The Sun.
London, England, 1863-12-17 00:00:00

SPIRIT OF THE PUBLIC JOURNALS

POST.—Additional information has served to dis-
sipate first impressions respecting the Federal suc-
cesses in Tennessee. That Bragg was worsted, and
compelled to retreat, is true, but it appears equally
true that the victors were is no position to pursue
the vanquished. The Confederate army has taken
up its position somewhere in the vicinity of Dalton
and, under the leadership of Hardee, who has
superseded Bragg, is reported to be making prepa-
rations to resume the offensive. This, however, is
far from probable. Though Grant may not be in a
position to push the campaign into Georgia, he is
to all appearances able to hold Tennessee against
any forces the Confederate Government cif] des-
patch against him from the South. It has been a
singular but universal characteristic of the many
engagements which have taken place between the
respective armies of the two Federations that vic-
tories have never been followed up or turned to any
practical account. The defeats of M'Clellan on the
Cbickahominy, and of Pope at Bull Run were
utterly unproductive to the victors, and when after
the battles of Antietam and Gettysburg, the Con-
federateE were obliged to retreat, neither M'Clel-
len in the one instance, nor Meade in the other, was
enabled to follow up the blows which they boasted
to have inflicted on the Southern arms. In like
manner, in Tennessee, Bragg, either through inca-
pacity or inability, failed to improve the advan-
tages he secured at the battle of Chickamauga
Creek, and now again, when defeated in turn by
General Grant, the latter has, from either of the
same causes been precluded from reaping any other
fruits of his victory than the mere eislodgment of
the Confederate army from a position which, if its
leader had exercised an ordinary amount of discre-
tion, he would have previously voluntarily evacu-
ated. At Knoxville the siege still continues.. Gene-
ral Longstreet is said to be reinforced by Buehrod
and Johnson with two divisions. On the 29th of
November the Confederates attempted to carry the
defences by:assault, but were repulsed with loss.
According to one report the siege is said to have
been raised, and Longstreet to be in full retreat
into Virginia. This report, however, needs con-
firmation. It is now admitted in Washington that
the recant operations of Meade have ended in failure;
and it is even stated that that general has been
superseded by Sedgwick. In the engagement which
took place on Nov. 27, near Culpepper, the Confe-
derates inflicted considerable damage upon their
opponents, and necessitated the retreat of the Fede-
ral army across the Rapidan. One Confederate divi-
sion is represented as having driven French's corps
several miles, and in the retreat which followed the
engagement the Federals were obliged to abandon
many of their ammunition waggons and horses,
Meade's casualties are officially estimated at about
one thousand men. It is stated that it is the inten-
tion of the Federal general to retire into winter
quarters in the neighbourhood of Washington ; but,
whether or not, it seems that for some time to come
offensive operations will be abandoned. It is cer-
tainly very singular that the fortune of war should
so constantly shift from one side to the other. One
day is all clouds and the succeeding one sunshine.
The defeat of Bragg and the advance of Meade
augured badly for the Southern cause, and to many
it appeared that the fall of Richmond was at hand.
But Grant's victory has led to nothing, and Meade's
advance has been converted into an ignominious
retreat. The Confederates are undoubtedly in
straitened circumstances; but their position at the
close of the third year of the war is infinitely supe-
rior to that in which at the beginning of the war
their most ardent supporters at this side of the At-
lantic anticipated they would be placed, as against
all the boasted successes of the North they are still
able to set off the indisputable fact that they main-
tain their seat of Government within one hundred
and fifty miles of the Federal capital.
HlinALD.—Although the resolution of the Ger-
man Diet to proceed with the Federal execution
previously determined upon brings back the Schles-
wig-Holstein dispute for a time to its old propor-
tions, and may prevent an immediate disturbance
of the peace of Europe, the probability of a gene-
ral war is in no degree lessened, and the position
of Denmark instead of being improved is seriously
damaged. To the King of Denmark occupation
in direct violation of the Treaty of London would
be far less dangerous than execution under
h cover of the Federal law. If the German Diet,
supported by the two German Powers, had frankly
Aug
declared that it intended to violate the treaty and
what-
ever pretender might make stronger a claim, the
other Great Powers of Europe would. have been
compelled, for very shame, to lend Denmark their
atuedhgbeu rg the
to o Duchiest
e P r i e of
of enburg
Holstein,ust Schleswig, and,
or i
assistance and prevent the consummation of a rob-
bery which, in its flagrant impudence, would be an
insult to them and a nullification of ail the treaties
by which the political relations of Europe are re-
gulated. That interposition would have brought
Germany to its senses, saved Denmark, and secured
peace.
'The execution, however, although it is
avowedly designed to effect objects which are not
within the competence of the Diet, but have an in-
ternatioual character—although in proceeding with
it the Diet has expressly plaintained its right to
alter the succession esta lished by the London
treaty-is treated by these Powers as an excuse for
evading their responsibilities, and for avoiding a
decisive policy, Denmark is coaxed and bullied
into offering no resistance to this measure, and if she
yields, as she probably will do, it is only to place
herself Ott a worse position for meeting the further
aggression ethieh will be made upon her. The exe-
cution will serte the purposes of the disloyal portion
.)f the Holsteiners just as well as occupation. The
authority of King Christian will be just as much
overthrovni ad if the German troops entered
avowedly to take posuession for Prince Frederick.
From the moment the Danes cross the Eider, and
all authority in the Duchies is exercised by the com-
missioners of a body which professes it, desire, if!
can, to put the pretender on the throne, the inhabi-
tants favourable to the Danish rule will
hfariveands
chance of making themselves beard. The
of the pretender will exercise the Gove.r.7;iill
they will organise troops on his behalf ; the
position
drive the partisans of Denmark from
eivilerflYock back,
of influence ; the holstein refugees
dwventurers who
and with them will go all the
af
revolution as
who gather about a possible seeneifo
the Diet should
vultures over a carcass ; so that,
(sof concessions,the
withdraw its troops in conseq
u•en'oce whiehwilicompel
duchy will be left by it in a concliti
But there is every
the Danes to conquer it again..Fedral army of execution
reason to expect that the
army
a occupation and
will be transformed into
ant
t and Prussia,
cot quest. The &overnreeei _
te
trcal t
we fear; would gladly viola it hey
t amongst the German
could. The feeling.--nos_es • n
generally, for that, by the c.ont • the
people
most vehement advocates of war, is very fiat, and
needs to be constantly stimulated, but nhoolittst the
classes who have got posseeeion of poiii ice!.
power
—in favour of war is very stroeee. The Prussian
House of Deputies, for instance, is about to address
the King, appealing to him to make war, and it
refuses the means which his ir,:.stErts ask, except
et the prier: of a withdrawal troua the Treaty of
London, and active assistance to the
pretender—the
first instance, perhaps, in history in which a consti-
tutional assembly has made its own dishonour and
the shame of the nation t' he condition upon which
it grauts its SuWdies. is lt
• hardly probable that

the King of Prussia, honest man as he is at heart,
can resist a movement which promises to secure
him all the objects for which he has been contend.
ing against the Chamber for the last three years,
especially as the military party is for this once on
the same side eith its Liberal antagonists. Whether
his Majesty will like the indiscreet reference to
Olmutz in the address—a reference all the more in-
judicious that Germany, in pursuing this project of
aggrandisemen', needs union more than ever—may
be questioned ; but it will be hard for him to resist
the pressure, and the pretexts will be too easy to
find. The frontier of Holstein and Schleswig is
nor determined. The Germans claim as part of
Holstein positions which the Danes cannot possibly
surrender, because they form part of their line of
defence in Schleswig. War may easily break out
here, and if it should not, the partisans of Prince
Frederick will contrive to get up some other difficul-
ties which trill lead to it. And how disadvantage•
ous willTbhe enemyethe
n the position of Denmark for resist-
ance.
of one of her richestwfi lh
provinces;a v e been
he
in e twhie,ae
haven joy ment
pre-
pared everythingor war unmolested; he will
have been able
to e
south s
of establish relations with the
ebeen
disaffected in the
on the contrary, Schleswig.w e a
rTi
ehde
hDnya
tehs,
e
will hav
necessity of continual preparation ' • the people will
be dispirited, and perhaps disaffected, by the con-
cessions of the Gciverninent ; the enthusiasm which
now animates them will have disappeared. Their
opportunity of inflicting injury upon the commerce
pecuniary
of Germany will have passed away , theerir
resources will be impaired. The w
•
Great Powers are so anxious to avert will break which
the
at a time when the nation they are bound to tint"
port is hardly capable of resistance, and the Ger-
mans are intoxicated by the apparent dread of the
other Powers to interfere with them. Then a long
and bloody war will break out, in which all Europe
will by degrees become involved. France and Eng-
land cannot permit Denmark to be made the vassal
of Germany. Long as they may put it off they
must interfere at last, and compel Germany to
abandon her unjust pretensions. But terrible in.
deed will be the reaction for Germany from the
fever which now possesses it. No nation in Europe
bee so much to suffer by war; no nation nas so
lightly, so unjustly, provoked war. Let the Sove-
reigns look to it. If a French army again spreads
over Germany there will be another bouleversenzent
of thrones. Let the people look to it, for if they be
willing to get rid of their Princes the cost they will
have to pay is enormous. But warning is lost on
Germany at this moment, and only sad experience
can teach her her folly and her crime. Earl Wes-
sell might have prevented this war, might have
saved Denmark, Germany, and Europe. Ho has
contributed more than any other man to bring it
on. His recent advocacy of the German contention,
in direct contradiction to all his previous declara-
tions, encouraged the German Diet to decree exe-
cution. His policy now encourages Germany to
proceed to the execution of her aggressive designs.
Had he recognised bold:y the duty of England—
had be declared distinctly to Germany that Eng-
land, having acknowledged the rights of King
Christian, would maintain them at all hazards—fhe
title of King Christian would long since have been
recognised by Austria and Prussia and by many of
the smaller states. Instead of this he has extorted
from King Christian concessions which, useless to
prevent execution and war, discontent his people,
and imperil his throne. Whatever the evi's which
may fall upon Denmark and Europe the respon-
sibility will rest on his head, for he might have
averted it.

~.a.-

..mac- ~'
/~ w

ships came out of action in thd most beautiful man-
ner, their rigging appearing as perfect as if they
had only been exchanging a as lute."

Trial of a British Subject for Murder in

Holland.

ARNHEIM, Dec. 12.—A criminal charge which
has excited great sensation throughout the country,
has just been heard by the chitl criminal court of
the province of Guelderland. The accused, George
Horcidge, alias Henry Charles Somerset Lee, aged
71, a British subject, was chat-god with having
maliciously end wilfully murdered his neighbour,
Captain Van Dongen Francice, of the Netherlands
army. From the evidence it appeared that the pri•
soner, who had been an officer in the British army,
had fought, in 1824, a duel, in the parish of Bles-
sington, county of liricklow, with one William
Wallace, and had killed his antagonist under cir-
cumstances which induced him to fly his country.
During several years he led a roving life, and at last
settled in this quiet town of Arn beim, entering himself
in the town-registry as Henry Charles Some7setrLeeaet.
Here ho lived quietly for many years, seldom visit-
ing, seldom visited by his neighbours. His next
door neighbour, Captain Van Dongen Francke, bad
at first been on terms of friendliness with him; but
owing to a misunderstanding arising, in a g
measure from idle gossipings, a sort of cat•and-dog
flin gradually arisen between them. Francke
aenedhgis;hd wifee were, it would seem, aware of the
ritable temperament of their neighbour, and taxed
their inventive faculties in finding out means of
effortan-
wantedwas not o
tuankree thailsi ant
nap
pd
theby
iniooyrinnig h
d
gei. mother would knock at the partition wall, or work at
iV n This
the one
a pump, so as to shake the very house in which he
lived. When people study to be disagreeable there
'4erno limit to the means they can employ, and these