The Express.
London, England, 1864-02-27 00:00:00

HLYIIAIICET.

Twig Iveirse.LITTLiDATBI77-111NKUM MULLER. Mr
&Ahern -OUR AMERICAN COUSIN. blesses. Sothern, Buck-
Moue and Chippendale . Mesdames Angel. 811,..4011. and
Mania—And A KIM IN THL DARK. Mr. Clark.

PRINCTANS.

THIS rnenwo. PAUL'S Ft Messrs. Vining, Nelson.
Fisher Mesdames Marston and Kate Sarillo.—THE COMILDV
OF ERRORS. Messrs. Vining, Nelson, and the Brothers Webb.
—And JACK'S ARRIVAL PROM CANTON.

LYCEUM.

TEM Evitormo, THE LOST CHILD. Mr. Wlddloomb and
Kies P. Leelereg —BEL DiIIOSTIO, a Love Story. Mews.
Bechtel. Brougham, Emery, Charles, and Jordan; Mimes
Kate Terry. Levenue, and Zlevrovalty, sad Mrs. Loa

xuTLNKI .

Tun Ersznio, THE OUTCASTS. Mesdames Yarned and
Mlles—And HICKORY. HICKORY. DOCK- Mediums & Line
and W. Craufard.—Flrst-rate Pantommlata— Ardor and
Bertrand—The Fairy Fottntain —Commence at hall-past 6.

HIGH W AA= AT LONDON =IDOL
211311 DAT Worthut. 4h. 4316.... Mows% 61L 665.
icsatoasow Morning, 6h. Ism... .Aftersosii. M. Vas.

LONDON, SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 27.

Ir appears to be the fate of Hamlet to be left
out of his own play. But we confess that while
protesting on Thursday against the attempt to con-
vene a diplomatic parliament, gathered from all
parts of Europe,to settle the affairs of Denmark, we
never dreamt that the consent of the Danish
Government had not been first obtained. Lord
PALMZASTON has since stated that this is the fact.
We complain that Austria and Prussia will not
respect the independence of Denmark. Is it
likely that they will learn of us to respect it
when we ourselves hold it in so little account t

But important as it is that we should respect
the rights of our neighbours, it is still more im-
portant that we should so act as to show that we
respect ourselves. It cannot be said that our
Government is doing so now.kAustria and Prussia,
at the very moment when we are begging of them
the honour of a few words about Denmark, are
laughing at us. It may be doubted whether a
great Power was ever so mocked to its
face as Great Britain has been mocked by
the Prussian reply to our ingoiries concerning
the invasion of •Jutland, as related by Lord PAL-
MERSToN to the House of Commons on Thursday.
Kolding, the Prussian Government said, had been
occupied by • military force not only without
orders, but against positive instructions, and the
commander on the spot would be reprimanded.
But, it was added, the occupation of the town,
being found convenient to the Germans, would be
persisted in. This, be it noted, is not the imperti•
nent reply of some remote and subordinate officer,
but comes directly from the Prussian Government
itself—from the very Ministers who will instruct the
representative of Prussia at a Congress, should it
ever assemble. From this incident we may conceive
in what spirit we should be met at the council
table, where the German Powers would take their
places strong in the possession of the Duchies,
their pledge of final success, and we fortified with
our excellent intentions.

It is only too plain that the Government and
the country estimate very differently the extent
and manner in which the honour of the nation is
pledged by taking part in the settlement of strictly
foreign questions. We have been repeatedly
told on behalf of the Government that by
the Treaty of London signed in 1852 we
gave no guarantee of armed assistance to Den-
mark, and in Parliament stress has been laid on the
care we have taken not to give promises of material
aid to the Danish Government since last November.
But the liner sense of the nation feels that
it cannot be a matter of indifference to our
honour to permit settlements in which we have
taken a principal part to be shattered by violence
and injustice, and that we may just as effectually
pledge ourselves to a neighbour by following a par-
ticular line of conduct as by snaking express
promisee. Those who intend to accept and
honourably discharge responsibilities will be careful
in contracting obligations : but the readiness with
which our Government places itself in a position to
excite expectations, and the facility with which it
renounces their fulfilment, are astounding. Disap-
pointed, repulsed, baffled, outwitted, one day, it
presents itself the next unabashed and cheerful,
and prepared to run again the same course with
alacrity, as if there were something invigorating iu
insult.

If our statesmen would only ask themselves
seriously why it was impossible for them to do other
than ingloriously abandon Denmark to her fate a
month ago, they would pause before undertaking
with Austria and Prussia, or any foreign power, a re-
settlement of the atlaira of Denmark. When the
question arose whether the treaty of 1852 was to
be maintained, if necessary, by arms, the English
people asked themselves what they knew about that
instrument and the obligations supposed to result
from it. And the answer was : Nothing at all. The
arrangements of that treaty were devised and con-
cluded in secret, without the authority of the
nation, and when the time came that we must up-
hold or sutler them to be overthrown, there was
not a statesman in Parliament who dared ask the
country to make sacrifices to maintain them. It
is something that our statesmen have learned that
pledges given without the consent of the nation
will not be redeemed. But the honour of the
country will not be safe until they further
acknowledge th►t the way to secure the fulfilment '
of British treaties is not to make them without the
conseut of the grand council of the realm. Lord