The Express.
London, England, 1864-06-28 00:00:00

which " it behoved her MAr Esry's Government to'
" adopt" at this moment towards the spoiler and
the victim in A most unequal and flagitious
war. To this portion of the Ministerial state-
ments the Houses and the public listened with ears
erect and suspended breath, in startling and most
significant silence. That the Puma MINISTER
would not declare for war was known to all the
town last week. But how would he put the case
for peace ; how would he adapt his arguments
to the susceptibilities of ardent and simple minds,
to party tactics, and to the exigencies of history
For such a Power as England there must always
be a very strong case for peace. For what
are called the " interests " of England—
even the immense material interests which peace
creates and consolidates—are not entirely selfish. ,
They are bound up with many of the highest
interests of civilization, and are held in trust for
mankind. It was easy for Lord Palmas:mow and
Earl Rvessar. to demonstrate the impossibility of
England's going to war for the limitation of a
Danish and German frontier some few miles on this
side or on that of a certain stream or town,
and going to war all alone, every other neutral
Power standing aloof. Yet there was some-
thing that jarred on the ear in the declaration
that the contest between the German Powers
and Denmark being now narrowed to the ques-
tion of a frontier line, there was really nothing
worth fighting for. Nothing, the Danes may bit-
terly reply, when we have yielded our all in sub-
mission to your encouraging advice : much before
the question was narrowed to that line ; before the
great principles at stake—the independence of weak
States—the faith of treaties—respect for public law
—had been forsaken by the Neutral Powers, and
abandoned to the unscrupulous audacity of a
BISMARCK. Lord PALMERSTON WORM perhaps
have better abstained from referring to the insig-
nificance of the stake for which the Danes are now
contending. The simple fact that if we take up
arms against all Germany on behalf of Den-
mark we must take up arms alone--sup-
ported by not one neutral Power, not
even by France, the France of a Narouos—
nor by Sweden, was enough, and more than
enough, to satisfy the public mind that the mo-
ment for England to strike for right and justice
was past, or not yet come. Lord RcssELL's argu-
ments against undertaking a maritime war toward■
the close of the summer in northern seas for the
rescue of provinces from two great military Powers,
seem eo unanswerable that we cannot help regretting
the superfluous " reservations" in case Copenhagen
should be threatened with assault and King
CHRISTIAN with captivity. Imagine some bold
ally of England declaring, in the event of
an invasion of our shores :—" If Windsor or
" the West End is bombarded I will come over to
" your assistance, but not as long as only York-
" shire and Lancashire are in the enemy's
" hands." The House of Commons, we are bound
to confess, listened to these valiant " reservations"
with an evident discomfort which had nothing to
do with fear. When the Pazwiza sat down, the
inward satisfaction of the majority at the assu-
rances of peace was not perhaps unleavened with
a seneeof shame.