and with whom
we have but lately become more closely connected
by ties of interest. It will be an irretrievable error
if we permit the present state of things to continue
much longer, and in the name of our ancient glories,
and for the sake of our future fame, let the atti-
tude of England on this occasion be worthy
alike of her honour and her strength. Motives
of expediency and prejudices of parties will not
do in an emergency like this before us now.
While we are tamely and timidly drawing back
into the shade, and every year becoming of less
virtual moment in European crises, the other
Powers are pressing forward to take our vacated
place, and usurp the privileges which are our
appenage, and which can never be in abeyance
without -.disgrace to ourselves and detriment to
The, weight that is attached to our
opinions, the fear that is entertained of our annoy-
ance being manifested in a dangerous manner, is
sufficiently shown by the fact tt at these two
nations have just come forward to insult and in-
illfo a land that is connected with the English
Crown. It is sure time to awake out of sleep
and shake off this lethargy that is consuming us
like the rust and the moth, fretting and wasting
our resources, and sapping the spring of our
energies. There was a rumour that an English
fleet had appeared off Heligoland ; it would be
well if such were confirmed by certainty, at all
events the receipt of successive telegrams furnish
additional grounds for anxiety, and sustain the
unflagging excitement which so momentous a
crisis calls forth. Dark as may seem the prospect,
and conflicting the claims, it is of no use to despair,
and resolution can overcome most obstacles, while
hesitation invites the evil it professes to dread.
There can be no doubt that there will be plenty of
exciting and engrossing topics of discussien for the
Legislature of foreign interest, and none will sur-
pass in interest and importance the Danish diffi-
culty, and the settlement of the Schlesw;g-Holsteien
question.

others.

Among the many subjects that press forward to
engross a statesman's attention at the opening of a
session, there is one that, we hope, will not escape
the notice of the noble earl the leader of her MA-
JESTY'S Opposition. It is not one of paramount
urgency or of Europ?an importance, it does not
cone: rn the faith of treaties, or th 3 rectification of
frontiers. Its discussiou will not disturb the repose
of despotic Kaisers or brighten the hopes of
oppressed nationalities; it will not affect the
pompous deliberations of troublesome Confedera-
tions, or throw a new light on the genealogical
entanglements of the Almanac de Gotha. It may
be brought upon the tapis without fear of ruffling
Mr. SEWARD'S complacency, or of starting Mr.
ADAMS off with another view halloo I It does not
refer in any way (saving in the columns of our
friend Punch) to our material possessions or diplo-
matic diffleulties, either among the Celestials or
the Maories. Nevertheless, we express the feelings
of a considerable portion of the good citizens of
London when we repeat the wish that the Earl of
DERBY may deem this comparatively insignificant

topic worthy of his immediate attention. He is
summoned to the lists as champion on behalf of the
dwellers in London town, who have a reasonable
prospect of having the ground dug from under their
feet, the air darkened above their heads, the custom
cut off from their shops, and the traffic removed
from their highways—and all this under pretence
of conferring an inestimable benefit upon them !
The blessings of railway travelling are to be brought
into the very heart of the metropolis, so that in the
busiest and most crowded centre you are sure to be
within reach of a railway line—or rather of a
dozen railway lines. The eagerness of the compa-
nies to give the public these wonderful advantages
is, doubtless, 2.xtremely meritorious and disin-
terested, but so anxious are they to outdo each
other in liberality, that lines, perpendicular and
horizontal, diverging, converging, and parallel,
angles and triangles, right, acute, obtuse, and
equilateral—are spinning above our heads and

under our feet, at least in theory, with all the per-
plexity of the obscurest problem in Euclid,
though we very much fear with little of its
intrinsic harmony. Really it is time that some-
thing should be done. It is a great advantage
doubtless to be able to pass quickly from one end of
this large metropolis to the other, and a still greater
gain to relieve Ihe overloaded thorouhfsres, hut it
London is to be one vast terminus our business and
pleasare will both have to make way for it, so we
shall not be so much the guinea. "Keep moving'