The Shasta courier., 1866-07-14
COURIER.
What the European War is About.

4
| the whole of the European continent is sba-
ken by the shock. There has not been since
| 1915 promise half so strong of general war.
1t was not difficult after all, to ''localize. I"
as it is called, the Belgian-Dutch war, or the
Austrian Hungarian war, or the Russian
Turkish war. or the French Austrian Italian
war; These were all avowedly waged about
interests essentially local, or else were so far
removed from the great centers OF European
affairs that any of the great powers which
chose to stand aloof could do SO without diff
Guilty. But this war which is on the point
of breaking out will rage in the very heart of
European civilization, and, though nominally
for the possession of strip--of territory, it is
really waged to shape the future of one OF the
great races of the world, and to decide wheth-
er one of the Oldest and proudest of European
| empires shall or shall not vanish from the
map.
And yet nine out of every ten of our read
ers have probably no idea at all, or very
vague one. of what it is all about. There is
a confused notion in the public mind that
Schleswig Ho.stein is at the bottom of 1t, but
how it got to the bottom of it, or why it re-
mains there, verv few indeed know. Most
people have been deferred from following the
| Schleswig Holstein controversy at all, owing
| it was incomprehensible. The efforts of most
| European journals to throw light on the
matter have made it as clear as mud. Punch
| published, year or two ago. an amusing
buresqueo on the subject, which was probably
of as much value to most readers as the most
serious of the previous attempts at explana-
ton.
We do not propose to follow the dispute
= Ill -. G.. A.
i've" treatise upon it would fill several vol
umes. But the gst of it is this: The Duchies
of Schleswig and Holsten are subject to the
Salic law, which prohibits a woman from
reigning. In 1460 they were inherited by
the King of Denmark, and they remained in
the hands of his descendants until the time of
Frederick VII, who died in 1868 with him
the direct male line terminated, and the
Duchies legally reverted to the young Duke
of Augustenburg. In view of this contin-
gencv. however, a conference OF the great
powers was held in London, in 1852, at which
it was resolved for various considerations
affecting the peace of Europe, but perhaps
from Difference to Russia as much as any
other, that the Ducl,es should remain an
nexed to the Danish crown, and should not
pass in the legal order of succession.
When the King died in 1868, however, it
was IOunu tilaJ Ine popular parry III Oermd
ny were by no means disposed to acquiesce
in the arrangements of the dipIomatists.-
Holstein is German. and has always been a
member of the German Confederation, though
governed by Danish prince, and there was
general outcry against its annexation to
Denmark The camor grew louder every
day, and at last found formal expression
through the Diet, which ordered the King of
Denmark to take himself out of Holstein On
his refusal, federal execution" was ordered,
that is, the troops of the Confederation were
ordered to turn him out and put the Duke of
Augustenburg in possession.
Up to this point Prussia and Austria had
stood aloof. The movement against Denmark
being an essentially popular one they would
have nothing to say to it; but as soon as the
troops began to move, they announced that if
there was any fighting to be done they would
do it themselves, and would not allow the
smaller states to interfere. By this time
Denmark had yielded Hostein to the federal
army; but Prussia came in and demanded
Schieswig also, and sent the Federal army
about Its business. Austria then sent troops
to the scene of action also Denmark pre
pared for resistance. Lord Russell swore by
the nine gods that Denmark should not be
harmed but the Prussians kept marching.
Duppel was taken in due course, and then
conference was finally called in London. in
Nay, 1864; but Prussia refused to susnend
operations during its sittngs After fort
| nights wranging it accomplished nothing.
and it had hardly broken up when Alsen
was taken, the war was over and Denmark
was PROSTATE at the feet of the invader
treaty was made in Vienna in October of the
same year, by which Denmark ceded Schles
wig. Holstein and Lauenburg to Prussia and
| Austria jointly, but Prussia bought out Aus
tria s interest for 1000, 900 ttalers.
So far, all had worked harmoniouslv
enough. But the trouble was now to begin.
as the spoil had to be divided. The two
powers found themselves in the duchies what
the German lawyers call condomiui-ioint
rulers and proprietors. Each of them sent
down a civil commissioner and military
commissioner, and these four officers speedily
began to quarrel The Austrian commits
sioner coqueted with the Duke of Augusten-
| burg, and encouraged demonstrations of
attachment to him on the part of the inhabi-
| tants; the Prussian commissioner forbade
these demonstrations, and the pickering
became So serious that an effort was made to
terminate it automatically. The convention
of Gastein was accordingly made in 1865, by
which it was arranged that Prussia should
hold Schleswig, the harbor of Kiel, and the
federal fort of Rensburg, and Austria Hol-
stein. This was, simply, provisional
arrangement; nothing was determined as to
the ultimate disposition of the conquered
territory.
In February of the present year, Bismark
who makes no secret of his belief that
Austria has no business in Germany, that
she is not German power, that her proper
capital is Pesth, and her proper mission the
civilization of the barbarous countries OF
Eastern Europe-impudently and brusquely
gave her notice that he wished her to evacu-
| ate Holstein She was naturally taken aback
by this arrogant demand, and declined
compliance. About this time some disturb
ances broke out among the Jews in Bohemia.
Austria moved troops up to restore order, and