The Sun.
London, England, 1863-12-31 00:00:00

THE SCHLES

lIN QUESTION•

The Cologne Gazette of yesterday contains the
Mowing letter, sent by the Duke of Augustenburg
,o the Emperor. Napoleon, and his Majesty's reply:

Sire,—Having taken possession, after the decease of his
late Majesty Frederic VIE., of the Government of the

Duchies of Schleswig-Holstein—the obligation to do so be-
ing imposed on me in my quality of legitimate heir—l

venture to submit to the high justice of your Majesty some
observations relative to the rights which it is my duty to
claim in the name of my house, and still more so in the

name of my country.

Assuredly the essential points of this grave question
have not escaped the penetrating regard of your Majesty,
but the spirit of party and the passions excited by interests
foreign to the question of right have so tended to obscure
this cause, so simple in itself, that your Majesty, I hope,
will excuse the eagerness which induces me to succinctly
recall in this letter the bases cn which, as it appears to me,
the cause should be judged. Just in the sight of God, the
clue which I am called on to defend certainly has not to
dread the judgment of any impartial tribunal. It suffices
that it should be investigated without prejudice.

All the sympathy which the unfortunate situation of my
country might inspire may be dispensed with—a rigorously
impartial examination of our rights and our troubles is all
that we demand in the face of Heaven. And it is this rigor-
ous but impartial examination—but free from all prejudice
—that before all I venture to hope, with entire confidence,
from your Majesty, from that spirit of high justice which
you have so many times manifested in so magnanimous a
manner.

But, sire, in confining myself to demand justice for my
country, I should not forget the circumstances which espe-
cially impose on me a duty, and which without doubt will
be of great weight in the sight of a generous equity. In
the cause of the duchies, positive and historical right is
found in union with the wishes of their numerous and
loyal population, with their dearest and racist holy inte-
rests—with the interests of their nationality. Your Ma-
jesty has never been indifferent to the voice of oppressed
pecples—the whole of Europe bears witness to this. IC( ur
Majesty will still deign to sympathise with the sufferings,
with the unjust oppression, which the inhabitants of
Schleswig-Holstein have suffered because they have re-
mained faithful to the traditions of their country and to the

language and customs of their fathers. It is through me,
from the success of my claims, that they expect the termina-
tion of their sufferings, and I venture to say it is on this
account, on account,ot these hopes, 1 cannot renounce the
duty of seeking the reestablishment of the hereditary
rights which have developed upon me.
Besides, we cannot refuse to perceive that the ques-
tion so much debated in the duchies is now of great im•
portance in more than one respect, and extends far beyond
the material interests immediately involved. It excites a
lively and impassioned interest, such as, in short, may lead
to grave consequences If its effects ari not appreciated
at their just value. The whole of Germany is agitated.
A glance at the whole of the German countries, from the
boners of the Rhine to the shores of the Baltic, suffices to
produce the conviction that men's minds there are net
satisfied, that peace and public tranquillity will never be
restored there on a solid basis; that, in short, the torch of
revolution will not be extinguished till the question of the
duchies is settled in conformity with the laws of equity and
with the interest of nationality—until, in fact, this country
is wrested from the domination of the foreigner, and re-
stored to its legitimate sovereign. It should be well un-
derstood that any decision in an opposite sense can only be

regarded as Idrovisional in the eyes of 40,000,000 of Ger-
mans. Even should it be sought to clothe such a decision
in the most solemn forms, it would never be regarded by
the nation otherwise than as a struggle to be recom-
menced. Without doubt it is supei fluous to descant further
on the dangers of such a situation. They are but too
evident. _ .

And he who demands justice in the name of a right vene

rable and sacred on so many accounts, and in the name
of important interests of which destiny has rendered him
depositary—will it not be permitted to him to believe that
your Majesty intends, and that fate offers you the opportu-
nity to second, the noble enterprises for which Europe is
bound to thank you—those generous efforts, the object of
which is to render justice to the interests of nationality, in
avoiding the dangers which surround their claims, as elo-
quent words have recently proclaimed before the whole of

Europe.
In confidently submitting the question of right to the en-
lightened appreciation of your Majesty, I dare to hope, sire,
that the noble cause confided to me will find its best sup-
port in the elevated views and the generous sentiments
which animate you.
In casting a retrospective glance over my past life, I find
in it melancholy reminiscences. I also have had to struggle
against an adverse fate; I have had to support painful re••
verses ; and, if a feeling of pride were permitted me, I would
add that I also have never lost courage, I have never re-
nounced hope, nor forsaken my duty. May Providence also
accord, in a much more modest degree, that fortunate suc-
cess of which one of the most illustrious Sovereigns of
Europe and ono of the most powerful Crowns offers to the
world so glorious an example.
When I recall the happy days I have been permitted to
spend in France, at the Court of your Majesty, when I pro •
ceeded thither to present the homage of sentiments which
are due to you on so many accounts, the remembrance of
the magnanimous interest which your Majesty was good
enough to display towards me, of the kind words which
you did me the honour to address to me, presents itself
vividly to my memory. It is a sweet satisfaction to dwell
on this, and this happy memory seems to me to be a gua-
rantee for the future.
I now await without fear the decision to which your Ma-
jesty will be pleased to arrive at respecting my good and
just cause, Full of confidence, I dare to hope that you will
not reject a claim for rights the legitimacy of which cannot
be doubted ; that, on the contrary, yon will deign to receive
my claims with a generous sympathy, and accord to them
the powerful support of the suffrage of France.--I have the
honour to be, &c.,

Gotha, Dec. 2, 1863.

(Signed) FREDERIC.

ANSWER OF THE EMPEROR NAPOLEON.
My Cousin,—l have read with great interest the letter
which you have sent to me, and I hasten to reply to it.
I know nothing more honourable than to be the repre-
sentative of a cause which supports itself on the inde-
pendence and the nationality of a people ; and on this ac-
count you may rely on my sympathy, for I shall be always
consistent in my conduct. If I have fought for Ita►ian
'independence, if I have raised my voice for Polish na-
tionality, I cannot have other sentiments in Germany, nor
obey other principles. Bat the Great Powers are united
by the Convention of London, and their assembling can
alone resolve without difficulties the question which inte-
rests you. I regret, then, very sincerely on this account,
as on so many others, that England has refused to assist
at the Congress which I proposed.
It is unfortunate that the Diet was not consulted on
the rights of a duchy forming part of the German Conte-
deration ; also Denmark may be in the wrong as regards
Germany ; but on one side I deplore that the Confedera-
tion believed itself obliged to intervene in Holstein before
the question of succession was decided, for intervention,
which can bring on very grave complications, does not de-
cide this question, and if Denmark were oppressed by
powerful neighbours public opinion would incline towards
her.
I therefore sincerely wish that your rights may be
examined by the Germanic Diet, that their decisions may
be submitted to the signatures of the Convention of Lon-
don, and that thus the national sentiment which is
manifested so energetically in Germany may receive by
common accord a legitimate satisfaction.
I embrace with pleasure this occasion to offer you the
assurance of my esteem and constant favour. On this, my
cousin, I pray God that Ile may have you in His sacred
keeping.
NAPOLEON.

Compiegne, Dec. 10, 1863.

LIGHT LITERATURE.—The following are the
titles of some of the tales now in course of publica-
tion in the penny and halfpenny weekly journals :—' fled-
Handel Hugh, or the Heir of Osmond Hall'—' The Man
in Gray,' by the author of The Woman in Black '—
Sea Drift, or the Wreckers of the Channel'—' The Basi-
lisk's Eye'—' Deeds of Darkness, or a Fight against Fate'--
The Smuggler Chieftain, or the Witch of Eccleston Moor'
The Gipsey Buccaneer, or Secret of the Sea'—' Claude
Duval, or the Dashing Highwayman'—' The Hunted
Felon, or a Mother's Vengeance, by the author of ' The
Murdered Wife'—' Oscar Bertrand,' by the author of The
Black Band'—' Cartouche, or the Noble Highwayman'
—' The Queen of Night, or the Secret of the Red Lodge'—
' Isabel's Vengeance, a Romance of London Life'—' The
Mystery of Merlin's Cave,' by the author of Leonora, or
Crime of the Deepest Dye "The Daughter
Midnight, by the author of Ruth the Betrayer.,.or
the Female Spy '—'Mazeppa, or the Dwarf'
Philip's Revenge, a Story of a Lone Isle7J-e
Stringed Jack, or the Daring ilighwaYulandon'tj" Jelnenwy
Mysteries of London'—' The Women Darrel,or_Lnoil
Sixteene.
or the
Dive', or the Lady Highwayman'--
d
eCro_n-
Highwayman's Daughter'—' Thee,...:3ol3,mi:Ccohku:Bpbeaesurs'g--b:
, or the.
fessions of a Tieket-of-Leave Bean
Knight of the Road'—' Jessie, th,
The Ghost's Secret, a Terrtor —es -.if lue Skin, the only
Romance giving the tall adveu o Jonathan Wild and
Jack Sheppard.'
LIFEBOAT SERVICES.—LIidA LSTdEaltwilnAN,
fewd
Dec.
a 2
y 9
s.
Sidan Sands in Carmarthen Bay, during
The lifeboat of the national institution
aBa—eigt squally
l
F'a el olruYa h
r yrt sgh we e C
ti
ed
aeB atheeif rnponcewas observed.
proceeded to her assistance. On arriv-
ing at the sands they found that the ship lay in a very
perilous position, with her head to the northwards, and
with only four feet of water alongside at low water. By
the timely assistance of the lifeboat the vessel was fortu-
nately got afloat, and taken to a safe anchorage in Caldy
Roads. The lifeboat remained by her the whole of the
day and night. The vessel proved to be the ship British
India, of Liverpool, 2,000 tons burthen, bound from Bom-
bay to that port with a general cargo.