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

THE INVAf ;lON OF SCHLESWIG,

(Froze the Times Correspondent.)

HAMBURG, Jan. 31

As id someti rt ies the case on the eve of a struggle,
the nearer one, gets to its contemplated scene the
more unanim one becomes the opinion concerning it.
In England, judging from what I hear from travels
lens recently arrived thence, many still believe in
the mainte calico of peace; in Berlin, where the rea-
eons are better understood that render this most
difficult, person's are still to be found who, although
they can hardly state plausible grounds for the hope
or fear, yet imagine that war may be averted. But
here, in Hamburg, at three hours' rail from the
Eider, I have met with nobody who did not seem
convinced that Denmark and Germany (so far
at least as Prussia and Austria represent the latter
country) are on the very verge of inevitable hosti-
lities. It is hardly necessary to add that the
opinion is equally unanimous as to the side of the
question on which the right is, and that one hears
s.,n all sides, here and in Altona, the most fer-
vent wishes expressed for the speedy ejection of
the Danes from Schleswig. Anybody who came to
hamburg to try to get at both sides of the question
would make but a bootless journey. You may find
not a few persons among the 'very intelligent
inhabitants of this great and prosperous city who
will state the case temperately and in a moderate
and impartial spirit; but the result arrived at is
invariably the same—the one inexorable condition
of contentment is the absolute severance of the
Duchies from Denmark. As regards war, the mere
passage of such large bodies of troops through the
place suffices to inspire the belief that they will
hardly return without blows having been struck
from a frontier where they will find themselves, so
to speak, foot to foot with the foe. But, apart from
the impression made by the martial display and by
the arrival of an army from Germany's southern-
most State to array itself on her most northern
frontier, every probability seems in favour of a fight,
always supposing the general conviction correct
that the Danes will not quit Schleswig, except at
the baycuet's point. Tile time appears, indeed, com-
pletely past for the discussion of the legal or diplo-
matic question. It may return soon, let us hope,
and be more successfully employed, but just now
the voice of the cannon seems about temporarily to
replace all other arguments pro and con. The re-
spective theories of Russell and of Bismark on the
Treaty of 1852, its value, the pretensions of Angus-
tenburg, &c., fall into the baclrground for the mo-
ment, in presence of the conflict about to commence
—which must commence, apparently, barring the
intervention of something not unlike a miracle. We
are told of a strong note sent by our Government
two or three days ago to that of Prussia. It will
"be of no avail. The Germans do not believe that
England will fight in a quarrel which does not more
directly affect her interests or touch her honour
than this about the Duchies. They greatly doubt
that her respect for the Treaty of 1852, and her
conviction of the importance of preserving Schles-
wig from being trampled by a German army will
induce her to send troops to Denmark, and to risk
detriment to her trade and increase of her income-
tax. We hear reports of a contemplated expedition
of 20,000 or 25,000 British troops, but such a force
would not suffice in addition to the little army of
Denmark, and, moreover, supposing that it would,
it cannot arrive in time. If it conies of course it
must be to fight ; as a mere garrison for Copenhagen
nnd the islands it is not required. A British squa-
dron in the Baltic, say some, a rigorous blockade of
all the German ports, would soon bring them to
reason. It might do so ultimately, but it will
hardly stay the advance of 70,000 Prusso-Austrians
who, before a week is out, will be ranged along the
Eider. In short, the feeling among the Germans
seems to be that if England does anything, it may
• have influence on the progress or close of the war,
but it will not prevent its beginning. The only
thing that might, and probably would, even at the
point to which things have come, make the two
great German Powers to hesitate, and perhaps to
recede, is a decided declaration on the part of
France. Doubtless, that would have a great effect,
especially on Austria. France, however, it seems
generally believed, will do nothing of the sort, but
will maintain her independent attitude, sulking over
the rejected Congress, and will let the cannon speak
before uplifting her own voice. Whatever she as
yet has dons in support of British urgency has
evidently been too light to have weight at Berlin
and Vienna.
It was fully expected that the summons to the
Danes to evacuate Schleswig would have been de-
spatched before the end of the month now expiring,
but the bringing up of the troops has taken rather
more time than was calculated upon, and this is the
cause of the delay. Through Hamburg and Lubeck
the armed tide has flowed in two concurrent streams.
Austrians are still passing through this city, but it
is believed the last will leave to-day. One sees
them in the streets and sauntering on the broad
walks of the Jungfernstieg, in white coats and gray,
inf•mtry, cavalry, and artillery, some with the queer
melon-shaped caps which the French laugh at,some
in the tight blue pantaloons of the Hungarian regi-
ments; and many are the tongues in which they
discurse.

A train full of Italian cavalry or artillery went by
'on Friday at a station at which I found myself. We
are accustomed to hear of the French in a good many
places—sometimes, as at Rome, in places where they
have no business to be, or, as in Mexico, in places
whither they rather wish they had not gone—but
really, when we look back on the last eight or ten
vnrs, it seems as if the Austrians were still more

übiquitous, at least as far as Europe is concerned.
One meets them quite as old acquaintances. Here
are the same uniforms and some of the very same
faces which I saw, only the other day it seems, living
in fat and almost free quarters in Wallachia, and
lording it over the malcontent Italians in Lombardy.
Gladly would they have remained in both places ;
but though expelled thence, in one case by a peace
and in the other by a war, we still find them pretty
widely spread from the Danube to the Blaine, and
down to that Mincio which their brave columns
crossed, after a reverse which was no disgrace,
en the bloody evening of Solfcrino. And now, here
we have them on the Elbe, bound northwards to
the Eider, a fine army, although of many races and
a very Babel of tongues. In Holstein they go east-
wartl2, and the Prussians west, Rendsburg being
the point where the armies touch each other. Neu-
raunster and Kiel are the chief Prussian places of ren-
dezvous; but it is presumable that the former will
only be a place or
passage, as the whole army is to be
echeloned along the Eider. According to information
on which I have reason to rely, the combined army
numbers 68,000 men. -.Besides these there are the
x,OOO Saxons and
noyerians, but it is, of course,
a question how far the co-operation is to be reckoned
upon. The Austria-Prussians have a superabundance
of cavalry, which may bo said to diminish their ap-
parent strength, since in an attack on the Danne-
werk it would be of comparatively little use, the
work there being for infantry and artillery. As re-
gards the strength of the Danish army in
Southern
Schleswig, an excellent authority in Hamburg yes_
terday told me it was from 55,000 to 40,000 ; an
(pally good ono in Altana stated it is certainly not
exceeding 30,000. So we may take it as from
39,000 to 33,000 at the outside. The whole Danish
army is not more than 50,000, and we must allow
for troops in garrisons out of Schleswig and for the
battalions of Holsteiners and Schleswigers which
have been weakened by desertions, or which it is
deemed unsafe to bring to the front. Some Schles-
v, igen are quartered in the Island of Alsen—not
alone, but mingled with troops on whom greater re-
liance can be placed. In the town of Schleswig, ac-
cording to very recent intelligence, there were 1,000
men. The great length of the Dannewerk, and of
the lake in connection with it, renders a large force
necessary for its defence. The state of the weather
will make a great difference in the prospects of both
parties. Thursday was a pouring day in Hamburg,
but at night a keen wind sprung up from the north,
and before morning everything was ironbound with
frost, and the cold was very severe all Friday. Yes-
t erd ay was bright and sunny, and there were some
indications of a thaw, but the frost held to a con-
2iderable extent ; there was skating in the warmest
part of the day, and last night it again froze,
although the absence of wind metes the cold less