The Express.
London, England, 1849-04-13 00:00:00

with due and sensible forbearance—that ke must con-
sult, the princes. If they mist and disown ilia e'er-
tion, it is the interest and wishes of a score ef
princes against the interests and wishes of milions of
a population. How can any one rationally expect
such a difference es this to end, except by the oh-
st• oatens being swept away sooner or later by the
popular tide ?
fben, again, occurs the Danish question. It is a
question of dynasty altogether—a question, too, in
which the present King of Ditemanit is only per-
sonally interested, for the dynasty dies with him. Den-
mark premises to be Rassianised at his decease, and
the German popu'aioh on the Eyr:er, foreseeing the
catastrophe, shrink from the knout, and desire to
make part of that great fatherland, from which
they spring, and the language of which they speak.
Diplomacy intervenes to arrange the difference.
Bat, strange to say, it does not go to the roo. of the
difference, to the question of future succession. It
is perfectly aware that might, not right, must then
prevail; and whilst it bids the Schlcswigers b
moderate and tranquil, it will not undertake to in-
form the Sehleswigers as to what their future fate is
to be.
There can be no doubt that Lord PALMERSTON'S
first alternative, laid before the Danish monarch, WAS
the fairest arrangement. This was, to cut off m
Schleswig its southern or German region, and add it
to Holstein. This had the advantage of prejudging
the future arrangement of the succession, as it would
be plain that the collateral heirs should
inherit the German duchy, and the prince who in-
herits the crown of Denmark through the female
branch should bo content with the northern or
Danish portion of Schleswig. Unfortunately this
does nnt content the Schleswigers, who have a prid-
in their duchy remaining a whole ; aid who, Dane
or German, alike resist partition.
One thing, however, was certain from the first,
which is, that war could not decide the question.
Since war after a certain point must necessarily stop
still, Denmark could never hope to conquer Germany,
whilst the Germans must not conquer the isles of
Denmark guarat teed and covered by Russia. The
war therefore was confined befo•ehand to skirmishers,
that is, to a spilling of blood wirhout result, to partial
wombats, which irritate and exci e without satisfoine
either side. If ever an intervention to cootinne at,
armistice er force a suspension of hostilities was
warranted, it was the case in this quarrel.
Teas intervention for peace eould, however, not tare
been, as the limes proposes, ore-sided. Nor wou'el
it have been fair or feasible unless it was determined
beforehand to refer the whole caw, sucsession and all,
to arblration. To forbid hostilities-, without rat the
acme time precluding all possibility of their r, aump•
tion, would have been to compel both parties t
up fleets and armies indefinitely. This is as bad as
war. Tee oly useful intervention would bare
been the joint one of great powers, determiued
to forbid all recourse to war, at present
or in future—and rightfully; for, in fact, the wcriike
struggle of the provinces could never settle the ques-
tion. But, at the same time, the powers which fur-
barie war should have a court and a princip'c of
arbitration to propose, fair in the taco of Europe and
of the world.
Old motion diolemalsta, and those who are dog-
matic from ignornre declare this to he imprss'bie.
V here would impartial arbiters be bond ? We rh awe'
answer, in ebundance. 'Mee the Archduke JOAN,
Mr. BANCROFT, sad the Duke of WELLINGTON, or an,
three each names. Why nerd they bo princes or
min:eters? But who would guarantee t.,e observance
of their award ? The poblic maim nt and opinion
of Europ•-. N•toose would tom p • ccivo th immense
savitor of life and tenants-, and of every blearing, from
...eh a ore. c ant %oat upt old its smut to as
renuonsly aseat ey now upla.lei other plociples,
u has the h, red* al right to the crown, which has
arse font data an u sense of its indispensabiltty t a the
oe re- nod wolf a. e of th • commun"ty.
M r COLDNN •ud It a t riends, at the Woke3cld ;wet •
:rig,bUier Ms, fully entered into the discussion
.n t leco,,onent:ato.o fth s groat principle, wnith
ever r • , pp attune, more called f .r, or more
It•tvi at t.e present moment. We do not
.ay tout to ti::ratl• a can settle el questions, or that
araterut o s c,:aus a _art he introduc d lot Jr all treaties.
Bat tho.c are .o.ue questions, and the Danish is
ore, that can I. settled in no other mat:-
ner. Aed its value, in one case, will
•ancostr to the n: ce4,,ty of preptring benwehond
'Weir pose .tio.re of lutare qua.rel, and of, as it Wel e,
bit d..or over p it C a and m resters to keep the p-ace,
uola es t: ey can s::ow something more than personal,
or cynost•e, or sorb toms realm,' for couductiog their
fellow m a to m .tall slasghte r.
Id the lilfSt-t. me recent events tell s'r.segly for
peace. Aud it is r. markable that in whatever strug-
gles leave lately taken place, the aggressor 1113 iuva-
riably had th, w. rot of it. CHARLES ALBERT chose
to den nate tort miatice and provoke the Austrians.
The battles of NoCILii Dud him prostrate. The Danish
monarch, t to, ptc'erred cannonading and expedition-
is!tor to kr pies th truce. He, too, has not a :ignal
lesson, and in a point on which the Danes moat
prided themselves, their naval supremacy and skill.
Far from thinleng with cur contemporaries, that
this will render the Germans more intract-
able, we think, on the contrary, that its
salutary lemon to Use Danish King will render him
css inclined to trust his guns, and that he may be
anduc.tel -ea eutrul diplomatists, as arsoiters,
Ito arrange the difference.