Glasgow Courier. — 1863-11-26 (Glasgow, Strathclyde, Scotland)

THURSDAY MORNING, NOVEMBER 26.  WE are glad to see hopeful accounts of the state of our navy. Not for many a day has so important an event to our national safety happened as the unequivocal success of Sir W. Armstrong's great gun at Shoeburvneas last week. This magnificent piece will carry 600 lbs. 10,000 yards, or nearly six miles, and after sixteen discharges it was found without a single flaw. Probably there is not at this moment another gun in the world equal to it. Equally hopeful are the accounts given by Mr Reed and Lord Clarence Paget of the progress of our iron-clad fleet; and a most important announcement is that of Mr Reed, that our old wooden ships plated with iron are found as serviceable as those entirely constructed of iron, and that there is no obstacle to the use of very great guns at sea, whenever the best kind of gun has; been decided upon. Whether Sir W. Armstrong's 600-pounder will possess that penetrative power at short distances, the want of which is complained of, has yet to be tested. All things considered, there is 03 fear yet that the sceptre of the ocean will pass from the hands of Britannia.  THE smaller States of Europe are generally signifying their adhesion to the proposal of a Congress, without attaching thereto impossible conditions; but it is different with the Great Powers, all of which either require beforehand a programme of business to be drawn up, or stipulate for the exclusion of certain creations. Thus, Russia will not allow the question of Poland to be discussed, Austria those of Venice and Rome, and so on; thus the only questions worth deliberating upon would be tabooed, and the proceedings would degenerate into a useless farce. La France, which often speaks under "inspiration," declares that it is impossible to fix the bases for the Congress, which can only be done when that "consultation of the sick," as M. Thiers calls it, actually takes place. It appears very probable that the Congress will not meet at all. The States standing on the defensive against revolutionary aims have nothing to gain from such a meeting. Besides, there are few States that have not something to fear. In such an assembly too many Banquo's ghosts would rise unbidden, "with twenty mortal murders on their crowns," breaking it up "in most admired disorder;" and to complete the dramatic effect, perhaps we should have the gentle Eugenie rushing upon the scene, bidding the deputies not "to stand upon the order of their going, but go at once."  Azo:rritss embroglio is adding to the number already vexing Europe. The Schleswig-Holstein business looks serious. It is true the malcontents have not a leg of public law to stand upon, besides the other Great Powers, Austria and Prussia, are parties to the treaty which has made Christian IX. sovereign of the Duchies; it has been signed also by Bavaria, Wurtemberg, and Saxony, and Hanover is the only German State of any consequence which is not bound by it. Besides all this, the Pretender, the Prince of Augustenburg, is the offspring of a morganatic marriage, and is consequently disqualified, even if his father had possessed any rights over Holstein to cede to him. But the ugliest feature of the affair is that the population of the Duchies appears to be very generally disposed to back his claims, and all the officials have refused to take the oath of allegiance to the new King. There is no expectation that either the recalcitrant inhabitants or their German sympathisers possess the military means of enforcing their views; but here we shall have another people, almost unanimously discontented with their rulers—another Poland, or Venice, or Naples ; and there are too many of such nests of hornets already; while in these days the "wish Is of the people" have acquired so much right to deference that all the Radicals of Europe, from Cape Wrath to Cape Spartivento, will raise a howl of sympathy with the oppressed Holsteiners, and call for a German Garibaldi to their rescue.  Tali American news by the Canada is of importance, but as usual deficient in clearness if not in veracity. The main feature of it is that on the 7th inst., General Meade, having ascertained or fully believing that Lee's army had been very much reduced by the despatch of a large force to operate in Tennessee, suddenly left his encampment at Warrenton and advanced southwards. The Confederates slowly retreated before him, and on the north of the Rappahannock a force of 3000 of them were found occupying the very earthworks which the Federals themselves had constructed. This small force offered a "desperate resistance" to the Federale, but they