DIPLOMATlC CORRESPONDENCE. 
 
149 
 
of the pretender to the duchies see iiito havediinished. At any rate his

claims are Ostentatiously thrust into the background by Austria and :Prussia.

But popular opinion in England is, after all, an important factor in the
problem; 
and there is a conviction spreading that England has been talking too long

and too loud against Germany, and in hehalf of Denmark, to allow er to wash

her hands and fold her arms. The ridicule which is manifested towards the

English policy on continental questions may end in piercing the national

stoicism; a feeling of shame and generous indignation may break forth in
action, 
and I almost expect to find England taking the field for her slightbutvalorous,

allyat the last moment. 
Meantime the delay in the military operations is thought, on the whole, to

have been rather beneficial than otherwise to Denmark. She has had time to

strengthen the fortifications of Duppel and Frederica. The advancing season

enables her to make use of her fleets. The blockade of the. German ports,
and 
the capture of German trading vesssels, will inflict much damage on her enemy

before the Austrian squadron, which, as I understand, has just been ordered
into 
the North sea, comes to their protection; and, moreover, the confusion in
the 
councils of the German confederation has been growing almost hopeless. In

the Diet at Frankfort everybody seems to be in a minority on every question.

Every motion is negatived, every party is conquered without any conquerors,

while puzzle and perplexity reign supreme. 
One would think that the measures taken for shortening and localizing the

war really contemplated its perpetration and expansion; and.I for one am
not 
yet a convert to the theory of preventing a great war by making a little
one. 
"Has it come to this," exclaims a leading journal of Vienna this
morning, 
"that no German merchant vessel can venture into the North sea; that
the in- 
significant Denmark is again blockading the mouth of the Elbe; that Germany

is ina state of bewilderment; that the Diet, reflecting the universal helplessness,

is bringing on itself the scorn and contempt of foreign nations; that, in
fine, 
while we are avoiding the Scylla of a general crisis, we are in danger of
being 
sucked into the Napoleon-Congress Charybdis " 
We had a telegraphic report this morning that a Danish cruiser is lying in

wait off the mouth of the Elbe for the Hamburg New York steam-packet Ger-

mania. I have been informed, however, I know not with what accuracy, that

these vessels have been sold to a Russian company. At any rate the river's

mouth is considered to be effectually blockaded. 
To resume in a single phrase what I have been dilating upon in this despatch,

there is a growing popular inditgnation in England that Austria and Prussia

should be allowed to crush little Denmark. There is a growing popular indig-

nation in Germany that they are not crushing her fast enough or thoroughly

enough.   Whether such a widespread and antagonistic excitement between 
two such mighty peoples as the English and the Germans is likely  to be sup-

pressed without 'blood-letting, you can judge as well as I can. 
The prospects of peace in Europe do not seem to be very promising this 
year. 
I have the honor to remain, sir, your obedient servant, 
J. LOTHROP MOTLEY. 
Hon. WILLIAM H. SEWARD, 
fecretary of State, Washington. 
Mani/esto of the Emperor of Austria, of March 1, 1864, addresed to the 
Provinces of Gallicia and Cracow. 
[Document accompanying despatch No. 47.] 
For many months the kingdom of Poland has been the scene of disastrous 
occurrences. Gallieis. is powerfully moved by sympathy for its neighbor,
and