The Sun.
London, England, 1863-05-16 00:00:00

whispered about at Washington, had been simply cut
to pieces by the victorious troops of " STONEWALL"
JACKSON. Among the numerous triumphs won by
the Confederates, this rout of the Federals at Chan-
cellorsville appears to be as unmistakeable as any
yet related in the annals of the war.

The debate in the Upper House last night on the
vexed question of Schleswig-Holstein is full of
interest, and not without importance. It was
opened by the Earl of ELLENBOROUGH, who re-
minded the House that more than two years since
he had called the attention of their Lordships to the
critical position of Denmark. He warned them that
although the state of affairs in Poland diverted
men's minds from the present danger, it was still
as great, though not as imminent. The two years
that have elapsed since February, 1861, have been
spent in fruitless negotiation, which, as Lord
ELLENBOROUGH observed, has produced increased
exasperation instead of reconciling differences. But
it would be wonderful if an agreement were arrived
at when the one side will not be satisfied without
the total renunciation of the rights of the other.
Lord ELLENBOROUGH, in his very clear and able
discourse last evening, pointed out the reason for
German designs upon Schleswig. The Diet, he
said, were desirous of getting possession of that
Duchy, because they thought it necessary that Ger-
many should have a navy, and the noble earl very
justly added that he did not know of any State to
which a navy would be of less use. She has little
commerce to protect, and if she had a fleet, it would
be of no great benefit to her. Germany, however,
more especially Prussia, is never very scrupulous
as to her neighbour's goods, if they happen to suit
her ambitious views, as two at least of her neigh-
bours could tell to her sorrow. The conduct of
Germany is therefore not so surprising as the course
adopted by our own Ministers, who appear sud-
denly to have changed their tactics and to be will-
ing to throw the weight of their influence into the
scale against Denmark. Earl RUSSELL in his
speech last night still maintains the principles of
that extraordinary despatch, which was read with
astonishment and indignation by his own country.
men, and, as Lord ELLENBOROUGH observed,
" struck the people of Denmark with the greatest
surprise and disappointment." It is of course diffi-
cult, if not impossible, for foreign statesmen of any
opinions to regulate the complicated machinery of
another State; to enter fully into the grievances of
the people or the perplexities of the rulers, and all
advice, reproof, and comment must, therefore, in a
great measure, deal in generalities. But while re-
gretting that the people of Schleswig do not share
all the advantages to which they consider them-
selves entitled under a free Government, is Lord
RUSSELL going the way to assist the Danish KING
in the difficult and critical task of giving increased
liberty to the inhabitants of a province where dis-
content and disaffection are being industriously
fanned by a foreign agency, The whole tone and
tenour of Earl RUSSELL'S words and speeches are
ill calculated to reassure Denmark, and they
are probably read with satisfaction in Ger-
many. It is remarkable that while the noble
earl speaks loftily of the rights of treaties, and
the duty of Denmark to abide by its engagements
towards Holstein, when he comes to the ques-
tion of Schleswig, he declares it to be an interna-
tional question, although Lord ELLENBOROUGH's
speech might have reminded him of the declaration
made by a Prussian Plenipotentiary to the Diet at
Frankfort in 1823, that the Duchy of Schleswig
lay altogether beyond the influence of the Confede-
ration. Earl RUSSELL'S speech of last night will
be read with surprise and disappointment. It is
evident that, in case of an emergency, the Danes
must look for little help from him, for his inclina-
tions lean too strongly to the side of German ag-
gression to permit him even to raise his voice in
their favour. The powerful eloquence of Lord
DERBY was never raised in a worthier cause.
Setting aside the questions as to the dates of trea-
ties and terms of negotiations, the noble earl, in
his usual clear and straightforward manner, ex-
pressed the simple state of the case, and ended by a
declaration that it was the policy, as well as the
duty, of this country to interfere for the protec-
tion of Denmark against her German aggres-
sors. With regard to the much-talked of griev-
ances of Schleswig, Lord DERBY asked what they
were. The KING, he said, had broken no engage-
ment. The two chief pledges were that Schleswig
should not be incorporated with the kingdom o
Denmark, and that the Danish and German sub-

jects should be treated.equally. The Earl of DERBY,
with that openness and decision which are the dread
of his opponents, said : "My Lords, it is not to
be denied that Schleswig has been made a stalking-
horse for the ambition of Germany. It is not to be
denied that there has been a considerable immigra-

tion into Schleswig; that a considerable number of
German settlers, amounting to nearly one•half of
the population, have settled themselves there; and
they demand equal laws and equal justice. The
points involved are really comparatively trifling
when you look at the enormous and important con-
sequences that may result from any serious misun-

derstanding in regard to them. They amount to
this—that in one village there are a certain num-

ber of Germans, in another a certain number of
Danes, and in a third a mixed population—one
where the German element prevails, another in
which the Garman and Danish elements are
equal; and, up to the present time, the King of

DENMARK has not been able to arrive at a solution
of the difficulty as regards education in the schools
or service in the churches with respect to the lan-

gnage of Germany. There is no other charge
against the King of DENMARK than that he has not

been able to solve that difficulty, expressing his
readiness to do his utmost to solve it. Are you,
then, to compel him to enter iuto an engage-
ment which, in his opinion and in the opinion
of his subjects, amounts to a violation of the
integrity and dissolution of the monarchy." To
demand that on these trivial grounds an ancient

monarchy should be weakened and dismembered
is truly, as Lord DEBBY observed, an act of singular
injustice as well as impolicy. The integrity of
Denmark is, as the noble earl well said, a matter of
vital importance to us. Free in her constitution,
tolerant in her laws, sympathising with ourselves
in her aspirations and sentiments, possessing a
brave, daring, and resolute population, willing to
enter into the terms of closest alliance with

us—such an ally is not to be disregarded by Eng
land herself. The language of the noble earl, in
conclusion, is well worthy of notice, not only from
its truth and force, but from its indication of the
policy which, we may hope, he will support in case
of future complications :—"lt is, then, an act of
policy as well as justice, when ambitious Powers are
pressing Denmark, to protect her from aggression ; and though GOD forbid the last extremity should
be forced upon us, yet on a question whether the
Danish monarchy should be destroyed and its in-
tegrity frittered away, and, still more, be placed
by collateral means and indirect influences as a de-

pendency of the German Federation, there is no al-
ternative not preferable on the part of England, on

the ground of policy as well as justice, to such a
consequence as the dissolution of the monarchy or
its dependence on the German Confederation. On

;hat ground I do deeply lament that thu noble earl