THE WAR ON THE CONTINENT

West Coast Times, Issue 288, 25 August 1866, Page 1 (Supplement)

THE WAR ON THE CONTINENT

(from the home news, jttne 26.) Events have travelled during the last month at an accelerated pace, and momentous issues have been crowded into a narrow compass of time. The first important incident was the abandonment of the Congress. Just as the preparations for the meetings were completed, the ambassadors appointed, and everything ready for the first summons to be issued, Austria demurred. Prussia, rampant as she was, had accepted the programme without conditions. Italy had placed herself unreservedly in the hands of the neutral Powers. But on the sth of June, the French Government informed the other Cabinets that in consequence of the reservations made by Austria, the project j of a Conference must be relinquished, and the settlement of existing difficulties be left to the three Powers at variance. What Austria appears to have required was that the Conference should not touch any purely German questions, and that no changes or modifications of territory should be embraced in the deliberations. As these conditions practically nullified the j very objects for which the Conference was summoned, its functions may be said to have ceased before they began. The project, therefore, went to pieces. The next steps followed rapidly. Austria convoked the States of Holstein, and Prussia immediately sent troops into the Duchy, prohibited the assembling of the States, and arrested the Government commissioner. Then ensued hostile resolutions of the Federal Diet, and the mutual withdrawal of ambassadors ; but these details may be most conveniently brought before the reader in the forms in which they have from time to time appeared in the journals. The Prussians entered Altona and its vicinity at half-past 10 in the morning of June 11. The Austrian commander, General von Gablenz, had, it is stated, originally received orders to maintain his position in that city, but under all circumstances to avoid firing the first shot. The general declaredj in reply, that the Prussian troops, being six times superior to their own, the order was impracticable, and that either the Austrian brigade must be sacrificed or withdrawn. It was then that General Gablenz was instructed to retire. The Holstein Estates, summoned by Austria, attempted to meet on JuDe 11, at Itzhoe. The assembly was dispersed by General von Manteuffel. He had previously arrested Her Lesser, the Holstein (Austrian) Government commissioner — a step which caused great indignation, and elicited a protest from twenty six members of the Estates. On the 12th June, Austria recalled Count Karolyi, its ambassador at the Prussian Court ; and on the same day, Baron von Werther, the Prussian ambassador at the Court of Vienna, received his passports. A Vienna telegram of June 13 says : — "France has declined to undertake the diplomatic protection of Prussian subjects in Austria during the interruption of diplomatic relations between Austria and Prussia. Bavaria has also met a similar demand with a refusal. An Austrian courier, proceeding from Vienna to General von Gablenz, has been stopped in Prussian territory, and had his despatches taken from him." The resolutions adopted by the Federal Diet for mobilising the Federal forces were regarded by Prussia as a declaration of war on the part of those States who voted for them ; and not a moment was lost in acting upon this view. The Prussian Minister left the Assembly protesting against the course it had taken, and declaring that the Bund had exceeded its powers, and that it consequently ceased to exist — an assertion which it at once proceeded to deny by adopting a fresh set of resolutions still more conclusive of its opposition to the policy of Prussia. These j circumstances bore fruit in a remarkably short space of time. Within a few hours Prussia invaded Saxony and Hanover, and, both monarchs retiring before their advance, a few hours more saw them in possession of the capitols of those kingdoms. From all quarters the Prussians poured into Saxony ; and the direction they took showed that they intended to threaten simultaneously Leipzig and Dresden. From Silesia they are said to have entered and to have taken Lobau, a railway junction on the direct line to Dresden and Zittau, a town on the Bohemian frontier, and connected by railway with Lobau, It is even said that they pushed on to Rumburg, and that their pickets were actually in Bohemia. Another body is stated to have entered at Strehla. This is close to Riesa, on the railway between Leipzig and Dresden. The Paris "Moniteur" placed them even as far as Meissen, a town midway between Riesa and Dresden, on the Elbe, and connected by a short branch with the main line of railway. Another says that the railway between Riesa and Dresden has been destroyed. It does not state, however, who destroyed it. The PruMinn* are not likely to *

so ; and that the Saxons should have broken it up is very unlikely, unless, indeed, they meant to make a stand before Dresden, which was evidently not their intention. At Dresden they would have to encounter not merely the Prussians coming from the north and on their right flank from Lobau, but would be exposed to attack in the rear from the force at Zittau. But beyond this the telegrams stated that the Prussians were entering Saxony from Schkenditz and Zeitz. Schkeuditz is a little northwest of Leipzig, and from there no natural obstacle presents itself to their march on the great trading town of the kingdom. It is said that the Prussians were afterwards at Wurzen. To get there they must either have passed by Leipzig from Schkenditz, or else the force entering from Strehla has been divided — one part marching along the railway from Riesa to Dresden, and the other part going off at right angles along the line from Riesa to Leipzig. The object of the Prussian force entering at Zeitz is not at once perceptible. It is part, no doubt, of a concerted plan, having for its object the occupation of the chief cities of Saxony. The Treasury of Saxony has been removed into Bohemia. The Queen has gone to Prague, but the King and Crown Prince are with the army. The precise location of the army is not stated ; one telegram speaks of a rumor that it has effected a junction with the Austrian army. But there is no definite information that the Austrians have entered Saxony. The entry of the Prussians into Saxony was preceded by a formal declaration of war. The promptitude with which the Prussians have acted has already given them advantages which cannot be easily wrested from them. Within a week they have completely subjected Saxony, and the Prussian commander is preparing to hold the conquest he has made. He is throwing up earthworks before Dresden, and erecting batteries on that beautiful Bruhi Terrace which commands the passage of the Elbe. If the Prussians push on and gain strong positions on the north side ot the mountains, they may effectually prevent the entrance of the Austrian army into Saxony, while they themselves keep a considerable force on the south of the frontier.

With respect to the moveineuts of the Austrians, we must be very cautious in attributing importance to the statements which reach us, From the telegraphic despatches it would seem that the attention of Field-Marshal Benedek is concentrated on the extreme southeastern portion of Silesia, and that he proposes to wage a purely local war on a remote region of King William's dominions. It is said that the Austrians have invaded the Prussian territory opposite Troppau, and that the extreme left of the Prussian army may have to bear the brunt of a hostile attack. But it may be that this movement is merely subordinate to some grander scheme about which it is useless to speculate at present.

The war news received by the despatches of the morning of June 23rd is exceedingly scanty. We subjoin a summary of it : —

The Prussians were pushing forward bodies of troops towards Gottingen in the hope of overpowering the Hanove • rian forces stationed there, and a Prussian force had also been sent from Saxony in order to prevent the junction of the Federal and Hanoverian subsidies. The Prussians, according to a telegram received from Hanover, have failed in both these objects, it being affirmed that the Hanoverian troops have succeeded in forming a junction ,with the Federal army corps, and the conjoint force will be at least a match for the Prussian force. The sailors of the Prussian gunboats, on June 22nd, landed and spiked the guns' of the shore batteries which defended Einden, and shortly after the garrison of the town laid down their arms and surrendered the place to the Prussiau commander. In the opposite quarter the Prussians are reported to have entered the Austrian territory in Upper Silesia. They are also said to have burnt the town of Zittau, in Saxony, and they have taken prisoners in Cassel, the Elector of Hesse and his Minister of War. The movements of the Aaistrians still continue to be kept very secret. Nothing more is known than that they have made some reconnaissances in | Upper Silesia. The Saxon army had completed its junction with the Austrian army. Venice' and Trieste have been placed in a state of siege. The King of Italy arrived at Cremona on June 22nd, to take command of his army, and the war on the Mincio is expected to commence to-day or to-morrow. The King of Hanover and the Crown Prince set out on the night of June 16th for the camp of the army, which is being concentrated near Gottingen. The Prussian troops soon afterwards entered the capital of Hanover. The King, having gone to Gottingen, issued a manifesto; but it is mere froth, and amounts to nothing. If, however, he could not hold his capital, he contrived with miraculous celerity to save treasures, for even before the enemy advanced upon him he sent off a cargo of gold, which is now safely lodged in the Bank of England.

The Prussian Government is profuse in despatches and proclamations. It has issued a note to its representatives abroad justifying its invasion of Hanover, Saxony, and Electoral Hesse. Prussia, however, does not confine herself to fighting her opponents, but also threatens her friends. She has addressed a note to those States who sided with her in the Diet against the mobilisation of the Federal army, informing them that if they enter into ~*\y discussion with the Powers who

are at war with her, such conduct will disturb their peaceful relations with the Prussian Government.

The commanders of the Prussian corps which entered Hanover, Saxony, and Hesse Cassel received the strictest orders to observe the most friendly attitude towards the population of those States, and in the event of their coming in contact with the troops, to avoid bloodshed as much as possible by endeavoring to induce them to lay down their arms on account of their numerical inferiority. The Federal Diet has shown that its sympathies are thoroughly with Austria. In its sitting on Saturday, June 16th, it adopted a motion introduced by Saxony, that in consequence of the entry of the Prussians into Saxony the Diet should request Austria and Bavaria to adopt measures necessitated by that act of violence. The motion was carried by ten against five, and the Austrian and Bavarian representatives declared that their Governments were ready to give effect to the resolution. Hanover deolared that she should side with Austria in the war, and Baden voted with the majority. The representative of Luxembourg declared that the Netherlands would remain neutral, a decision which was protested against by the President. Prince Charles of Bavaria is to be com-mander-in-chief of the Federal forces.

The two great Powers have issued proclamations, each justifying the course it is pursuing, and charging its opponent as the originator of the fratricidal war.

The King of Prussia has definitely agreed to the treaty of alliance with Italy, and affixed his signature to it. General Grovone, whom the Florence Cabinet had charged with carrying out, this "arrangement, after leaving Berlin on his way back to Italy, passed through Paris, which gave rise to speculation about France being a third party to the agreements of which the general is the bearer. The Prussian ambassador in Paris, Count Von Goltz, had an audience of the Emperor, to express to him the thanks of the King of Prussia for the efforts made by Franco for the preservation of peace. It is a remarkable coincidence that the 18th of June, the anniversary of the victory at Waterloo, which brought to a termination the European war of 25 yeai's' duration, and restored peace to the world, has been chosen by Prussia and Italy as the day on which to issue their proclamations of war against Austria, and thereby to make it again memorable as the commencement of a continental war, of which no one can prognosticate the end or foresee the important changes it may effect in the position, of Kuropean Governments. It appears that the liberal party in Germany are getting up an association for the organisation of Germany, independently of both Austria and Prussia. Amongst the leaders of the association are Herren Bebel, of* Leipzic ; Grun, of Heidelberg, Mayer, of Stuttgaidt, Struca, of Frankfort, &c, all of whom have given pledges of their fidelity to the democratic cause. A popular meeting, attended by over 5000 persons, was held at Oberingelheiin, nearMayence, on the 4th of June, at which four resolutions were passed, denouncing civil war amongst Germans, demandiug a national Parliament for all Germany, asserting the right of the Confederation to settle the question of the Duchies, and protesting energetically against any foreign interference in the settlement of the internal affairs of j Germany.