The Express.
London, England, 1864-01-09 00:00:00

PRINCMTS.

nine Kerma. THE HARLEQUIN
LITTLE TON TUCKER. Mama Seytoa, Cathcart, A. and C.
Leclerc% Maine and Son, Milano, Sailor, and Chapine ;
Madams Harnett. Adam. and Howard.

LYOZUM.

Taw ETIINIFO. MR ion CHILD. Mr. Wlddlcomb and
Mks P. Leclemq.—B2.7. DYMONIO, a Lair Story. Meaux.
lectitat. Brougham, Duerr. Charles, and Juni= ; Mum
Tam Lavaaue, sad Piworth,y, sad lbs. Dn.

BRITANNIA.
THIS ZeLente. the New Pantomime HICKORY, DICKORY,
DOCK. lin S. Lane and ihstarate Panto= naleta—The Ilarvtl3
of Peru. GROBT SYYttet—arthurandßertrand.

—Stu Fairy Fountain...4nd Tali GOILILLA HUNT.

.111111_11,LITRAT LONDON lUDS&

2 DAT 7.7110.f1iti1i.37;...711;5m55t5. Sk •2m.
loaceacry Yarning. Ylk 26m .A/Mmuma. Yd Mm.

LONDON, SATURDAY, JANUARY 9.

The strong interest which the nation has been
accustomed to take in the domestic happiness of
the Royal Family, and the especial and increasing
:;i-orit AU her Royal Ifighness the frineeta
c.
WALLS has won for herself, assures us that the joy
with which the happy event announced this morning
has tilled the Royal Circle will be shared by the
whole people. The incidents of the delivery
were in harmony with the event. It is
satisfactory to know that the PrtiNcns was not
called to pass through a protracted and painful
crisis. Her ROYAL HIGHNESS was sharing the
amusement of her husband on the ice at Virginia
Water for several hours yesterday, and only re-
...

turned to Frogmore with her ladies a few hours
before she became a mother. The best wishes of
. the nation will attend the PRINCESS during her
temporary seclusion.

Wm! all sober statesmen the absorbing pies-
tion of the hour is, How can the peace of Europe
be preserved ? For the sake of that 'paramount
interest the chief Powers of Europe have made
great sacrifices, and imposed severe restraints
upon themselves during the past year. To avert a
great war they have permitted in Poland the
execution of an atrocious policy, which will ever
remain a blot on the nineteenth century, and I
which it Wf4 certainly in their power to arrest.
The fear of war has led us to decline a proposal
based on great and generous ideas—to convoke a
Congress for devising the means of satisfying the
aspirations of peoples. But after all the endeavours
of statesmen we seem no nearer the end than ever.
We no longer discuss the possibilities of war, but
anxiously inquire how it is to be avoided. All
the solicitude which the Great Powers have shown
for the preservation of peace seems only to have
inflamed the presumption of States and peoples
whose position imposes on them a minimum of
responsibility. It appears to be generally believed
at Dresden, Carlaruhe, and Gotha that since so
much has been tolerated, so much forborne for the
sake of peace, any aggression may be attempted,
because none will be resented. If there are left
in Germany any persons of influence capable of
calm deliberation, we may remind them that much
as the leading Powers desire peace it does not rest
with them to guarantee its continuance. They will
do all they can to prevent war, but if the Germans,
intoxicated with national vanity, and trusting to
their numbers, are bent on carrying out the work of
aggression which they have began in Denmark,
then of a certainty we are on the eve of • great
European war. For in struggling for national ex-
istence Denmark will not want allies.

The two great German Powers should know
very well what must be the consequences of any
attempt to dismember a European State on the
principles of the National Vere in. To either of them
the application of those principles would be fatal.
And they would be applied. Bureaucrats with
despotic instincts may dream of directing the
tide of revolutionary passions, but as surely as they
evoke those passions they will be their first victims.
This is plain to all impartial observers.
The King of PRUSSIA is the last monarch
in Europe who should permit his Minis-
ters to stimulate popular passions. Yet
it appears this is what some of them are doing.
The Minister of War, General Von RooN, occu-
pies a position which should teach him prudence.
Nevertheless, in the midst of the present crisis,
only a week ago to-day, he permitted himself to
write to some persona at Halle, in a letter which
be gave them permission to publish :—" It is no
" longer doubtful for me that a part of the army
" and navy will probably have to make at an
" early day a winter campaign, which will per
haps be bloody." Further on he says :
" Prussia, such is my conviction, is on the
" threshold of grand decisions. It is not only •
" local straggle for a special object, but the whole
" political future of Prussia, which is in question."
These words cast a lurid light over the pro..
spode of the opening year. They acquire
significance from their close resemblance
to the words spoken by M. DE BISMAkeil
several months ago, in which be said that Prussia