The Sun.
London, England, 1864-01-02 00:00:00

frustrated by the perversity of the German element
in Holstein, and recent events have proved very
clearly that it would be completely hopeless to
establish a constitution which had to obtain the
approval of four distinct and separate representative
bodies, each of whom looked with a jealous eye on
the others' proceedings. The simple plan of basing
the representation upon numbers is scouted, for the
simple reason that the half million of Holsteiners
wish their influence to preponderate over the
million and a half of Danes. As Denmark is not
prepared to grant their secret wishes, and abandon
any claim to rule over them, nothing she can offer
will satisfy their demands. But as the " Memo-
randum" already referred to very pointedly says the
report of the ordinance of the 30th March leaves
the Confederation without the shadow of a legal
pretext for occupation, the object of the exe-
cution "is necessarily not Holstein but Sleswig,
a Danish crown land over which the Confederation
has no rights whatever." It is worth noticing that
before the signature of the treaty the Emperor of
PRUSSIA had thought it advisable to renounce for
himself and his descendants all claim to the Duchy
of Schleswig ani Holstein in favour of the reigning
house of Denmark, with the express stipulation
that such renunciation was only in their favour.
With the view of " maintaining the Danish
monarchy in its integrity," the names of Prince
CHRISTIAN of Glucksburg and his descen-
dants were distinctly introduced. A copy
of these documents may, therefore, suitably
be laid before the President of the Diet es a re-
minder of some very important facts which appear
to have slipped from the German memory. It is
said, on good authority, that England has gone yet
further, and protested against the occupation of
Schleswig; warning the signitaries of the Treaty
of 1852 that in the event of any attempt to infringe
the territorial rights of Denmark, it would be her
duty to afford moral and material support to that
Power. Language like this, if it has been
really held, is befitting the crisis, and it is only to
be regretted that a mistaken idea of conciliation
has so long delayed it. We suspect its logic will
be more convincing than any mere diplomatic
arguments, and we may, perhaps, see its effect in
the reply of the. King of PRUSSIA. The Empe-
ror of the FRENCH, in its ready answer to the
appeal of the Prince of ATJGUSTENBURG, quietly
intimates that the sympathies of France are rather
on the side of King CHRISTIAN, and plainly re-
minds the new claimant of the obligations of that
Treaty, which he should know as well as any one,
seeing that his father was personally concerned in
it. How far German subtlety may attempt to evade
the clearly stated arrangement as to the succession to
the Danish throne remains to be seen, but Austria,
with Hungary like a volcano at her feet, and
Venetia waiting to rise, and Prussia with the vision
of the Rhine as'the old French boundary, will do
wisely to pause and consider before by a wanton
disruption of the faith of treaties they lend them-
selves to a course which will open the gates of war,
before whose closing they may see themselves
stripped of half their fairest; provinces.

Mr. STANSFELD'S diligent investigations into
the Civil Departments of the Navy seem to be pro-
secuted without intermission. It was only the
other day that we heard of him down at Devon-
port; and now, almost before the year closes, he
revisits Chatham. This indefatigable inspection of
our Dockyards seems to indicate that there has
been a screw loose somewhere, and the Junior Lord
of the Admiralty is resolved to find it out. That
he has a very intricate affair to deal with is beyond
doubt; but we fear all his labour will not avail
much while " the system " remains in full force.
It was an Herculean task to clear the Augean
stable ; but it will be found still harder to resolve
the mystery of mysteries--the Dockyard doings
which have hitherto proved as fathomless as the
bottomless pit. it is a labour of hopelessness.
Still the pressure of public opinion has become so
urgent that something must be done, and to do
Mr. STANSFELD common justice, he is doing his
best. The meeting of Parliament, like coming
events, is casting its shadows before; and, as much
is expected, something must be accomplished. The
Naval Estimates for the last two or three years
have been so heavy, that the public look for corre.
sponding results to compensate for such extraordi-
nary outlay. True it is that our iron ships make
a large show for the money, but the question is yet
to be proved how the problem will work. It is
not enough to make experiments, like playing at
soldiers, on targets at Shoeburyness, nor yet on
board the Excellent, at Portsmouth, however skil-
fully the operations may be conducted. The true
test is on the open sea, with a bold antagonist, and
there we may learn, perhaps to our cost, that too
much money has been thrown away. It
may suit the fancy of builders to specu-
late with other people's money in a way
which they would not do with their own. But
the question arises, why go on so fast before
youisee your way more clearly. If it prove that
we are in the wrong course, and have yet to take
another, look at the enormous expense incurred.
Even now the new Constructor of the Navy says
that the system of his predeCessors is wrong, that
the Warrior, the model ship, is too long by a hun-
dred feet. That may be a matter of opinion. The
improvements still going on in gunnery are such
that be the thickness of a ship's side ever so strong,
with safety to her floatation, it can be pierced
through ;and through. We really waste much
money in the hope of attaining invulnerability.
Taking the experience of the Americans as a test, for
their Monitors are comparatively as small as our ships
are large, still these Monitors, iron-cased and tur-
retted though they be, have recently found the forte
of Charleston too much for their mettle, however
heavy the projectiles. A few more shots from the
forts, and the Monitors would have "gone to the
bottom. There may be excess in all things, for too
much of a good thing often defeats its purpose, and
we may be casing our iron ships beyond their
power or their necessity. Whatever is over-
added to strength detracts from speed, and may
imperil safety. The requisites for our ships of war
are power, strength, and speed—but speed, above
all ; for though our ships are not intended to run
away, yet they should be able to overhaul an
enemy in any weather. We suspect that our present
ideas will become very much altered before we are
three months:at war. 'the days of line-of-battle-ships
are gone for ever, such as NELSON gloried in, and a
new system will be resorted to as circumstances
may require. Our sailors will not bear to keep
pouring broadsides against walls of iron, without
any hope of making an impression. JACK will in-
sist on coming to closer quarters, and carry his
prize by boarding. The ironsides, then, are
so mush surplusage. Not that iron is -dot
a great protection, but, carried to excess,
it will militate against speed, and damp
the ardour of our seamen. JACK would rather cap-
ture than sink his enemy, for he dearly loves prize-
money. Iron ships will be of immense advantage
for coast defence, and a vast number of our present
navy might be very well fitted for that purpose.
But we do not, see why many of our best ships
should not be lined with belts of iron all raund
the water-line, some feet above and below, This