The Sun.
London, England, 1850-07-29 00:00:00

THE SUN,

treaties and diplomatic documents, all tending to
demonstrate the legality of the course pursued
by the Government of Copenhagen, and the
illegality of that pursued by the Cabinet
of Berlin and its accessories. Oar latest allusion to
the Schleswig-Holstein question had reference to the
prospect of a pacific settlement, securing to the King
of DENMARK the province endeavoured to be torn
from his dominions by an execrable coalition. Sud-
denly, however, the news reaches England that the
tardy arrangements of the diplomatists are likely to
be accelerated by the great battle of Ickstedt. De-
tails are yet required to enable us to form any
accurate estimate of the advantages accruing to the
Danes in consequence of this important victory.
Nevertheless, sufficient light is afforded us by the ac-
counts already received to show that the defeat of the
united army of Schleswig-Holstein is far from being
incomplete or indecisive. The event is altogether
one of too great magnitude to admit of any doubt
whatever upon that head. The Schleswig-Holstein
forces, commanded on the left by VON DER TANN,
on the right by VON DER HORST, and at the centre
by General WllaasEN,
,if not actually routed, were
driven back with great slaughter on the 25th instant,
after eleven hours' fighting in the vicinity
of the now historical village of Ickstedt. The combat,
beginning at three o'clock in the morning, appears
not to have terminated until past two o'clock in the
afternoon, when the German troops were compelled
to withdraw hastily from their position, retreating in
the direction of Rendsburg. Towards nightfall the
victorious soldiers of Denmark entered the
city of Schleswig, so very recently the head-
quarters of General WILLISEN, and among other
testimonies of the triumph achieved by .the
Danish army may be mentioned the sudden and total
abandonment of Eckernforde, its fortifications having
been subsequently dismantled. Some accounts go so
far as to assert that the Danes bad penetrated even
within the walls of Rendsburg ; but, taking even the
most moderate portion of the intelligence as the only
part of it deserving credence for its accuracy and
authenticity, it is most certain that the defeat of the
Schleswig-Holstein troops has been signal and
decisive. The event must exercise an extraordinary
influence over the councils of the negotiators, and, we
doubt not, will tend to consolidate the power which
has been threatened by the German coalition with
dismemberment. The prestige of success having
fallen from the banners of Prussia cannot very
speedily be restored. Denmark, by her victory
at Ickstedt, has secured to herself the might as well
as the right. Her cause, besides being that of justice,
is the cause of the strongest. Hence we may begin
to look forward with some confidence to the
pacific settlement of all difficulties, to tke nego-
tiation of an armistice, and ultimately to the tho-
rough re-establishment of tranquillity. Formerly
leisure and opportunity may have been wanting to
the diplomatists of the mediating Governments.
Now, however, both are at their command—facilitat-
ing the preliminaries of a treaty which we trust may
long assure peace to Christendom.

"The massacre of the innocents" commenced at an
unusually early period this session. Bills of great pub-
lic importance, which had been introduced with many
flourishes and much self-gratulation, have been very
unceremoniously, and we regret to be obliged to add,
very unnecessarily abandoned or postponed by Govern-
ment. The Lord-Lieutenancy Abolition Bill, the
value and importance of which was so clearly ex-
plained by the First Lord of the Treasury, was
relinquished without a murmur. It was apparently
a matter of but little consequence, requiring
no very urgent haste, whether Ireland was to remain
in the condition of a province, still suffering under
distress and difficulty, or whether she should be
elevated to the position of au integral portion of the
British empire, and the foundations of her future
prosperity and happiness duly laid. Again, it was
perhaps rather desirable than otherwise, that the un-
fortunate owners of iricumbered estates, should
be permitted to drain the cup of bitterness
to the very dregs. The " confiscation" that has
been going on since the commencement of 1850,
during which period property worth at least a million
of pounds sterling has been sacrificed for about one-
half of its actual value, is to be continued into 1851 ;
" the victims" have not been sufficiently numerous.
Many other ruined families of plundered inheritors
and unsatisfied puisne encumbrancers will yet have
cause to bless the laisserfaire policy of the Whig Minis-
try, who so readily withdrew the Securities for Ad-
vances Bill, the advantages offered by which were so
well calculated to induce purchasers to come forward,
and the tendency of which is universally admitted to
have checked competition, as capitalists desirous of
making investments were anxious to avail them-
selves of its provisions, and accordingly hung back
until it should be decided one way or the other—
either by its becoming the law of the land, or being
decisively and permanently rejected.
But why should we recapitulate the measures that
have been dealt with in a similar manner ? What
necessity is there again to direct the public
attention to the absence of the promised explanation
of the Ministerial intentions with respect to the con-
templated separation of the political and judicial
functions of the Lord Chancellorship of England ?
Why notice the more than probable fate of the Savings
Bank Bill, which was to have been the first Go-
vernment measure of the session, and which was
so essential to appease the well-grounded ap-
prehensions at the numerous frauds that had been
brought to light, and which likewise elicited the
strongly-expressed determination of the Chancellor
of the Exchequer to afford no relief, however
trifling to the sufferers ? Why speak of the procrasti-
nation with respect to the Parliamentary Oaths'
Bill, that has forced on a discussion most unwelcome
to the Government, but which has gladdened the
heart of every true Reformer, of every real friend of
civil and religious liberty, who must have deprecated
the vacillating and pusillanimous policy which suf-
fered the hereditary Legislators to become judges
of the privileges of the chosen representatives
of the people ? Had the Jewish Disabilities Bill been
introduced at a proper period, it would, in all
human probability, ere this have become the law of
the land; and the city of London, the metropolis of
the British empire, would not have been so long de-
prived of a certain portion of its legitimate influence
in the Legislature, and subjected to partial disfran-
chisement. We confess that we cannot in this in-
stance regret that Ministers should have exposed
themselves to censure and obloquy, since it has
icd to the adoption of a course which should
have been resorted to in the first instance,
and which will show that Baron ROTHSCHILD
was entitled to be sworn on the Pentateuch, ex de-
bito justitice ; and that when he was satisfied to
take the substance of the oaths, in the manner which
he declared to be most binding on his conscience, and
for any violation of which he would be subject to the
pains and penalties of perjury, the mere form of
the adjuration was a matter of perfect indifference.
We cannot, we repeat, regret that this nurse, so
manly and straightforward—which is alike in accord-
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measures of real importance which haven as yet .
the general slaughter.
One of the most valuable of these measures
is the Mercantile Marine Bill, which has
received the sanction of the House of Com-
mons after much discussion on its various
details, which were calmly deliberated on and ma-
turely considered, and which now only requires the
formality of a third reading before it shall be sent up
to the Lords. Most sincerely do we pray that no
any
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being passed this very evening, and sent at once to
the -Upper House. Any objection which the obstruc-
tives of that assembly may put forward on
the ground of the late period cr the
session for disposing of so important a measure,
will thus be terminated, or at least its sting will
be withdrawn, when it is considered that nearly
three weeks still remain for the dispatch of business
before the prorogation.
It would be unjust, in speaking of this salutary
measure, to pass unnoticed the ability displayed by