The Express.
London, England, 1864-05-03 00:00:00

CANDLES.—PRIZE MEDAL.
the NOW, PAZA/FlNL—Adoptel by bat Majtelys Goviniaratier
*Maw

mu),
the Mahal nunalactarers sad holders et the net Mee Medal,
evatioa the public await any imitations. Their label
ts en all peekete sad lama flr ey all desire teeeesbeat the
lee eapartattee ta the Worts, IMP=
MittlEZ LAWAIIfrar,OdNDON. &. when .1 may be ohlalsed
their adebtated elite' hawlee lose Tablet&

THE DEPOTS AUTHENTIQUICS foe SALE
of the SNUFF% Tobeatee, eatt Clan, sitaotatiorod or be-
crtrlbliNCH 00VERNIGINT TOBACCO ADYLNISTIATION,
ere 42
202, PICCADILLY, W.: 40. VINO WILLLUCB22I3S, CITY.

-irN what Happy Land clan I see you after the
.operar I only laiow ed rawi "Happy Lad' to which a
gentleman ay ea}—ZVANOI, dieeeedisedea, ay dear fellow

gfte OnarelSlL

molt. th4OrdeTl tor "-&—B;Or;;;" Load*. livinthe
Pen/. t n at the dies. BeaverWire* by Two
o'clock on the day of Pubtheth*

HAYMA Barr.

Tire STSSM% AN UNLUCKY YORTAL. Ments.—
DAVID OARSICS. Mosso. &Sher% Swinges%
tr. Mesdames Moore. Snowdoa, Fltzwfftlam.—ACkini2M
ADONI3. Mews. Compass. range ; Miss Keeley.

.P.zll(cliHr.a•

Tins Evaanno. DONNADIANA7 Mown Cl. Vbgag, 11.
Venn, Planet; Ileadasr Cannoned B.Venn—THlt MINDY
OP ILKRORS. llama viating. Damon and the Drolhara Wont).
....And DRAWING-SOUP, AnOOND 11001, AND ATTICS.

12TC117M.

TKO ZWIIPO, A DAY AITQ TEM PAIL Mr.Wlddicomb
and Mir Z. lanotia—AM PLAYING WITH YIEL Mann.
Bromban, Smary, Wlddloomb, aad Shore: Minna Carlotta
Inlercy, Downie, P. Lacking, and Mn.

BRITAIIIRIA.
THIS ETININO, THE LIFT•HANDILD MAIRIAGI. Ilra. B.
Lane and all the Company.—THE GALT GROOT IFIRCT
—DKBO-LRAR. Muter P Roselle and Mawr C. St. Care
and Scott.—And a grand 6H RiAN TABLRAUL

HIGH WATTS AT LONDON PALM&
Thu DAT Mende& Ilk. 6015..... Ahornessa. oh. ora
lalollow Moraladi. C. .11211anwas. Oh. 440.

LONDON, TUESDAY, MAY 3.

THE Confe

this afternoon after

an interval of a week, but we are daily called to
observe how little influence its deliberations exer-
cise on the course of events. Judging by the
terms in which it was referred to, and the hopes
that were entertained of it a fortnight ago, it would
seem that there were some who had conceived of
it as of an august tribunal before which high-
handed offenders might be brought and made to
listen to the severe reprimands of morality, possibly
to the peremptory behests of justice. If any
persons really indulged in that illusion, their minds
have by this time been completely disabused. A
Conference following a war is merely a meeting at
which the belligerents put forward their pretensions
in presence of neutral powers. Neither party is as-
sumed to have done wrong, facts alone are WO-
aidered to furnish • basis for claims, and unless
the neutrals are believed to hare formed designs
which they are resolved to enforce if necessary,
it is evident that the settlement will be in the
interest of the stronger party, and will em-
body and consolidate his achievements. It
is becoming too certain that this will prove the
highest function of the present Conference.
The conclusion of an armistice, or the arrangement
of terms for the suspension of hostilities, although
an important work, is bat preliminary to the chief
business of the Conference. Yet in this matter
the neutral Powers were destined to experience the
arrogance which is born of successful aggression.
Nothing was more natural than that the basis for
an arrangement should be either the retention on
each side of the advantages already acquired, or
equivalent mutual concessions. But while it
seemed to the Germans only just that they should
hold every foot of ground that they had gained in
Sleswig and Jutland, it appeared to them prepos-
terous that the Danes should claim to retain the
advantages they had acquired in the Baltic, where
they had established a blockade. To all reasoning
founded on justice they replied by referring to the
right of the stronger ; and even now they ask in-
dignantly how anyone can bail AO am*" to
propose Such terms to the conquerors of the Dan-
newirke and Dybbol. The position has been to a
great extent simplified during the last three days,
inasmuch as the Danes have ceased seriously to
defend either Jutland or Alien. They cannot do
so. Half of their little army has been destroyed,
and the remainder is powerless to resist the ad-
vance of the enemy. The islands alone remain to
Denmark, sad these lie at the mercy of the
spoiler. When the Austrian fleet arrives in the
Baltic even the capital will not be safe from inya- 1
sion and hostile occupation.
In a few years men will find it hard to believe
that the same generation witnessed the revival of
Italian independence, and this war of &member-
ment,which we are all saying is the moat flagitious
that has been waged since the partition of Poland.
Yet so it is. Already our statesmen and public
writers are confessing that it will be much if the
Powers willing to combine in favour of Denmark
succeed in " preserving what is left of the king-
"dom." The personal union between the Duchies
united and Denmark, that pernicious device for
reducing the people of Denmark proper to
dependence on Germany, is less and less talked of.
Before another week is over we may have the
German plenipotentiaries claiming credit for their
Governments because they are so forbearing as no:.
to demand Fuoen and Zealand.

The impotence of the Conference, under
these circumstances, is mainly due to the
attitude of our august ally, the Emperor of the
FRENCH. Happily, a good understanding prevails
between our Government and that of his Imperial
Majesty. But the EMPEROR is suddenly pea-
sewed with an overwhelming sense of the value of
the blessings of peace ; or he sees that the Prus-
sians and Austrians are doing work that will tend
to his profit, and which, with all his sympathy for
the Danes, he would not willingly interrupt; or he
is inclined to show the world to what straits it is
reduced, and what wrongs it must tamely endure,
when he chooses to withdraw his controlling pre-
sence from its affairs. Whatever his reasons, the
result, as it affects the Danes and permits the
triumph of unjust violence, is the same.
Out of these circumstances a very grave ques-
tion arises for England. We have assumed the
responsibility of convening a Conference ; and sa
things are going, and promise to go, the business of
that Conference will be simply that of sanct,oning
injurious arrangements, the consent of the
weaker party to which has been extorted by vio-
lence and wrong-doing. We shall, in fact, have
to ratify the very rapine we have been de-
nouncing, and were on the point of going to war
to arrest. We shall have to give it that sanction
which, as far as it is in the power of outward acts
to do so, will make it legal and sacred. But is
this what the English nation desires and intends 1
We believe not. Already it is said at Copenhagen
that Denmark would do well to enter into direct
negotiations with the enemy, inasmuch as more
favourable terms may be obtained at Berlin than
in London. Leaving the Danes to settle a ques-
tion which concerns their own interests, let us ask
whether the honour of England does not require
that if Denmark is to be virtually dismembered the
conquerors should have the work all to themselves.
If Denmark is compelled to accept ruinous terms,
at least let iis not needlessly lend our name and
influence to consecrate the work of violence. No