Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1867-05-01
LUXEMBOURG.
Tg,e Present Ruroteau Rene Of Conten-
tiGn-Cause Of the TrpubAe.

]
While the telegraph has been busy
with the Luxembourg question which
threatens 60 drift Europe into war, few
are familiar with theresi points at issue.
These are thus sueeinctly stated by the
London Times:
When the German confederation was
broken up last year by what may be
called the civil war in Germany, the
grand duehy of Luxembourg was left,
as il were, politically stranded. Il had
belonged as q grand dueby, to the con-
] federation, its grand duke, however be-
ing king of another country, HclAnd-
/ lust as the duke of HOlstein was king Of
! Denmark. The king of Holland took
! no part in the war, but he ceased, as q
matter Of course, to be membeT OF the
/ confederation when the confederation
had been destroyed; nor did he join
either of the new coufederacies formed
I in Germany. so that Luxembourg re-
mained outside its old political society.
| At the same time the country was not
! identified with the proper kingdom Of
! Holland, for it formed no part of the
Dutch dominions, nor had the Dutch
government or the Dutch people any
concern or interest in its affairs. IL was
q private and personal possession of the
sovereign's, and was Dutch only in the
sense in which Hanover used to be Eng
| lish. The little state thus isolated would,
il was thought, have to cast in its lot
with some people or other, perhaps with
the Germans, its neighbors on the east,
possibly with the French, its neighbors
on the west. The Germans had two
points in their favo Nationality and
possession. Luxembourg was essentially
German, and in ancient times had given
a race Of soYereigns to the empire. Then
Prussia, though the confederation bad
been destroyed, still maintained in the
fortress of LuXembourg-a place OF much
strategic gicimpOrtance-the garrison which
the terms Of the confederation entitled
her to keep there. So things pointed
rather to the Feadmission OF LuXem-
bourg into the Germanie body, when, as
long ago, according to Sir Robert Peel,
as October last, France made proposals
on the other side.
1t NAV be said for the French govern
ment that the question at that time
seemed to be fairly open. The Luxem-
bourgers themselves had shown no lean
ings toward the new German cOnfedera-
ton: in fact, we Efe told at this moment
that they do not desire 70 5Scop1e more
German than they are, On the other
hand, they had scarcely an Gpprec!able
connection with Holland, for the Dutch
cared not what became Of them, and the
king himself had no desire to retain the
uroDerty. Under these circumstances, 1
France allowed it to be known that she /
was ready te deal for the duchy on fair 1
terms. aud the king Of Holland on his 1
mart consented to the ODening Of negOti- /
atious. His conditions, however, were 1
eminently prudent, though th5 virtue, .
no doubt, partook of the character of ne I
cessity. He agreed to cede the duchy 4
for a due compensation, provided always I
that the people of the country were con- /
suited. and that Prussia gave her consent /
to the transfer When this bargain was 4
made, or after what preiiminaries, we
cannot say; but when the project was 4
brought to the knowledge of her majes- 1
tvs government, toward the end of last /
month, it appeared that the king of HOl- /
land wRs to be reeompensed by round 1
sum of money for the transfer OF his 4
rights, SO that, in fact, the duchy and its 4
inhabitants would be sold. It then de- /
volved upon our government to consid- /
er, first, what our obligations, and next 1
what our interests were in the case as /
thus proposed.
In investigating the case, Lord STAN
ley discovered that the king Of Holland 1
would accept the French proposition
only in the event of the people of the
duchy and the Prussian government
sgreeing; also, that Prussia would not
agree. So Lord Stanley replied indefi-
nitely to the overtures made to him. Our
latest dispatches mention that the whole
question viii be submitted to European
congress.