The Sun.
London, England, 1864-06-28 00:00:00

TM SUN, LONDON, WEDNESDAY EVENING, JUNE 29, 1864.

been drawn up by mutual agreement by the Pleni-
potentiaries of the neutral Powers, and which in-
volves no responsibility on the part of the Pleni.
potentiaries of the other Powers represented in the
Conference.
The Plenipotentiaries of the belligerent Powers,
as well as the Plenipotentiary of the Germanic
Confederation, expressly reserve to themselves the
right and the power of replying to it.
Count Apponyi says that he has, on his part, a
declaration to make, which it becomes, in his
opinion, doubly necessary to read after the sum-
mary which bas just been communicated to the
Conference. His declaration is intended to defend
the rights and the responsibility of the Govern-
ments of Austria and Prussia. He states, meres
over, that the absence of objections on the part of
the Plenipotentiaries of the German Powers to the
acceptance of this summary as an annex to the Pro-
tocal in no way implies their adhesion to the con.
tents of this document.
Similar reservations are made by the Plenipoten-
tiaries of Denmark; and M. de Krieger claims for
the eventual reply of his Government the same
publicity as that which will ba given to the above-
mentioned annex.
Count Apponyi tLen reads the following declara-
tion in the name of the Plenipotentiaries of the
allied Courts :
"During the whole of the deliberations of the
Conference, the result of which has unfortunately
not been in accordance with the pacific object which
it had in view, the German Powers have not ceased
to be animated by that spirit of peace and of con-
ciliation which induced them to accept the invita-
tion of her Britannic Majestys Government to meet
in Conference in Lyndon to devise means for the
restoration of peace.
" The insurmountable obstinacy with which the
Danish Government withdrew from the engage-
ments which they had contracted, and refused to do
justice to the Germtn,subjects of the King.Dake,
inflicted a severe wound on the national honour of
Germany. After every means of conciliation, em-
ployed with persevering patience, had been ex-
hausted, Federal execution in Holstein, the occupa-
tion of Schleswig, and finally war by Austria and
Prussia against Denmark became inevitable.
" After a succession of sanguinary contests, the
mainland of Denmark fell into the hands of the
allied Powers, and the public voice of Germany
loudly demanded the complete abolition of the tie
which united Schleswig and Holstein to Denmark,
and the conversion of the two Duchies into an inde-
pendent German State under its proper dynasty.
"Notwithstanding this, Austria and Prussia did
not hestitate to come to the Conference with decla.
rations which were sot directed in principle against
the integrity of the Danish monarchy, but only de-
manded that the point of right in the question of
succession should not be prejudged, and that the
political and administrative independence of the
Duchies should be secured.
"It was Denmark who peremptorily rejected as
inadmissible the idea of a personal union. Persisting
in irs fatal tendency to incorporate Schleswig, the
Court of Copenhagen rejected the only conditions on
which the allied Powers could have consented with
honour to the continuation of the union of the
Duchies with Denmark.
" From that moment the principle of the separa-
tion of the Duchies from the Danish Crown became
necessary for the German Powers, and the principal
condition of peace.
"Ever, in this new phase of the negotiations their
ccnoiliatory dispositions wete in no way diminished.
The great importance which the inhabitants of
Schleswig and Holstein attach to the integrity of
the two Duchies, and to their union in one undivided
State, is well known, These sentiments are deserving
of respect, and it was therefore a considerable sacri
five which Austria, Prussia, and the Germanic Con
federation made from a desire for the restoration o

peace, in consenting to cede a part of the northern
territory of Schleswig to the Crown of Denmark as
a compensation for his Danish Majesty's surrender
of the Duchy of Lauenberg.
" The conciliatory disposition of the German
Powers did not stop here. The peace which seemed
now to depend on an understanding of the subject
of the tracing of the frontier might have been con-
cluded if Denmark had not raised pretensions which
would have restored to her the capital itself of the
country which the Germans arms had released from
her rule, and the integral union of which with
Holstein Germany lad a right to claim.
"It was Austria tnd Prussia, too, who during the
whole course of the negotiations, and at every op-
portunity, insisted tn the necessity of a prolongation
of the suspension )f arms, or the conclusion of a

formal armistice, in order that the work of pacifica-
tion might not be incessantly compromised by the
continual and immanent danger of hostilities. On

this subject, also, tie conduct of our adversaries has
been quite differen. Denmark refused the proposal
of the neutral Pow)rs for the conclusion of an armis-

tice, which would have restored Jutland to her, in
exchange for the complete evacuation of Schleswig.
She only consentedto a suspension of hostilities for

one month, and raised to prolong this term, already
so short, for more than a fortnight.
" One further fact points out also the moderation
which the Germar Powers have shown to the last.

After the Plenipctentiaries assembled in Confer-

ence had failed in their efforts to come to an under-
standing on a lineof frontier to be drawn in Sohles.

wig, Austria and ?russia, in conformity with the
text and the spirit of the Protocol of Paris of 1856,
declared themsel'es ready to continue these nego-
tiations in the form of a mediation intrusted to
a neutral Sovereign, not represented in the Confer-

ence. This last means of arriving at an under-
standing, the aneptance of which would have

naturally resultel in the continuation of the sus-
pension of hostil ties, again offered by the German
Powers, was equtlly rejected by Denmark.
" There remains, consequently, but one duty for
the German Pewers to perform—it is that of

iolemnly declaring that they decline, in the name

of their GcNernbaents, the responsibility of the

_ .
blood which will be shed and of the evils which will

result from the renewal of the war, This responsi-

bility cannot fall on the Powers whom they have
had the honour to represent in this Conference."
Count de Bernstorff follows this mutual declare•
tion by an additional declaration of the Prussian
Plenipotentiaries, expressed in these terms:—

"It only remains for us to add to what Count
Apponyi has just said in the name of the Plenipo-
tentiaries of the two German Powers, that we also

made, in the lasting sitting bat one of the Confer-

ence, a proposal which was essentially calculated to
bring about a pacific solution of the question which
occupied our attention, and that, moreover, we
declared ourselves ready in the last sitting to take
the proposal of the Ambassador of France ad refer-

endum, but that the two proposals in question were
absolutely rejected by the Danish Plenipoten-

tiaries."
M. de Qaaade must, in his name mad in that of his
colleague, decline for his Government all responsi-

bility for the failure of the negotiation, and the
blood which may be shed. He affirms that " Den-

mark in contributing to the work of pacification,

has been deterred by no sacrifice compatible with

her own existence, and that the Danish Government

are consequently convinced that they have no reason

o reproach themselves if an understanding has not

been arrived at. The situation in which events have
placed the Danish Government is very different
from that of the German Powers, and if allowance

!.s made for this difference a judgment quite con-
trary to that formed by the German Powers will be
passed on the conduct of the Danish Government."

The first Plenipotentiary of Denmark then reads
the following declaration :
" When the Danish Government received the in-
vitation of her Britannic Majesty's Government to
a Conference, the object of which was the restore-

ion of peace, they were under the conviction that

he treaty concluded a few years before, and de-

signed to afford a farther pledge of stability to the
integrity of the Danish Monarchy as an essential
condition of the balance of power in Europe, would
be maintained by the concurrence of all who had
taken part in its conclusion.

" The Treaty of London of May 8, 1852, was not
conditional or hypothetical; it did not depend on
the adhesion of a third party.
" The treaty made no alteration in the relations