The Express.
London, England, 1864-01-23 00:00:00

WHERE CAN WE MEET AFTER THE
PANTOMIMES 7
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nit evoreoss.

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be
on Ow day at pabbosiboo,

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Ten Emmet sad ur. Bar-
na= —And HARI.EQDLY 61. (IBDIO2 AND THE BLOBS.
neon. W. B. Payne, H. Pam Y. Pam, the Brothen
Stomata, Wile. Hahn —Commune at 7.

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Tm! ItsainnO, OUR 41:1111.7CAN 01:11111IN. Mom Bother:l,
Buckstone, Chippendale, Gerdes, Sown Coe, sad Clark
Mesdames Anael sad Baowdon.—And KING ARTHUR.
Mr. Compton , Madmen L Keeley, Wright, Wadley, Limner.

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Twee Emma& DONITDIAWL —And HAYLEQIITif
LITTLE TOY TUCCEZ. Yam eepos. Cathcart, A. aad C.
Leclerc% Hahne sad Sae, Kelm% Saylor, and Chapin*.
Mesdames Barnett, Adam. sad Howard.

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Tit ZYliTiO, 'THE lA9l—eifiLD. Mr. Wlddloogab and
k P. Leclercq DiMONIO. a Love &cry. Mews.
Peebles. Brougham, town Cheeks. sad Jordan ; Mime
M. 'invade, Lavenue, and !swanky, aid Ma. La*.

.11UTAFIqA-

TUTS /VIVITO. the New iaa -le;srae HICKORY. DICKORY,
DOCK. Mn.S. Lane sad flast-rate Pantoratialsta—Tbe Marvels
of Pent. -THE GREAT DIM arrter.—llather. and Benno&
—The Fairy Yountala.Aad THE GORILLA HUNT.

MOH WAT AT LONDON =IDOL
TEN DAT Morsis& Nag ....Alloatom Lb. 14A16
IDAKARIOII Naraing. Lb Aftiosoce. bila.

LONDON, SATURDAY, JANUARY 23.

Ar the instance of the mediating Towers, and in
the interests of European peace, the Danish Go-
vernment, there is good reason to believe, has con-
sented to the only remaining concession that it
was in ita power to make. It has agreed to sum-
mon the Riguraad for the united kingdom as
speedily as possible, and submit at once to their
consideration the question as to the withdrawal of
the common Constitution. To those conversant
with the actual facts of the case it was sufficiently
obvious from the ifivst that this was
all that any Danish Government, however
anxious it might be to avert hostilities, could
possibly do. The obscure rumours in circulation
during the past few days to the effect that the
Danish Government had undertaken to meet the
demand of the German Powers, and withdraw at
once the November Constitution, obviously pro-
ceeded from a complete misunderstanding of the
whole question, the ,pledge thus attributed to the
Government being entirely beyond its competence.
The Cabinet of Copenhagen have no power what-
ever to make any such engageasent,and, supposing
it made, they pommies no means of enuring its ful-
filment. The Constitution has now passed out of
the hands of the Government into those of the ns
Son. It is the law of the land, having oome into
operation on the first of the present month,
and in a constitutional country like Denmark no
Government can annul the public laws at plea-
sure, or on its own responsibility. A law can only
be repealed by the supreme legislative authority
that made it. This initial difficulty in meeting
the summary demand of the German Powers was
probably overlooked at Berlin when the recent
ultimatum was hastily despatched requiring the
Danish Government to abolish the obnoxious law
in twenty-four hours, on pain of a hostile invasion.
Such a summit/ procedure on the part of a con-
stitutional Government may indeed be regarded
by the Berlin Cabinet as simple and easy enough,
as it would no doubt be in perfect harmony with
the Bnsmanci policy of overriding the Constitution
at will, and treating the laws of the land as waste
paper. But no such violent and illegal course can
be pursued in a country which is constitutional in
reality as well as in name. The Danish Govern-
ment, therefore, was obliged to point out to the
German Powers that it was simply impossible to
deal with their ultimatum within the time pre-
scribed, and that if the proposal it contained was
to be considered at all, the period allowed for this
purpose must be extended. The Government has
at the same time evinced its concir story spirit and
its sincere desire to avoid hostaities, if possible,
by engaging to do everything in its power to meet
the German demands. It undertakes to summon
the Rigsrssd to an extraordinary sitting, in order
that the German proposals with regard to the
Constitution may be taken into immediate consi-
deration, pledging itself at the same time to do its
utmost towards effecting a pacific solution of the
pending difficulties.

Denmark has thus done its best and its all to keep
the peace. It is difficult to imagine a fairer or
more conciliatory proposal than that which the
Danish Government has just made, aor can the
German Powers resist it with any show of
decency or reason. These Powers can lose nothing
by • short delay, and should they refuse
to grant the time essential to the con-
sideration of their demand, they would be
justly exposed to the charge of precipitating •
conflict, and have to bear alone the heavy respon-
sibility of plunging Europe into war. It is diffi-
cult to believe that either Austria or Prussia
would consent to occupy such a disastrous peek-
tion, and in view of the proposal now made by
Denmark there is good ground therefore to hope
that hostilities may still be avoided.
There must be • pause of two or three weeks in
order to allow time for the Ripraad to assemble
and deliberate on the German demands. This will
allow time for negotiations and mutual explanations,
which have not yet been attempted o• either side.
It may be fairly hoped, too, that in the meanwhile
the violent passions that have transported Germany
beyond all bounds of law and right may have so
far subsided as to allow the great Powers to °titer

on the business of negotiation in the dapandonate
spirit that befits so serious a aria. It is aims-
lutely essential that this should be done, that ex-
planations should be offered, and the points in
dispute calmly discussed by the German Powers,
unless they are determined to outrage
European opinion, and forfeit all just
claim to international sympathy and re-
aped. Hitherto, unfortunately, these great
Powers have acted with as much violence as the
smaller Powers, though with las passion. They
have abruptly despatched an ultimatum, &mend-
ing the instant withdrawal of the common Consti-
tution, on the ground that it violates the royal
pledge against the incorporation of Sleswig. But
they have not pointed out in what way the Con-
stitution conflicts with this pledge, nor explained
how it oomes to pass that • central organ
for legislation in common affairs, which
they themselves recognised as legitimate
and perfectly consistent with the separate
rights of Sleawig twelve years ago, should be
illegal, and a cause of deadly quarrel, now. In the
course of such explanations it may, perhaps, ap-
pear that Germany has some ground of complaint
against Denmark that may fairly entitle her to
remonstrate and press for some alterations in the
local government and administration of Sleswig ;
and Denmark may be induced to concede these, as
well as to give fresh guarantees against the incor-
poration of the Duchy. The good offices of the
neutral Powers may, under such circumstances, be
seasonably invoked and employed with the best
results. If there is only a sufficient panes to
allow the voice of reason to be heard, it is impoerible
to believe that the sword will be drawn, and the
peace of Europe destroyed, merely to decide the
disputed political question whether the existence
of Provincial Estates under a common Constitution
sufficiently protects the local independence of a
province.