The Express.
London, England, 1864-01-20 00:00:00

Itle forams's.

n2vinignements Int;iieliti fat "TN open' Landis bombs
PsPnr. mud b• IS do salon, le. Bounds-4re* loVrwo
o'clock on the du at pallisdies.

00VRNTAIARDEN.
Two lIMIDek FANCERITIL Miss L. Fyne and Mr W Har-
rison. —AAA LBVII! it. GIORGI AND TIM DRAGON.
Mews. W. /1. !Was. K. Pays., F. Payne, the Brothers
&melte. MBA Istbsr.—Coototssee at T.

HAYYA&LHT.

Me 'mow out A—MBLICAN Moms. &Ahern,
Meebikr, Gordon, Rogers, Ooe, and Clerk ;
Meedeste and asoerdou.—And KING ANTRIM.
Mr. Compton ; I. Keeley. Wright. Lindley, E.Bomer.

PitINCESe&

TO Emma DONNA .))lA..4A.—And HARLEQUIN
LITTLE TOM TUCEJLE. Mews. &item, Cathcart, A. and C.
EscWoo, Hang and Son. Milano, Naylor, and Chapin° ,
Mesdames Barnett. Adams. end Howard.

LYCEUM.

Taw Emus . Tin foisrilfiLD. 11. r. WI ddloomb and
M. P. Leelereq —BBL !AMMO, a Love Story. Magma
Yeehter, Brougham, Maury, Charles, sad Jordan ; Mime
M. Henrade, Lavenue, sad Blewcalam, sad Mrs. Lee.

zatrrainnA.

Tuts Erman. the New iantalierme HICKORY. DICKORY,
DOCK. Mrs. S. Lane and Gratrate PantennEalats.—The Marvels
of Fero.—THE GREAT GHOST IFIPICT.-4rthur and Bertrand.
•—nte hairy Fountain... And THE GORILLA HUNT.

111911 WILT= AT LONDON BALD=
TM DAT Marekg.ll/ 41121... ASorooss, oh. ow
ro.hozzow Mamba, M. U Alkomooth, Oh. am.

LONDON, WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 20.

MANY a politician has recoiled in diainay before
the bristling array of abstruse legal and historical
points which beset what is called the Dano-German
question. To German professors and German
students the obscurity of the points at issue, and
the insignificance of the wrongs to be vindicated,
have hitherto constituted one of the chief attrac-
tions of the subject. At length, however, the crisis
has arrived, and it is not impossible that within
a few days the telegraphic wire may flash
tidings of the first shot fired on the banks of the
Eider. tinder these circumstances it may be
• *as ..
Interesting to consider tits !winery posibton at
present occupied by the Danes, and to point out
its peculiarities. Few teaks would seem to be
more simple, and in this respect the military
presents a marked contrast to the political
question.

- It will be remembered that Denmark forms a
promontory, stretching northward from the main
land of Germany. The southern portion of the
kingdom, consisting of Holstein and Lauenburg,
is separated from Hanover on the south-west by
the Elbe, and on the south-east it is bounded by
Mecklenburg. North of Holstein comes Sleawig,
and north of Sleawig Jutland. It will be observed,
therefore, that except upon the southern aide of
Holstein the rest of the Kingdom of Denmark
is surrounded by the sea. In case of invasion,
therefore, the Germans must practically advance
by the passage between Hamburg and Lubeck :
for they have no fleet sufficiently strong to enable
them to land a hostile expedition on any part of
the Danish coast. This peculiar conformation of
the ground obviously gives the Danes a vast supe-
riority. So long as they can occupy the ground
from the eastern to the western shore of the
Danish promontory they will succeed in keeping
back the German enemy. In short, there is no
possibility of an invasion from any other quarter.
The Danes having already retired from the Duchy
of Holstein, which is now in possession of Federal
troops, it becomes unnecessary therefore to con-
sider what would have been the Danish position if
they had found it necessary to defend that Duchy.
But they have resolved to defend Sleawig, and the
military peculiarities of that part of Denmark
become important.

Now Sleswig is separated from Holstein, which
lies southward, by the river Eider and the canal
of that name. By this passage a vessel may pass
from the North Sea, which washes the western
shore of Denmark, to the Baltic Sea,which washes
its eastern shores. The western corner of this
line is guarded by the fortress of Frederickstadt,
standing as it does on the northern bank of the
Eider and on the southern bank of the Treene;
for it will be observed that this important strong-
hold occupies the angle formed by the Eider flow-
ing from the south-east, and the Treene flowing
from the north-east. The eastern flank of the
Sleswig boundary line, which is some few Tate
north of Kiel, is protected by no fortress. But until
within the last few weeks the Danes occupied the
important stronghold of Rendsburg. This place,
lying on both aides of the river Eider, and party
in an island between, had been converted into a
regular fortification. Through Rendsbarg pass all
the communications from the south, and so long as'
it was occupied it would undoubtedly have formed
a most formidable obstacle to any army attempt•
ing to pass the Eider and to invade Sleswig, either
by passing between it and Frederickstadt, or be.
tween it and the eastern shore near KieL Un-
fortunately, however, the fortifications were built
on the south side of the Eider, on Holstein soil,
and therefore the Danes, in order to avoid
offence, have consented to abandon it to the
enemy.

The next question is,what is the line of defence
which the Danes have now determined to occupy
A glance at the map will readily convince any one
that there are several points which ought to be
constantly borne in mind in the defence of Den-
mark. In the first place, as the Danes command
the sea, the only point is to prevent an advance in
front. In the second place, as part of the resources
of the country consist of the two islands of Seeland
and Funen, lying off the eastern coast, and as Co-
penhagen, the capital, stands upon the former of
these islands, it is moat important that the
Danish army, in case of defeat, should be able to
concentrate as rapidly as possible, and to keep up
its communications with these islands—that is, with
the rest of the kingdom. It is natural, therefore,
thatthe Danesshouldcling tothe eastern coast. But,
thirdly, it is obvious that the best line for defending
Sleswig will be that which combines the advantage
of being as near as possible to its southern or Eider