Wilmington journal. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1844-1895, 1866-07-05
The War inn EmrNlle !,

hurst over the German States The feeble attempt
of DIPLOMACY to avert the conflict and preserve
peace has proved fruitless-ndeed the Peace Con
ference was abortion. The determination
of the German Diet to mobilize the Federal army
and the movement of Prussian forces into Saxony
and Hanover, virtually begins the war. The next
steamer will il all probability bring the news of
the first conflict of arms, which promises to be of
great magnitude
While the sympathies of our people are as yet
hardly enlisted on either side, foi no two powers
of Europe are more unpopular in this country than
Prussia and Austria, still the occasion and the
cause of the war are matters OF interest to all.
We have been able to gather the following his
torical resume of the troubles which have led to
the appeal to arms
In 1886 the Provinces of Scheswig and Holstein
united in political government. In 1474, hav-
ing previously undergone many changes, but with
little change in their political status, the Provn
ces were erected into duchy by the Emperor of
Germany, and has ever maintained that political
designation, and although they were governed by
the house oi Denmark, the duchy, especially Ho
STEM being the more Southern province, and in
deed surrounded Oh all sides by German States.
and German influences, had long sympathized.with
the Confederation rather than with Denmark, and
sought every opportunity of severing their con-
nection with the latter government. 1t was not
until as late 1913, upon the accession to the
throne of Frederic VII, when the whole of Eu-
rope was disturbed by revolutions, that these Pro-
vinces rose in arms, declared their sympathy with
the German States, and their desire to form part
of the Confederation, and appealed to the German
powers for aid. To this appeal, Prussia at once
responded, and drove the Danes out of the
duchies.
The political tornado that swept over Eu
rope, and which shook the thrones of most of the
great powers of that Continent gave the reigning
monarchs use for all their power and address to
save their own authority. On this account, fur
ther all was not extended to the duchies and what
had been given was withdrawn. Consequently, the
duchies were soon left alone in their rebellion"
and after the disastrous battle at Idsedt in 1850,
the authority of Denmark restored. The control
of the duches remain ed to Denmark, without inter
ruption or attempt at interference until 1863,
when Frederic VII dying without issue, the ques-
ton of the ultimate sovereignty of the duchies
again became matter of dispute. Denmark as
serted its prescriptive control Germany proper
appealed to the expressed and well understood
preferences of the people; Prussia urged her
claims on account of her assistance in 1848, and
Austria, through jealousy of Prussia, deplored her
ACKNOWLEDGEMENT.
In the early part of 1864 the duchies resolved
to assert their independence of Denmark, and the
and Prussia, thelatter with the hope of making ter
ritory by the contest the former with the design of
preventing this advantage to her rival,
&ol~o fl,o;r fbo
most powerful of the German States and they
declared war against Denmark The latter king
dom having, through a matrimonial alliance with
Victoria, acquired the right to hope for Englnds
assistance, appealed to her Majesty for aid, but
Great Britain had no stomach for fight and the
Danes we're left toltheir fate, and soon com
PEELED to yield
By treaty dated at Vienna, Oct 3d. 1864, the
duchies of Schleswig- Holstein and Lauenburg
were made over to Austria and Prussia joi'Ay.-
This was followed by another convention between
these two powers, Aug 10TH 1865, by which Aus
tria took possession exclusively of Holstein, and
Prussia of Schleswig and Lauenburg. An Aus
trian imperial governor was sent to Holstein and
a Prussian to the other provinces
Everything promised solution OF the question
of the duchies, which, if not satisfactory to them
might reasonably be supposed to be conformable
to the wishes of the two great powers whose terri
tory and population had been thus largely in
creased.
There seemed to have arisen, however, most
thirst the part of Prussia for the
whole of the annexed territory" and during the
few months that followed the treaty OF last Au-
gust constant chickering's arose between the re-
of the two monarchies in the ada
cent duchess terminating in a formal demand by
Prussia that the Austrian troopsshould vacate Hol
stein, their position in such numbers on the from
tier of Prussia having the appearance Of if not de-
signed to, menace that kingdom.
AUSTRIA of course refused, and in the Germanic
Diet held at Frankfort On the LIST of January, the
Austrian representative declared that it was i'm
possible to come to understanding with Prussia
on the subject of the duchies, and the Emperor of
Austria desired therefore to submit the matter to
that body-the representative of the entire Ger
manic Confederation.
Prussia declared that this dissolved the treaty of
August, 1866, and she would so consider it.
Both powers forthwith began to arm.
Anticipating general European War, for Hun
gary and italy have accounts to settle with Aus
tria, Denmark would like to reclaim her duchies,
and Napoleon "hates the treaties of 1916" it was
proposed to submit the question at issue between
Austria and Prussia to q European Congress. A
circular was sent by the Emperor of the French,
in concert with Her Majesty, proposing this meth
Cd of adjusting the points in dispute but the last
steamer brings the news of the failure of this at
Tempt at negotiation, because of stipulation by