The Sun.
London, England, 1865-11-04 00:00:00

to effect the desired end. If anything could increase
the evil opinion which the nations of Eiffrope enter-
tain concerning the Schleswig-Holstein affair, it
would be the treatment which the Prince
of AUGUSTENBURG is now receiving. It
stamps the actors in it with perfidy, and
shows that every one of their fine-sounding
pretensions put forth at the outset, and which re-
ceived such implicit credence from Earl RUSSELL
and some others, was false. Surely some compunc-
tion must now be felt by those who persisted in
maintaining that the Dano-German war was not
one of aggression, but undertaken in the cause of
nationality, and with the object of settling the vexed
question of the Duchies in the most satisfactory and
independent manner. The reverse of this picture
is so plainly seen, that the most perverse must
acknowledge it, and the most ignorant understand
it. In fact, the Prince of AUGUSTENBURG has
been made as complete a dupe as any one we ever
heard of, and although his claims may not be authen-
tic even according to German traditions, and he
certainly lent his aid in perpetrating a great wrong
to Denmark, still one cannot help feeling sorry for
him on account of the unfair treatment he has re-
ceived. At any rate, he had more right to the
possession of the coveted places than his so-called
allies, but virtual enemies, and under his sway the
Duchies would have enjoyed a freedom which they
will never possess in the present state of things. It
is some sort of satisfaction to find that these artful
dodgers have in a measure overreached themselves,
and there is quite a panic among the people of the
Duchies to put down the excitement they them-
selves aroused in favour of the Prince. Of course,
it is quite immaterial to such rulers as these what
opinions those under their rule entertain of their
consistency, or else it might appear strange to some
that it was extraordinary to say one thing and do
another.

Any onewhoreadsthe circular of Baron Vox ZED-
LITZ to the chief officials in reference to the recent
reception of the Duke of AUGUSTENBURG at Ecken-
forde, may well conceive that the Cabinet of Berlin
is equal to any effrontery and perversion of facts.
It would appear that great indignation has been
felt by the authorities in consequence of the favour
in which the PRINCE has been held, and they are
determined to put down all manifestations of the
sort at once and for ever in a determined manner.
The fact is, that the Prussian Civil Commissioner
in Schleswig acts very much on the principle of
the wolf and the lamb in the fable; he is
resolved to find out some cause of offence, and
although he is compelled to admit that the accounts
at first given of the occurrences which took place
_upon the arrival of the Prince were greatly exag-
gerated, still he goes on in a manner which could
only be justified if they had fallen far short of the
reality instead of exceeding it. The conduct of the
tribunals and of the officials must be governed by
fixed laws, and only regarded in a particular point
of view, and the Baron VON ZEDLITZ is at great
pains to inform those he addresses of the nature of
their duties ; he states that the Duchies of Schles-
wig and Holstein now belong to the Sovereigns of
Prussia and Austria, and it must not be permitted
that any one else should assume to himself
" titles and honours." Furthermore, we find
that act containing the recognition of a third party
as a legitimate Sovereign, or " according even a
mark of honour appertaining only to the rule, will
lie stamped as an attempt at rebellion against the
legal condition of the country." This is plain
speaking with a vengeance, and affords proof posi-
tive, if such were wanting, of the consummate
assurance with which Prussia can comport her-
self. Here is the man, to further whose cause all
Europe was set astir, and by whose side the Crown
Prince of PRUSSIA went forth to fight, almost pro-
scribed as an adventurer by the functionaries of the
Monarch who undertook the war on his behalf.

Nothing can be stronger than the terms which are
employed in this circular to show that no tolera-
tion will be afforded to those who, directly or indi-
rectly, countenance the Prince. On the contrary,
we find that the officials are bound "to proceed in
the most energetic manner, with all possible means
at their command, against every act" whereby
the Prince, or any other claimant, shall
be characterised as Sovereign. Authority that
is based upon such acts of subterfuge as
these cannot be very permanent or very strong, but
for the time there is no doubt that the evil influ-
ences will prevail, and that the sovereign sway of
Prussia and Austria will reign paramount in the
Duchies. It is long since we have had such a speci-
men of deceit exhibited to us, and most vexatious
is it to contemplate. If the Duke of AUGUSTENBURG
be wise he will lose no time in taking himself off to
some place out of reach of the mandates of the
German Powers, for his prospects will not be very
bright if those ruthless and covetous aggressors take
offence, and deem it advisable to proceed to extremi-
ties in the furtherp.nce of their schemes. The Vienna
Treaty was made under compulsion by the then
necessities of war ; it was no recognition of the
claims of the Emperor of AUSTRIA or the King of
PRUSSIA to the Duchies, but these territories were
ceded to them as the conquerors in the con-
test. They had constituted themselves the
arbitrators of the rights of the Duchies, and the up-
holders of the claims of the Prince of AUGUSTEN-
BURG. There is neither sense nor reason in any of
the explanations so prolifically furnished to us
from all quarters respecting the circumstances of
the case. The nations and individuals who are
independent of these despotic Powers cannot
change their convictions and unsay what they have
said all in an instant because it suits the conve-
nience of the Sovereigns of Austria and Prussia
that they should do so.