The Sun.
London, England, 1863-04-03 00:00:00

prosecution of his designs ci nmicsble intervention•

From whatever quarter it comes, any interference
which brings to a c!ose this disastrous struggle
must be a subject of gratification to every lover of
his kind. The barbarous spirit in which the
North have throughout carried on the war has
excited the indignation of the civilised world, and
has naturally provoked the South to acts of retali-
ation which, however natural, are not the less
censurable. The boasted refinement and civilisation
of America has indeed fallen sadly short of the
demands of common humanity. The last exploit of
the Federals, mortified by the failure of their canal
scheme, has been to submerge a vast tract of fertile
country beneath the waters of the Mississippi. The
Southerners in return have with more reason cut
the levees, thereby compelling a great part of Gen.
GRANT'S forces to re-embark, and very probably
deciding the question of the assault on Vicksburg.
If, as is rumoured, the attempt is finally
abandoned, the secession of the North-West
provinces may be fully expected, and the
end of the war brought nearer. The most de-
voted adherents of the North could hardly, we
should imagine, do otherwise than confess that the
disgrace and mortification of abandoning the boasted
attack on Vicksburg has been richly deserved by
their inhuman conduct. Vicksburg and Charleston
have long been considered the two decisive points
of the contest; and if the North be compelled to
abandon both without a struggle, what then, Presi-
dent LixcoLN ?

jealous of these attempts to reduce the great
events of history to a level with the
gossip of the clubs. Depend upon it,''
he continued, "that war was what to you
at the time it appeared to be. It was a war ren-
dered necessary by the ambition and the obstinacy
of one Sovereign." How far the ambition and
obstinacy of that Sovereign were encouraged by
his "friend of forty years" we need not now stop
to ask; how far secret influence, unworthy jealou-
sies, and favouritism hindered the action of our
army, we will not inquire either. Those events
are with the past, and like the great Italian
struggle to which the noble duke subsequently re-
ferred, the public opinion and sympathies were
rightly directed, and the results of the struggle
were in them sin satisfactory and beneficial. Further
on the speaker came to that other conflict, of which
the issue is, unhappily, still pending. On this
subject he spoke with the moderation and kindly
feeling towards the combatants due from one in his
position. The horrors of civil war he deprecated,
but he refused to censure the Americans themselves.
" Gentlemen, who are we that we should speak of
civil war as under no circumstances possible or ad-
missible ? Do we not remember that our own liber-
ties have been secured through every form and
variety of civil contest and of civil war ? How
much blood has been shed in the streets of this
ancient capital of Edinburgh?—how many grim
heads have been nailed up to its ancient battle-
ments ! How many victims of civil war crowd our
churchyards in every part of the country ! How
many lie upon our mountains with nothing to mark
them but the heather and the cairn! Wnat do we
say of those men ? Do we count their course to
have been an evil course ? Do not we rather turn
back those pages of history as with the loving chisel
of OLD MORTALITY, and keep fresh in our memory
the recollection of their immortal names ? Yes,
gentlemen, if it be true, and it is true, that the
blood of the martyrs has been the seed of the
church, it is equally true that the blood of patriots
has been the foundation of the liberties of
out country. Let us extend to our Ame-
rican brethren the liberal interpretation which
, we seek to be given to our former annals. I lot
one have not learned to be ashamed of that an-
cient combination of the Bible and the sword. Let
• it be enough for us to pray and hope that that
• contest, whenever it may be brought to an end,
shall bring with it that great blessing of the white
• race which shall consist in the final freedom of the
black." It is true that the annals of our civil war
were never stained with the crimes which have
darkened the records of the American struggle.
Still let us hope however stormy the passage the
end may bring freedom to white and black alike;
that the black may be released from that thraldom
which is the execration of the civilised world, and
• that the white may be set free from that tyranny
of mob law and the tyranny of numbers, which
• Democratic America has so long endured.

The proclamation of the King of DENMARK to
his unruly subjects the Holsteiners, which will be
found in another part of our impression, is one of
considerable importance. The vexed question of
Schleswig-Holstein has long been a standing diffi-
culty, and of late its settlement has become impera-
tively necessary. The continual interference of the
German Powers in the affairs of a portion of the
Danish Kingdom could be productive of nothing
but mischief, while it was felt both by Danes and
Englishmen that an excuse for further intervention
would not be wanting if required. According to
Earl RUSSELL'S defence of his own extraordinary
proceedings, a resort to arms was in contemplation,
and he would have us believe that he only succeeded
in arresting an invasion of Danish soil by the
promise to endeavour to effect some settlement—
a promise which he faithfully kept in a manner
more satisfactory to the Germans than to his own
countrymen. This ill-timed and ill-directed inter-
ference greatly complicated the affairs of Denmark.
Had our Foreign Secretary remained silent, the
prospect of the approaching English alliance would
Have strengthened the position of the Danes, but
when the potent alit', from whom so much
was expected or hoped, deliberately ranged
himself on the side of the adversary, it
was most discouraging. Germany, embol-
dened by so powerful an ally, where she might
reasonably have anticipated opposition, pressed her
claims more strongly, and at length the KING has
been forced to abandon the struggle by granting
Holstein a separate constitution and dissevering it
from the rest of the monarchy. The recent meet-
ing at Copenhagen expressed decisively the views
of the Danish people, and their monarch has em-
bodied them in his proclamation. The object is
by granting the Helsteiners more than they have a
right to claim to secure the amalgamation of Schles-
wig with the Danish kingdom. It is more than ten
years since the KING proclaimed his intention of
combining the several parts of his kingdom into one
single state by a constitution common to all. This
intention he has never been able to carry out owing
to the immediate and unwarrantable interference of
the Federal Diet, of which the KING, es Duke of
HOLSTEIN, is a member. His resistance to the
attempt of the German Powers to exercise jurisdic-
tion in any part of his dominions was, however, en-
tirely consistent with his obligations as a member
of the Diet. It was felt both by him and by his
subjects that similar demands on Schleswig would
be put forward as soon as the affairs of Holstein
were settled, and the trifling fact of its never hav-
ing joined the Germanic Confederation was not
likely to stand in the way. The long continuance
of this dispute was, however, most injurious to the
interest of the monarchy. In the words of the re-
cent proclamation—" Such a state of internal dis-
cord, by which the development of the king-
dom has been paralysed for the last ten
years, cannot longer continue." The last
assembly of the Holstein Diet gave no
grounds for anticipating a settlement, and accord-
ing'l the KING has resolved to define clearly and
decisively the position of this litigious State, re-
garding alike the interests of his kingdom and his
Federal obligations ; or, in other words, the pres-
sure exercised upon him by the German Powers.
It is impossible, of course, to decide with exactitude
upon every possible contingency, and, therefore,
"the most urgent part of the task" is all that is
attempted. By the proclamation before us Hol-
stein is permitted to have an independent army.
It will be expected to share with the rest of the
monarchy in the national expenses, but the Estates
of Holstein are to have a voice in the affair, and
in details referring to their own share in such mat-
ters they will have the right of decision. It would
seem at first sight that, judging from the previous
obstinacy of the Holsteinere, and the German in-
fluence affecting them, a difference between
the Estates and the Rigsraad, or Council of the
Empire, may be certainly anticipated. The KING
himself has apparently a suspicion of the extreme
probability of such opposition, for he reserves
further separation where no agreement be-
tween the representative assemblies is found
to be attainable. It is also ordered that
the Ministry shall submit to the Estates Bills esta
blishing a new constitution. The heads which are
given La the proclamation, together with the inde-
pendent army, anodught ht e
to popular t
hrepresentation
.
already accorded,
ing Holsteiner.
we
fear,
however, that the real
parties to be satisfied are
Holstein, and we trust that
Enontgliinshmtheen
willduc
watchduchy
of
narrowly the proceedings at the Danish Court, in
which they hate now so warm an interest, and that
ratheycountry
a willb l:t
ando be
not
suffer the name and authority of their
eaxgtuoirntiounseadt
eindesmuapnpdos.rt of such unwar-
I

German art has just sustained a heavy loss.
Henry de Hess, the famous battle painter, died last week
at Munich, aged 65. He was for many years director of the
Royal Museums.

M. Bravais, successor to Admiral Roussin in the
section of geography of the Academy of Sciences, died at
Versailles three days back, after a very long illness.
M. Jules 7anin has addressed a letter to the
French Academy, announcing himself as a candidate for
the seat vacated by the death of Duke Pasquier. The elec•
tion of the successors of M. Pasquier and M. Biot is to take
place on the 23d inst.
Intelligence from Warsaw announces, the Presse
states, that the Russians are executing very con-
siderable works of fortification in that city, and particu-
larly in the suburb of Wola. They have raised a redoubt,
which is to be armed with. 36 pieces of cannon ; and similar
works have been commenced in other large towns.
Intelligence from Haste state that Captain Du
Buisson, aid-de-camp to Prince Napoleon, has arrived at
that port, and given orders that the Jerome Napoleon yacht
is to hold herself in readiness to proceed to sea. According
to general report at Havre, the Prince intends shortly to
embark and proceed to Egypt,
BUTLER.—A refugee from New Orleans fur-
nishes the following incident. It should not be
permitted to pass into oblivion, as the future historian of
this contest might find it useful in illustrating a character
already infamous beyond precedent in modern times.
"Escaping from New Orleans, 1 reached a plantation upon
the Mississippi, in the vicinity of Baton Rouge. The
parish priest of Baton Rouge came in while I was there;
he had been to New Orleans (before Butler was superseded)
for the purpose of procuring foad for the poor of Baton
Rouge, but Butler peremptorily refused a permit, saying,
' They are our enemies.' The priest urged that these poor
people were necessarily, from their extremely destitute con-
dition, precluded from taking any part in our national
troubles, and therefore could not properly be considered
enemies. ' Sir,' said Butler in reply, ' those that are not
for us are against us, and if they were our friends they
would be in the Union army." But, General,' continued
the priest, ' a large portion of these poor people are women
and children—poor innocent children.' The monster hissed
between his teeth, "Does he who kills the serpent preserve
the eggs ? I tell you, sir, my purpose is exterminaion. "
—Charleston Mercury.
A STRANGE INVENTION.—There was an exhibi-
tion of agricultural implements a few days since at
Lyons, and among them were remarked several instruments
for the destruction of animals who feed upon vegetables to
the injury of the farmer. One of these instruments is
worthy of examination, being to those previously in use
what the rifled cannon is to the smooth bore. It is in fact
a very unexpected application of artillery, being composed
of small pistols, of which the lock is set in motion by a lever
turned back on the barrel, and extending two or three cen-
timetres beyond the mouth. When a gardener wishes to
destroy a mole, for example, he places the instrument
charged with gunpowder on the path of the animal, taking
care to fix the point of the lever of the lock across the hole,
so that the animal cannot pass without raising the lever
with its back. The pistol is thus discharged, and the ani •
mal is shot point blank. If a charge of powder is not sum.
cient, a few grains of shot may be added.
A STAGE SCENE IN AMERICA.—A writer, who
has travelled extensively, slys that he witnessed
rather a strange Ecene in Shakespeare's beautiful tragedy of
"Romeo and Juliet." It was at one of the Western
theatres. The piece had passed cff well without interrup-
tion until the last scene, The character of Romeo was
I excellently enacted and loudly applauded. The very model
of the lover was before the tomb of the Capulets, Basing
upon the motionless form of her who had so attracted his
soul, and meditating upon committing an act which would
send his spirit to that undiscovered country where he sup •
poses Juliet's had gone. Just as he exclaimed, " Here's
to love I " and at the same time raising the vial which
contained the poison to his lips, a stalwart young
countryman jumped upon the stage, seized him, dashed the
vial horn his hand, crushing it into atoms, and yelling :
" Yer stupid fool, she ain't dead I Only been takin' a little
sleepin' medicine. Didn't yer get the parson's letter ?"
" Sirrah I" growled out the enraged tragedian, while the
house fairly shook with laughter. " Why, yer girl ain't
dead, I tell yer. The way it was, they wanted to make
I Julie marry that chap thar," pointing at Paris, "whose
business you have just settled; but I tell you Julie war
Pluck—she got her back right up, and vowed she wouldn't do
it, even if she war lying in the vault and the ghost of the
other feller whom you kilt should dash her brains out with
the bones of some of her dead cousins. Wal, her pluck war
!!!........„,...„--.......,............... hum. That's the way it war,"
up, and she took the stuff the parson fixed; so she could
play 'possum till you got
1 • his
tugs his elbow, and at the same losing
The speech of the Duke of ARGYLL, at the Eden- added the countryman,. giving the desperate
timelover a poke in
burgh banquet, on Wednesday, is well worth read- 11th/drib:,
"Curse on the fellow!" muttered the raging trage-
ing. The noble duke had the honour of returning
... dinan, as he stalked behind the scenes. " Wcafi'thnetetwa,7l:taida
thanks for the toast in honcur of her MAJESTY'S the countryman,hope‘ to be swowed.
Ministers, and on that congenial subject, under the leetle the meanesth cuksßsl
givter
for stopping him from pizenin
influence of his native country, he expressed him-o frontingl thed i
(al audience, e
In ce,
thanks
tarnlv swashed if ever I go to inter
self with more force and simplicity than common. ferem again whenp a feller wants to murder himself'n'
hThat'slf allh;lieet
to
htle•meeentO
In looking back on the last ten years he recalled tinned, ai he clambered back to justh.iso.senat,,on
tact with the
those eventful struggles which have made the nameßook.
preventeurt his upperd story from cocamit2ns,ortap
BOOKSELLERS
it descended.—Amer
-Abooks bookseller
eNrDwhAo:
aT
dilO
heardßS •
of war no uncommon sound in the ears of those who
Balzac :
grew up when Europe was hushed in the trail. % anecdote is related of the late distinguished writer
writer of great promise
quillity of the forty years' peace. He refused to Iyoungilg
subscribe to the modern dogma, that would have i resolved to offer him 3,000 f. for a
t novel, but en being told that he lived in an obscure street
us believe the war with Russia a mistake. He 'in the old part of Paris he observed that he must be a
deprecated the supposition that, by the new lights plebian, and that he would offer him but 2,000 f. On arrive
around us, the affairs of that day could be better ifinogo
floor.
t the,,ohouse ht
he was a s told tbat.dßalzac lived on the fourth
l
of AUTHORS.—Tie
el
z a following
:sl leo
n
understood than at the time of action. "I am offer him but 1,500 f." case,"But swheu thehbookseller, " I will
understood entered a poorly-
jealous," said the noble duke, "of these attempts furnished room and saw a young man steeping a penny roll
in a glass of water, he offered but 300 f., and for this sum
to deprive the great transactions of the world of received the manuscript of what was afterwards considered
the lessons they are ;capable_of affording. lam a chef-W(7ll4l;re, the Dernicre Fee.