The Express.
London, England, 1864-02-02 00:00:00

HAYILAAFILT.

Time !mina, OUR AMERICAN COUSIN. Beam &Ahern,
Backstoae, Chippendale, Gordon. Roma &Sid, end Clark
Mesdames AniW and Snowdon.—And KING ARTHUR
Mr. Quaid& ; Mesdames L Cooley, Wright, Liadley, illorner

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'I is Kyr, io. DONNA DIANA.—And HARLEQUIN
LITTLE TOW TITHER Mom Berton, Cat cart, A. and C.
Leclerc% Hanna sod Sao, Maw, Naylor, and Chaplao
Mesdames Rama, Adana. and Howard.

LYCZIIX.

T 1 ayfna. TIM ail' CHILD. Yr. Wlddloomb and
Mu P. Luciano —ssz. D 11102710, • Lore Story. llanr•
Prebtat. Brougb•m. ?awry, Charles, and Jordan: 11.1arcr
M. liraundi, Uranus, and lalwartdy, and Mn. Lox

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THIS Evarnio. the ItiaTifTntoiairaa HICKORY. HICKORY.
DOCK. Uri. S. Lane and Ant-rate Pantcanuointa.—The Harrah
of Peru.-TOE ORZAT GROAT trricr.—Lethyraad Betaand.
.-The Flag Fountain.—And TEI GORILLA HUNT.

WATTE AT LONDON WPM
MS DST Wm.them 7b. 50m ... 151masms. Sh.
l'amamow— Mangos, IM Sm... .111mosem. Us. 45a.

LONDON, TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 2.

THE news received at noon yesterday, that hos-
tilities had actually commenced in Sleswig, excited,
very naturally, the profoundest surprise and regret.
The Danish Cove: °monk in its recent proposal,
having provisionally conceded the utmost demands
of the German Powers, there was no longer even
a pretext for their threatened invasion of Danish
territory ; and notwithstanding the symptoms of
reactionaty violence that had marked the recent
policy of the German Cabinets, it was universally
believed that peace would for the time stall events
be preserved. It seemed almost incredible that
even a BISMARCK could persist in dragging Europe
headlong into war, without even a shadow of
right or reason. These just and natural expecta-
tions have, however, so far been utterly disap-
pointed. The German Powers, instead of waiting
during the brief interval that must of necessitj
elapse before the specific reply to their last demand
could assume a legal and constitutional form,
have hurried forward their troops to the Danish
frontier as though resolved to precipitate a con-
flict, and thus destroy as far as possible all chances
of a peaceable settlement. By this act of unrea-
soning violence, this headstrong determination to
overwhelm all pacific counsels by a summary ap-
peal to force, these Powers wantonly outrage
European opinion, justly fot:eit the sympathy and
respect of other nations, and are left in a position
of moral and material isolation that can hardly tel
in the end to bring its own puo=•hmene
On the other hand, Denmark occu-
pies the position in which every righteous and
high-minded people would wish to stand when re-
luctantly compelled to draw the sword. Having
made every possible sacrifice in the interest of
peace, having conceded not only disputable
claims but her own clear rights, she now appeals to
the GOD of battles, not merely in self-defence, but
as a supreuie act of self-preservation. The speech
just delivered by the Danish Prime Minister in
the Upper House of the Rigadag, shows that the
Government enters on the conflict in a spirit of
blended firmness and moderation, of patriotic dignity
and self-respect, befitting so just a cause. The
fair and pacific, course pursued throughout by
the Danish Government contrasts, indeed, mot
favourably with the violent and tortuous policy
openly avowed by the Cabinet of Berlin, and un-
happily acquiesced in by the Cabinet of V'enna ;
and if they are at length compelled to draw the
sword against the aggressor, the Danes will have
in the gallant struggle the sympathy and admira-
tion of every free, independent, sod bigh-sp, itcd
people.

- For the moment, however, all other considers-
tions yield to the absorbing interest attach'ig to
the movements of the rival amines on the Danish
frontier, and many will natunoly be asking with
no small anxiety whether all hope of peace ;I even
yet destroyed. The telegrams will be duly can-
vassed, sod the map carefully studied, in order to
ascertain the actual bearing of the warlike news)
which has just reached us. It seems sufficiently
clear from the event that the Commanders.
in-Chief of the Prussian and Austrian
forces had received orders to continue their
march into Sleswig without an hour's unnecessary
delay. The German ultimatum—the demand,
that is, for the evacuation of Sleswig—was only
forwarded to the Danish Commander-in-Chief, at
the very earliest, on Thursday last, and on Sun-
day evening the Prussian troops that had arrived
at Kiel were hastily marshalled and marched off
at midnight along the road that crosses the Sleswig
frontier. All bad left by the morning, and before
WOO yesterdaythe whole of the Prussian troops ha I
crossed the frontier, their head-quarters being esta-
blished at Gettorf, a small Sleswig town about five
miles within the frontier line, and situated on one
of the two main roads leading to the capital of the
Duchy. At Eckenforcie, through which their
route lay, the Prussians exchanged a few cannon
shot with two Danish steamers, which of course
were unable to prevent the occupation of the
town. At the same date the Austrian troops,
advancing along the other main road leading to the
town of Sleswig, had reached Rendsburg, and were
crossing the Eyder in force, the Danish garrison
retiring before them, and blowing up the
bridge across the river Sorg on the
way. It was at this point most pro-
bably that the first hostile shots referred to in

the telegram were exchanged. This mold have
bean no Amish force on the Rendaburg road to
resist the advance of the Atlantis:l troops, Vie
Commander of the Kronenwask having withdrawn
the Danish battalion (excepting a small detach-
ment of 60 men who remained on sentry duty)
and evacuated the fort the day before the Aus
trians arrived. But it is not at all improbable
that the advanced guard of the Austrian
army may have reached the Sorg before the
Danish detachment had completed their demoli-
tion of the bridge which carried the high road
across the stream, and if so, some shots would very
naturally be exchanged before the Danes retired
on the opposite aide. A glance at the map will
show that the Prussian and Austrian troops are
advancing towards the Danish works by two lines
that gradually converge towards the town of Sles-
wig ; but each will probably leave the main road at
this part of the town, and advance towed'
the Danish works at some distance on
either aide of it, in order to make simultaneous
attacks on different poilts of the Danish line. The
Prussians will probably march on Mi'annde,
attack the strong fortifications on that point, and

try if possible to turn the extreme left of the
Dan'sh line. This, however, will be no easy task,
unless they are waisted by much colder weather
than prevails at present. On the other side, the
Austrians will probably advance across the open
country between Hollingstedt and Sleswig,
towards some point of the Dannewirke in
their front. Should • severe frost set in
they might indeed attempt, with some prospect of
success, to turn the extreme right of the Danish
line, but with the facilities the Danes possess for
inundating the whole country between their works
and the sea, there would be no chance of this
should the present weather continue. In that
cue the attack would have to be made in front,
std if the Danish works are well manned it would
require • large force indeed to make such an attack
with any prospect of success. In any case some
dsys must elapse before the whole of the German
troops can be brought up, formed into line, and got
ready for action ; and in the meantime some step
may possibly be taken to prevent the further pri
grew of what would inevitably prove to be a dis-
astrous European war.