The Express.
London, England, 1851-02-25 00:00:00

GERMANY.

Our correspondent writes as follows :
BERLIN, Fan. 22.

The dispute at Dresden continues apparently without there
being the slightest chance of its termination. According to
the ministerial journals of this city Baron Momently' per-
sists in his opposition to the fresh proposals of Schwarzen-
berg, and a return to the slab. quo ante, March, 1848, is
represented as the aim of the Prussian prime minister. The
Deutsche Refornse declares the 1/resden conferences to be
useless and fruitless, and recommends the return to the old
form of the Diet, us the sole minus of restoring harmony
and union between all the powers of Germany. The go-
vernments of Hanover and Wirtemberg appear to have roc
commended this measure in very strong language: and the
governments of l'ilecklenhurg and Oldenburg have pro-
tested in still stranger language against the whole
Austrian policy. It is, of course, useless to consider what
the state of things would he if the Prussiau opposition should
prove successful. Success has in no single instance re-
wiirded the laborious efforts of the I'IVSSiILfI diplomacy, I
might almost say from the days of Napoleon; and after the
glaring defeats which it has suffered during the last three
month, it would be foolish to suppose that the same men
WllO assisted at these defeats would now gain a victory. It
is hopeless ; and Prince Schwarreniterg knows it. His con-
duct becomes daily more peremptory and insulting. The
newest Tendon of his proposie which has found its way
from Dresden is, that the executive or central power shall
be constituted by Austria, l'russia, and Ilavana—Austria
possessing, of course, the presidium-, and the number of
votes at present possessed by liavdria in the plenum to be
increased to eight or ten. What degree of foundation there
is for this story I know net; hut it is printed hp the .Velfdl
l'reassiselie, whose information has, in most occasions,
proved highly trustworthy. The Dela:rite Ibliirme, whose
communications are has to be relied un, has letters from
Dresden to the same effect.

The two minister; had a conference on Thursday night,
which lasted until 12 o'clock, and at which the Austrian
plenipotentiary in Dresden and the Austrian ambassador in
Berlin were both present. The absence of Count Alvous-
leben from Buie conferences in remarkable; but it is ex-
plained by the fact, that a strong difference of opinion
exists between him and the Prussian prime minister, a dif-
ference of opinion which may probably lead to his resign*.
tion. The ministers met again yesterday, and were to do so
again this morning. The lkidarhr Br:forme of this even-
ing says that a plenary sitting of the conferences is to take
place to-morrow (Sunday) morning, aad that Mantenffel
may be expected to return on Monday.
Count Alrensleben has resigued his scat in the Uppet
Chamber.

The Second Chamber did not meet to-day. The Upper
Chamber sat in committee on the new press laws. Pan.-
' graph 5, which, in direct contradiction to the constitution,
places all publishers, printers, authors, writers, eke., uuder
the immediate jurisdiction of the police, was supported in s
long reactionary speech by Gerlach, awl was carried by 62
to 55. In the course of the discussion the constitution was
declared by the Left to be nothin: more than an ordinary
law. Vincke attacked this expression us an insult to those
who had sworn to uphold it. lle considered the constitu-
tion a treaty of peace fur the purpose of healing the deplore,
ble breach of faith which had oreurred in Prussia. Pare,
graph G was carried by a large majority. tt requires every
publisher of any printed journal to supply the police with
a copy of his publication twottysfour hours before
it is issued. This doss not apply, however, to
newspapers, the publishers of which are required to send a
copy to the police the moment the impression is finished,
Several other paragraphs were agreed to, including ono
preventing military personages and government employes
from working on newspapers, &c., without the permission
of their superiors,
Letters from Kid state that General Bardenfleth (a Dane),
is about to, or has already, assumed the cunt:nand of the
Ilolstein-Luuenburg contingent for the Genuses federal
army. Sad complaints are made of the brutality and
general ill-couthiet of the Danish officials.

The Vienna official Gazette publishes the deems
nominating Count Charles Bun! von Schauenstein, at
present minister at St. Petersburg, to the same post
at London.

COLOGNE, Pea. 22.
With the fall of Schleswig-Holstein, Germany has
entered a new phase, and that phase is unmistakea-
bly and absolutely revolutionary.
We may regret this, we do regret it; but regrets will
not change realities, and all Germany is now convinced
that we are on the high road to a general revolution.
No persons are more deeply convinced of this than
the l'rinces and their representatives at Dresden and
Frankfort, and above all, the statesmen of Russia.
The seal of fear is imprinted on all that they are at
this moment doing. At Dresden they organise an
army of 140,000 men, to act as a police in repressing
the public spirit of Germany. They are pre-
paring for a war of extermination against
ideas. The men who are in power in Ger-
many, and especially in Russia, well under-
stand the danger which they incur : this is why
they permit all sorts of measures of public safety,
without any inquiry as to their legality or unpopu-
larity. " After us the deluge," is their only senti-
ment, as it always is of those who feel that they are
lost, unless they can impose on the world.
The menaces directed to Switzerland are the con-
sequences of the same sentiment of fear. 'file people
know, they feel, that the day is not fur distant when
an insurrection in Germany, no matter in what quar-
ter it may take place, may have incalculable conse-
quences, and run throughout Germany like a spark
falling on a train of gunpowder. Possibly this
spark may come from Switzerland, should fear of
danger from this side lead the powers of Germany to
make an attempt to re-establish Jesuitical and aris-
tocratic rule in that country.
I have, however, the conviction that the menaces
addressed to Switzerland will never be executed. A
war with that object would be impossible at the pre-
sent day with German armies. In Switzerland the
material force of our powers, resting on no moral
basis, would be broken if it encountered any ener-
getic resistance sufficient to give our German soldiers
time to think. Should infatuation go further,
and our princes extend the same policy to
France, I am convinced that the German arms,
whether Prussian or Austrian, would decline the con-
test. In 1840 the case was different: France then
menaced :Germany. Now, the German armies
would be sent to pour out their blood in the interest
of Russia. The solemn moment in which we stand
II demands frankness, therefore we say, without 61.-
11 eumlocution, that we are convinced tciat an attack OR
Switzerland would raise Baden, Wurtemlicrg, Hasse,
and nearly all the Rhine, in favour of that country,
should its inhabitants resist, but for some time, with
energy and decision. But a campaign in France,
for Russia, and against liberty and the independence!
of Europe, would induce the German regiments to go
over to the French with drums beating and colours
flying. That is my conviction, and any one who
thinks that the German nation is dead and buried is
greatly mistaken.
A real war against France and Switzerland woukl
decide the fate of Europe in a very brief space. But
without this war Germany will none the less pro-
gms towards her future. She has a population of
forty millions, who can work and fight as
well as any other, and are not usually considered in-
ferior in intelligence. If at the present day this
people fails to rouse itself, it is beeau.se its time is not
yet come, because the reaction now IS revelling is as
natural as night after day, as sleep after work, espe-
cially after a work beyond measure harassing, and
earned on under conditions the most disastrous ima-
ginable. Germanyy will have its revolution sines its
reform has been reftified, and not until that revolution
has taken place will the destiny of the country be