On Monday night, Lord Campbell asked Lord Russell whether the
treaty by which England guaranteed Schleswig to Denmark in 1720 did not bind us to resist any violent separation of that Duchy as a consequence of the present war. The words of the treaty were:—" His Britannic Majesty promises and under- takes for himself, his heirs, and successors, to guarantee and main- tain him in the perpetual and peaceful possession of the part of Schleswig which his Danish Majesty has in his hands, and to defend it in the best possible way (le »deux possible) against all and everybody who might attempt to trouble it, directly or in- directly." As neither Prussia nor Austria can maintain that Schleswig lapses by descent away from the Crown of Denmark, having expressly repudiated the absurd German theory to that effect, it seems clear that the words of the treaty exactly apply to the present case, if the great German Powers should attempt to keep their conquest. Lord Russell replied that the treaty would most certainly greatly affect our course in the- hypothetical case suggested, that it was now under the care- ful consideration of the Government, but that it was a long time ago, that there had been subsequent war between Eng- land and Denmark, which necessitated the inquiry how the terms of peace had affected the pre-existing treaties, and that he did not think it a suitable time to discuss a hypothesis which assumed the faithlessness of Prussia and Austria. Perhaps Lord Campbell should yet a while have disguised his expectations ; but when a man, with a loaded pistol at your head, begs to borrow your watch,. even the most courteous mind will glance at ultimate possibilities.
