the command of Field-Marshal von Wrangel, Duke Frederick guard of
Kiel has been disbanded under menace, and the Austrian half of the army is pouring in at the rate of four non-German Governments to leave the Germans no legal foot was intended only to gain time till a thaw made the Danneo make promises for the sake of peace which must be sup- e werke impassable, or aware that the Danish Parliament would ported even though at the cost of war. That is the drift of th at once reject the proposal, refused to allow of delay, and few despatches which have hitherto been published, and if that hurried on preparations more rapidly than before. Finally, be the truth, then whatever the anger of the country at the the Emperor of the French, while asserting his desire to Government which allowed such pledges to be given, they maintain the Treaty of 1852, has signified that as yet he sees no must be maintained in spirit as well as letter. Upon this, still point, however, there exist as yet no data even for an opinion, reason for active interference. The quarrel, therefore, remains one between Denmark and Germany, and to all appear_ and we strongly recommend the gentlemen who are talking so ance must be fought out by arms. Some writers, usually well very freely to suspend their judgments, at least for the single informed, affect indeed to believe that Germany may give week which must elapse before they know whether or no way; but all German acts are directly in contradiction to that their view is compatible with England's honour. theory, and while the two Courts are united they may with some reason conceive themselves beyond external menace. MR. BRIGHT AT BIRMINGHAM. From within they have nothing to fear. Both their Parlia- ff"generation has few intellectual excitements more ments have remonstrated, and both have been effectively pleasurable than a speech from Mr. Bright, and the snubbed, and while the Reichsrath has only reduced the vote pleasure is multiplied two-fold when Mr. Bright feels himself from ten to five millions sterling the Prussian Minister attacked by an adversary strong enough to call out all hi& declares that he can get money sufficient -without any vote faculties. All idea of " rushing " is then laid aside, and the. at all. The petty Governments have shrank back into great athlete steps smilingly into the arena, delivering his their natural insignificance, and that of Bavaria in particular terrible blows with immoveable temper, and an apparent is so cowed that it has not even ventured to call together its rapidity which only masks his consummate wariness. We Diet, lest it should, perchance, pass dangerous resolutions, do not know a better illustration of the true value of physique Under these circumstances the temptation of the German than is afforded by the difference between Mr. Bright and Powers will be to fulfil the wish of the great German people, Mr. Cobden in their warfare with the Times. The member at least so far as the entrance into Schleswig is concerned. for Rochdale, intellectually nervous and fretful, impatient of On the other hand, it seems certain that King Christian in contradiction, and sensitive to opinion, screams out charges giving way would, probably, endanger his throne, the Danes against his foe which the public rejects in mere irritation at in their wrath at his treachery declaring for Charles XV. their ear-piercing tone. The force of a really great mind is lost of Sweden, and as to the people, their view has for months through want of control, the instrument seems to clang only been clear. Whatever soldier may cross the Eider is to be because it is so highly strung. The member for Birmingham, driven back with the bayonet—a resolve which alone among on the other hand, Quaker by training, fighting man by God's all decisions connected with Schleswig-Holstein has the merit appointment, accepts the battle with a lusty glee which. of simplicity. The Austro-Prussians can scarcely avoid precludes alike nervousness and irritation, and makes him,. advancing, the Danes if they advance must fight—that victorious or defeated, alike the favourite of the people. No. seems to us, in spite of hopeful rumours, the drift of the crowd of Englishmen, even though made up of patriciarts,, situation, ever turns down its thumbs on Mr. Bright. In his speech But England ? There have been just four definite statements of Tuesday, at Birmingham, one of the ablest, because set afloat this week, every one of which has been believed for as most temperate, that he ever delivered, he of course many hours. According to the first, which affected the funds, takes up for himself the quarrel Mr. Cobden took up the Cabinet had finally decided to retire from a dangerous posi- on his behalf. Of course, also, he hits hard, but it is tion, and leave Germany and Scandinavia to fight the matter always with a visible smile, a tacit admission that punish- out. Then it was asserted in the most positive terms that ment, if he gets it, is within the rules of the game. Mr. the Government, so far from receding, had ordered the Cobden, after each blow, calls out to his adversary te fight Channel fleet tO Spitheacl and the Mediterranean fleet to the fair; Mr. Bright only recovers his guard, willing to accept with Adriatic, and had warned twenty or thirty regiments of in- temper what of return his blow may bring. On the m ijor fantry to hold themselves in readiness for active service in a quarrel, his own " agrarian " projects, he, of course, wins the cold climate. Next it was stated that these movements all game, for the Times never had a case, and on the minor one, depended upon the consent of the Emperor of the French, the use of the anonymous, he explains that he has no wish to and that the Emperor had, at the eleventh hour, declined to abolish it, but regrets the way in which "it can be used to interfere in a question in which England had so much more protect men without sense of honour." For the test, but for direct an interest. Fiddly, the world was informed that a the allusion to Mr. Walter, which was wholly unneeded and split had occurred in the Cabinet, that Earl Russell had unfair,—the proprietor of a newspaper not standing like its declined to make tho passage of the Eider a casts, belli, editor habitually within the arena,—Mr. Bright would have and that the majority of the Cabinet being in favour done much to re-establish the excellent ease Mr. Cobden's of the decided course he had submitted his resignation. thin-skinnedness tempted him in his temper to throw away. Not one of these rumours is, probably, true but of He would have shown, conclusively, that he had been unjusta- eou,rse as they thicken opinion begins to shape itself, and fiably misrepresented, which, not Mr. Delane's perfect emu- parties are already forming for and against a war. Tie ex- TOPICS OF THE DAY. treme Conservatives, it is clear, will be warmly for Denmark, the extreme Liberals warmly for peace, but the bulk of the THE ANGLO-GERMAN QUARREL. people is still entirely undecided. There are, in truth, no T" quarrel between Denmark and Germany has all this data as yet for the formation of a working opinion. It week been hurrying on to war. The Cabinets of easy to argue that England has no interest to sustain in the Vienna and Berlin seem to find in the novel accord between Baltic, that Germany is our natural ally, and that we had them relief from their habitual indecision, and have been better enjoy our surplus and leave the Continent to itseli. pushing their preparations with a vigour which suggests any- It is easier still to affirm that the cause of Denmark is that thing rather than a secret hope of settlement by diplomacy. of the weak against the strong, that the invasion is pure Holstein has already been occupied by the Prussians under aggression, that Germany is becoming ambitious, and that a nation of forty millions of men cannot be permitted to eat its has been reduced to a private individual, the volunteer way into the North Sea, the Black Sea, and the Atlantic all at once. But one-half of all those arguments are wholly beside the question, which is one, first of all, of honour. lf thousand men a day to the support of its ally. There is Denmark has received no promises, and has been distinctly still need of artillery, of pontoons, and of the collection of a warned that England, in interfering, acted only as arnica.% reserve ; but there is nothing whatever apparent to prevent curice, with no idea of helping to pay the expenses of litiga- an attempt to cross the Eider in the first week of next month. tion, then the whole argument is reduced to one of general That attempt, moreover, would seem to have been resolved on. politics, and we question if any English interest in the The King of Denmark,—who, be it remembered, is German by Baltic, or even the safety of the small nationalities, is worth blood, residence, and education—aware of the extreme danger the cost and the suffering of a general European war. of the contest against forty millions of men, and pressed by the But it is bard to believe that Denmark has made concession. _ after concession except upon a distinct understanding that hold, offered to assemble his Parliament and submit to when once clear of all appearance of wrong-doing she should. them e protected in her right. It may well be that the British em a proposal for abolishing the common constitution. The allied Cabinets, however, either afraid of a cry of tree- Government, knowing that war was inevitable if Denmark did chary among their own subjects, or suspecting that the offer not concede, and that it might be avoided if she did, consented_ t was intended only to gain time till a thaw made the Danneo make promises for the sake of peace which must be sup- e werke impassable, or aware that the Danish Parliament would ported even though at the cost of war. That is the drift of th at once reject the proposal, refused to allow of delay, and few despatches which have hitherto been published, and if that hurried on preparations more rapidly than before. Finally, be the truth, then whatever the anger of the country at the the Emperor of the French, while asserting his desire to Government which allowed such pledges to be given, they maintain the Treaty of 1852, has signified that as yet he sees no must be maintained in spirit as well as letter. Upon this, still point, however, there exist as yet no data even for an opinion, reason for active interference. The quarrel, therefore, wt
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