The Express.
London, England, 1864-05-16 00:00:00

FIELD'S celebrated UNITED SERVICE SOAP
TABLETS, ed. sad 6d. each, sold by an chandlers sad
wooers throughout the Mega= ; bat the public should ask
to BMWs, sad see that the maw of J. C. wad J. MILD Is
on ata dist hos, sad tablet Idlalseale aad for exportation
at the Varga, UPPBB KAMM LAMBETH, LONDON, 6., where
also ow be obtained their Prise Medal Paraiba Cradles.

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twolliaaaaata Mudd lot " 2bs i
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cria..arget, by Two

RAYMARYZT.
Till IVmik THE BALANCE OF COMFORT. Miss Aigol.
—DAVID GA' ICL Mesas. &Morn. thte=alP9Ntage,
M; Mandsmes Moore. Socitsdob, Ft —VILNIUS
ADONIR KW IF•Mom.—And MRS. WHIM

fILINCIEWS.
Tin aroma, TEL OLD STORY. Mr. Dominick Murray.
And ROMEO AND JULIET. 114111171. Nelson and Yining;
Mdlk. Malls Colmand Kra H. Ruston.

BILITANILL
TEM EVNIOPC LASHED TO THE lIKUL—DILBO-LEAR.
Master Percy Roselle sad Miaow C. Bt. Cone tad aoett.—Ewl
Two/arts el THE LEFT-HANDED ILIEEIAOL Yn. Mom;
and THE GREAT GROOT EEPECT.—Commence at 4.

EMIR WATER AT LONDON' BRIDGE
ggir DAT Wombs Mr. 61m Aiiirnoss. 10h. Ma,
TcsannurOW Morning, 10h. MIL AMwanan. 11h. gym.

LONDON, MONDAY, MAY 16.

IT has been remarked more than once during the
progress of the Danish war that the German Powers
in their resolute crusade against • free and constitu-
tional kingdom must surely be sustained by powerful
sympathetic influences, if not by direct assurances
of support, which are unknown to the world at
large. Even a BISMARCK, it is generally felt,
would hardly have ventured to disregard so com-
pletely the remonstrances and even threats of
the Western Powers, if he had not been secretly
conscious of being able to rely, in cue of need, on
the active intervention of some formidable ally. The
apparently sincere, though somewhat reserved, co-
operation of Russia with the Western Powers
rendered it extremely difficult to understand
whence the anticipated assistance was to come.
A clue to this mystery appears, however, to be at
length supplied in the shape of a confidential cor-
respondence which has been going on during the
last four months between the Cabinets of St.
Petersburg, Berlin, and Vienna, important por-
tions of which have just come to light. Refe-
rences to this correspondence, and even extracts
from some of the documents, have already been
made in foreign journals, for the purpose of ex-
plaining the obstinate persistence of Prussia and
Austria in their policy of conquest, and the failure
that has hitherto attended the pacific efforts of the
Western Powers. But we have reason to believe
that the correspondence itself justifies far stronger
condusions than have yet been drawn sato the double
.bar•cter of Russian policy, and the active part
which the Cabinet of St. Petersburg has from the
first taken in stimulating the German Powers,
and affording them every species of indirect en-
couragement in the war of conquest they have
undertaken. As the documents have not yet been
made public, we can, of course, only indicate the
more important points in the negotiations of the
three Courts, as well as in the secret understand-
ing they have arrived at, which these recent dis-
closures have thus unexpectedly brought to light.
The correspondence shows how wisely M. Di Ba-
-1 ARCS had chosen the moment for decisive action,
and how resolutely he turned to account the
materials for a strong combination of despotic
Powers—in a word, for • revived Holy Alliance
which lay almost ready to his hand. It may be
doubted whether under other circumstances Russia
would have entered so readily into the aggressive
and revolutionary schemes of the Prussian Mi-
nister. Her traditional policy had been to take a
leading part in Danish affairs, mainly in the in-
terest of Denmark, and in pursuance of this course
she had terminated the last war by threatening to
intervene, unless the German Powers withdrew from
their aggressive enterprise. But at the beginning
of this year Russia was not in a position to act in
any way against Prussia and Austria, as she im-
peratively required their assistance to suppress the
Polish insurrection. At the outset of the con-
flict, accordingly, Resale congratulated Austria on
the wisdom and moderation the German Powers had
displayed in their dealings with the Diet, promising
to use her influence in support of the legitimate
rights of Germany. The secret correspondence
shows, however, that the attitude of prudence
and calculation was soon exchanged for one
of more intimate concert and direct encourage-
ment. There appear to have been three main
stages in the progress of this cordial understand-
ing, and intimate alliance between the three Ca-
binets. In the middle of January, when Prussia
and Austria decided to take the Danish quarrel
entirely into their own hands, M. es BISMARCK
formally asked Ramis to support the policy of the
German Courts, offering in return the active
assistance of Austria against Poland. The
Prussian Minister urged also as another
motive to closer union with Austria,
the probability that France might ultimately in-
tervene in the Polish question. Russia closed with
the proposal, and cemented the closer union thus
formed by secretly supporting the German Powers
in their refusal of the Danish proposition with re-
gard to the assembling of the Rigsraad for the re-
vocation of the November Constitution. It may
be assumed as certain that, but for this expl cu
assurance of support, Austria and Prussia wo.ild
not have invaded Sleswig with such precipitation
in opposition to the strong remonstrances of the
Western Powers.

Not satisfied, however, apparently, with having
given the impulse which led to the commencement
of hostilities, Russia hastened early in February to
make a declaration which has unquestionably ex-
ercised a most important influence on their progress.
It formally recognised that Austria and Prussia
were by the resistance of the Danes liberated from
their treaty engagements ; and foreseeing the
complications that would arise if the German
Powers insisted on their right of conquest,
assured them that as regarded the Duchies in any
case, and under all circumstances, they might rely
on Russian support. This secret assurance was
soon followed by M. DE BISMARCK'S cool state-
ment to Sir A. BUCHANAN, that Prussia and
Austria considered themselves freed by the war
from their engagements towards Denmark. It
would seem at brat sight that the despatch written
by Prince (;onri•is HOFF on the 10th of February
to the Russian Ambassador at Berlin, declaring the
integrity of the Danish territory to be essential to
the balance of power, and congratulating the Ger-
man Powers on their engagement to respect it,
was not only inconsistent but incompatible with
the secret understanding established between the
two Cabinets only • few days before. But even
the despatch if closely 'scrutinised supplies in-
direct evidence of the understanding, in the admis-
sion that the engagement by the German Powers
to respect the integrity of the Danish monarchy
" might be modified by events," which the
Western Powers, or, at all events, England,