The Sun.
London, England, 1850-10-10 00:00:00

signal than that by which on the 4th instant they re- i
pelled the assailants of Friederichstadti Our infor- 1
motion comes principally from the GArmans them-
selves, and must consequently he reg4ded as in no
respect marred by exaggeration. From the dis •
patches of General Wenusern the Commander-in-
Chief of the army bombarding the city, it would
appear .indeed that the success of the panes in this
last struggle against their antagonists has been as
great as it has proved sanguinary. The storming
party has been driven back with a loss, according to
the lowest estimate of 400, according to the highest of
700, the actual number -being most probably inter-
mediate. From about half-past five o'clock in the
evening of the 4th, until midnight, the firing con-
tinuedalniost unremittingly—the Germans advancing
upon .Friederichstadt in three columns, one by the
Seeth-marsh, another by the Treene-dyke, and the
third by the Eyder•dyke. In each instance the ad-
vanoieg battalions were repulsed with slaughter,
the insurgent troopers being at length compelled to
take up their original position, and leave the city
in the possession of its valiant defenders. Taking the
report of General WILLISEN to the Staathalterschaft
as the text of our observations, the Danes have in
every detail of the encounter proved themselves es
dauntless as they are actually victorious. Speaking
of his own troops, he says, they executed the attack
with "distinguished bravery"—consequently the'
victors must have fought with proportionately yet
greater energy. Indeed the German Commander-
in-Chief acknowledges as much when he observes that
`f the enemy conducted his defence with coolness and
determination." Summing up the whole results of
this eventful day, General WILLISEN says that it
" will have no decisive effect on the operations
of the war," proving by, so many syllables that
it already appeared to himself most disastrous.
One passage in this report to the Staathalterschaft
we cannot but view as a melancholy token-of the
ferocity engendered by warfare. We recommend it
seriously to the consideration of the Peace Society.
It is where the defeated • Captain writes, almost as it
were incidentally, and with a scarcely suppressed
exultation—an exultation but partially concealed by
a pretence of commiseration—" Unhappily, it was
impossible to avoid setting fire to the place, and a
great part of the unfortunate town is destroyed." A
similar affectation of sentiment might have In en
displayed by the burglars at the Frimley
vicarage, if they had exclaimed, , when
escaping from their bootless attempt at
robbery—" Unhappily, it was impossible to avoid
firing in the confusion, and the unfortunate clergy-
man, the master of the house, is destroyed." When
iti is remembered that the Danes, in defending
Friederichstadt, were only defending their inalienable
right?, their property, and their independence from
the grasp of lawless and pitiless spoliators, it becomes
sickening to bear the leader of this army of pil
lagers thus commemorating the wanton destruction
perpetrated during the bombardment.
So important is the new disaster which has
just befallen the Schleswig-Ilolstein armament
under the walls of Friederichstadt, even in
their own estimation, that their Diet has
immediately authorised- the Staathalterschaft to
inhrease the number of troops by new enlistments,
and has placed an additional sum of 3,292,687 marks
at. the disposal of the War Department. It becomes
manifest, consequently, that the pertinacious course
which has been pursued thus obstinately during no
less than three years in succession, will be persisted
in by the German confederates, unless the great
European powers interpose at length to prevent the
continuance of such unnecessary carnage., That some
such beneficent interference wily take place we are
sanguine, seeing that rthe war against Denmark
is one so notoriously unjust and execra-
ble, that its iniquity has been asserted by the
Republican rulers of France, by his Majesty the
Russian AUTOCRAT, and by the Liberal Government of
England, represented in the Foreign Department by.
Lord. VALMERSTON. Surely the atrocity of the at-
tack must be great indeed, when the criminality of
the insurgent Schleswig-Holsteincrs combines toge-
ther in one opinion men of such different sentiments
and states of such incongruous characters. It must
belborne in recollectiuno moreover, that the gallant
Danes have earned for themselves the sympathy. of
the European Governments by the loyalty, the valour,
an the self-sacrificing enthusiasm with which
they have sustained the cause of their SOVEREIGN.
Gladly should we learn that the chivalrous defence
of ' Friederichstadt was the last warlike exploit
which the soldiers c.f Denmark were required to ac-
cornplish in vindication of their national independence.
1114tters might then revert to their original position.
Schleswig would still remain, as it has done from
tide immemorial, an integral portion of the Danish
te4itory ; Holstein would still continue to acknow-
ledge the King of DENMARK. as her Ducal Chieftain,
while herself remaining at the same time a member
of the Germaa Canfederation ; and the latter would
the be enabled to dedicate her enormous energies,
no to the lawless spoliation of her neighbours, but to
the august work of her own social and political re-
ge eration. .

The happy, careless schoolboy, the careworn,
toiling lawyer, alike enjoy their vacations. At those
welcome periods books and cares are flung to the
winds. The grave, used-up senator, after months of
midnight legislation, enjoys his Parliamentary recess ;
the spruce official of the Treasury enjoys his six
weeks' tour ; while the plodding cit tries to forget
the schemes and speculations of the counting-house in
the peaceful repose of some sea-side villa. There is a
seaso❑ of rest and recreation for all save the hapless
editor. Even now, when the romantic hills of Scot-
land and the rich vallies of merry England re- echo the
spirit-stiring sounds of the rifle and the fowling-piece,
and while our Hibernian friends are in full chase
after the great " sea-serpent" round the coast of the
Emerald Isle, alas ! still here we ure plying our toil-
some and eternal task, exercising our ingenuity to
eke out of the dull round of passing events some sub-
ject of interest—a matter of no ordinary difficulty
even with the most microscopic eye.
The hippototamus has ceased to be a novelty, and
even the sea-serpent—that monster myth of our face-
tious fellow-subjects of the sister isle—is become a
thrice-told tale. The grumblings of the Protectionists
are drowned in the operations of a fruitful harvest ;
the cry for repeal is too faint to be heard beyond the
precincts of that little place miscalled CONCILIATION
HALL, and the Chartists have ceased to talk of
fighting. Indeed, the whole political world is just
now as dull and calm as any nervous old lady could
desire; yet at no season can the public journalist
exercise his high calling with greater efficiency.
In the lull of party and of passion he can with
greater facility lead the public mind to the calm con-
sideration of such questions a; concern the common
weal. In such a season of tranquillity the better
feelings have full play, and all are less likely to be
affected by sordid and selfish influences than when
the angry elements of the political atmosphere are in
agitation. Impressed with the importance of the mo-
ment, we would then call the attention of the people
and ot the Legislature to those measures of deep import-
ance likely to come under the consideration of Parlia-
ment early in the coming session.

We very willingly give credit to the Government-
for having carried many enactments of deep public
interest during the last session; and we have no
doubt many other useful measures then before Par-
liament would also have become law were it not for
the ill-timed introduction of the discussion on our
foreign policy—a discussion forced on both Houses
at an advanced period of the session, in the bitterest
spirit of fiction, without any other apparent object
than the damnification of an able Minister, and the
ob,tructiun of the public business.

tide can look with feelings of gratif►cation to the
successful issue of such whelcsoim and necessary
alis as that for Austra,li,►n self-government, the
Extramural Internmits Bill, the Bill for the regula-
tion and amendment of our mercantile marine,
the issue of Ihe Royal Commission to

inquire into the stAte of the Universities.
We must also rejoice at the discomfiture of the pha-
risaical Sabbatarians, yet we cannot shut our eyes to
the fact that much has been loft undone. No meet
provision has been made for tie general education of
the people; the common air and light of heaven
are partially shut out by reason of the window-tai
remaining still unrepealed ; the principles of citiil nod
religious liberty cannot be fully recognized or car-
ried out while the Jew remains disqualified to enjoy