The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1866-06-29
THE EUROPEAN WAR.
The Drama, the Actors, and the
Theatre.
Origin and Purport of the strug-
= y y - gle. z u t
F+om nte NelV YORK. Evening PoIt.

g
From The NeiO York Epenfng Post.
Middle Europe, as the map shows, is
| decorated with two opposite peninsulas,
! the one extending southward, the 9TH
er northward, as fipre-arranged stir
rups for him who shall in time to come
sit in the European saddle and rule
| continental affairs. The northernmost
of these is Jutland, reaching into the
| North Sea; the southern is Italy, e1-
| tending into the Mediterranean. The
actual trouble in Europe has to do i'm
mediately with these; more directly,
however, with the dogma OF separated
nationalties, which, replacing the old
phantom of balance of power, is the
ruling idea of ofnineteenth-century dlPlo-
macy. Politically as the ancient GUS
| tom went, the dnchies of Schleswig,
Holstein, and Lauenburg belonged 70
Denmark nationally, they belonged
to Germany. Politically, Nenetia be-
| longed to Austria nationally, 1t CO.
hered with Italy. And TO adjust these
geographical, political, and tribal con-
siderations, Europe has been perturb-
ed for the last twenty years, and must
at last go to war to settle them. 1t
will be n wonder indeed if other anon
allies of similar kind are not brought
| to arbitrament before the war shall
| have ended.
AUSTRIA AND fhbSol<A.
Schleswig and Notwithstanding
may be understood, though not contin-
ually mentioned-have for some hun
dreds of years been subject, almost in
yariably, to the crown of Denmark,
though preserving as to each other aud
as to the Danes a certain inindependence.
This has been founded partly on the
fact of the law of succession for the two
duchies differing from that of the Dan
ish kingdom, and partly, on the other
fact, that two thirds of the population
of the duchieS were of Teutonic rather
than of Scandinavian origin, and yearn-
ed additionally for afhlintion with their
German neighbors. The treety ofKiel,
1914, gave the two provinces territorial
ly to Denmark, but left them members
Of the Germanic Confederation; and
when it was the fashion for the Euro
pean monarchS to give constitutions to
their people, Schleswig and Holstein
received popular constitutions, and mo-
mentarilY fancied themselves self-gov-
erned. But the European fashion OF
giving was speedily followed by anoth-
er of taking away liberal institutions,
and when the groundswell preceding
the popular outbreak of 1913 came, 1t
sorely tossed and tried the Schleswigers
and HolsteinerS who rad been thus
trifled with.
A new monarch, Frederick VIII,
the two duchies in open revolt. The
German empire had just been set up,
and the people of the duchies resolved
to Join it in name and fact. A war fol-
lowed. 1t lasted, with varying for
tunes, until 1850, when, the Danish
armies becoming decisiveiy trlum,
phant, Prussia and Austria interviewed
with large bodies of troops; the revolt
was subdued; and in 1851 the great
powers sat down at London to talk over
the destinies of the duchies. All the
old topics relative to the remuneration
of feudal rights by King Christian l.;
the operation of the Salic law; the legal
course of succession, were discussed.
What, however, was thought OF was the
expediency of yielding the States to
Russian or Prussian, Danish or Aus
trian influence, and finally it was de-
termined, May 8, 1852, that, upon the
demise of the actual wearer of the
Danish crown, the bauble should pass
| to Christian, Duke of Glucksburg, and
the duchies remain as before, members
of the Danish monarchy Great pow
ers do and may take great liberties.
Denmark had to submit, and so had the
German States, which desired to see the
Duke of Augustenburg, with whom
existed the legal title, inherit the two
States.
The demise of the Danish crown oc-
CURED in 1868; the claims of the Duke
of ofAugustenburg were revived; a fresh
| conference of the great powers was
called, for Austria and Prussia, acting
| in behalf of the German Confederation,
| had oyerrun the duchies with their
troops, and King Christian was on hand
to secure the inheritance. The confer
ence produced no fruit. The Danes
were driven into the upper peninsulai
the duchies were liberated, according
to a despotic rendering of the word,
,,,k,f that nUnrFi1inD fhn
right of the two States to their autono-
my, and forgetting the claims of the
Diet, the two powers took possession of
the duchies, and proceeded to dispose
of them. Austria sold out her rights
in Lauenburg, indefinable as they were,
to Prussia, but agreed to govern the
larger duchies in common with the as
sociate power. Quarrels necessarily
resulted. Prussia wanted to monopo-
lize Kiel, an important port on the Bal
tic side; Austria was indisposed to this;
and then, taking advantage of the ex-
treme unpopularity OF the Berlin Gov
ernment in the duchieS, it sought to Sc
cure desirable influence in Northern
Germany, by concessions and indul-
gences 10 the emancipated communi-
ties.
This state of conflict lasted until the
summer of 1865, when, as the only al
formative of war, treaty was conclu-
while neither power gave up its event
uai claims in the entire plunder, Prus-
sin was left to domineer over Schles-
wig. while Austria was suffered to
work its sweet will with Holsteiu. 1t
was not long, however, before the ami
ability of the Viennese ministry, in its
dealings with the Holsteinefs provoked
Count Bismark, the head Of the Prus-
sian Government, beyond endurance.
! Austria, having tried 10 get back slice
| of SiIesfa in exchange for Holstefn, and
been snubbed, was even disposed to
consult the people of that duchy on
their own affairs, and when refugee
| Journalist or two took advantage OF
| 'Holstein hospitality to gdenounce the
| tyranny of Prussia just over the bor-
| der. Austria would not surrender the
| offenders, or silence or punish them.
| So sPrussiR continued to menace the
| Austrians, until the latter some three
1 months since saw the necessity oil
| STRENGTHENING their northern frontier,
| which called for corresponding activity
! on the part of Berlini and so with mu-
| tual manifestoes and useless parleyings
1.-THE contending powers have urged on
| their armaments; and, as last resort,
short of the ultimate resort of all, Aus
/ triR has handed over the destinies OF
i the duchies TO the Federal Diet, and
! summoned the Estates of Holstein-
! measures which the Court of Berlin,
\ embodied in the resolute Bismark,
chooses to denounce as the equivalent
/ of a declaration of war, arguing that
\ in the first place Austria, by the Gas
/ tein bargain, was forbidden to intro
duce any third party into the imbrog-
| lilo; and secondly, that having appealed
| to the Diet, the Austrian interest in the
| dnchies ceased, and the subsequent
call of the Holstein States was an as