, 1874-02-04
THE SCHLESWIG QUESTION.

Although this question cannot be said to
have undergone any definite change of late,
still the hope Of a final solution seems to be
stronger than ever. This assertion has been
made by good authorities, 10th in the Press
and on other occasions, but in what manner
this much wiShed.for termination of the diff
Guilty is to be brought about does not appear.
Whether the hope arises from Prussia's having
shown an inclination to fulfil her obligations
purely and simply, or on conditions, such as
have been rumoured, is net mentioned. 1t
will be remembered that the perservering,
energetic and undaunted North Schleswig
Deputy, Mr.. hryger, has been constantly re-
turned to demonstrate in the German Parlia-
ment against the wrongs daily perpetrated
against his oountrymen, and although he has
not been able to effect any thing, apparently,
IN the direction of d~isposing the German Repre-
sentatiyeS towards a just and equitable settle
ment of the vexed question, he however, re-
turned from Berlin last time with something
like a promise for the future. The Converse
ton he had with Prince Bismark in the saloons
OF that statesman, of which be gave an account
to his constituents on his return home in
July last, opened a prospect for the fuIflment
of the 9th article Of the Treaty of Prague,
according to which the Danish Districts we're
to be returned, and encouraged the Danish
SchIeSWigers to perSeVere. Since then the
visit OF the Grown Prince of Germany at the
Court of Copenhagen has strengthened these
expectations, the question having been the
subject of renewed discussion and sitting. 1t
IS yet fresh in memory that the German Press
had almost unanimously, and more or less
haughtily, demanded that Denmark should
altogether renOunce her rights based on the
aforementioned fifth article. Still the inius-
tice Of the demand did not fail to exercise a
certain influence on the a organs, and they
would then be looking about for a combination
offering an equivalent for the sacrifice of North
Schleswig. They sometimes pretended to
have discovered such a one in an alliance
between the German Empire and the Scandi-
navian Countries. They did their best to re-
present these countries as too feeble, even if
united by a close alliance, lin favour of which
there is a party in the three Kingdoms) to
maintain their independence. These Countries
would need, they maintained, a support, and
this support would, of course, be found in the
powerful German Empire. So far they were
certainly right. A united Germany and a
united Scandinavia in close alliance, would ia
deed be a strong combination. Their combin-
ed fleets would lie strong enough to command
the then Germano-Scandinayian Lake, the
Baltic, which could at any time be closed up.
But would Denmark ever subscribe to a COM
b%ination compromising her friendly relations
with other maritime powers What would in
deed be the part she would come to play in
the Grand League? The plan, if ever serious
ly entertained, had to be abandoned under the
circumstances. Recently however, as alluded
to above, the question has again come to the
foreground, but under a new aspect: The
Danish portion of North Sohleswig, so it was
rumoured, was to be returned, not according
to treaty obligation, but in exchange for the
Danish Westindia Islands. A balloon was, as
some say, sent up by the great statesman, to
find out where the wind blows.
When we reflect how often it has been re-
peated IN the German Press, in the rather
bombastlo manner of a people yet elm Sieges-
rausche," that not an inch of territory con-
quered by German blood could ever be surren-
dered,-when we know that ~oficious and
Semi-othcial papers have over and over joined