The Express.
London, England, 1862-12-11 00:00:00

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LONDON, THURSDAY, DECEMBER 11.

THE Governments of England, Russia, and
"France, we are told, have come to an understand-
'ing touching the election to the throne of Greece.
The part in this matter which fell to the three
Courts was limited, but it was important. They
had severally to impose restraints on Princes of
their respective houses, in order to keep them
back from a dignity the acceptance of which
by either would have been a cause of Euro-
pean perturbation. An engagement of this kind,
we learn, has been taken, and now neither Prince
ALFRED nor the Duke of LEUCHTENBEILG
can accept the Crown of Greece. So
far the three Powers have kept within the
circle of their rights. The Royal Families of
Russia and England have passed a self-denying
ordinance, each agreeing to forego, on behalf
of their younger members, the chance of what
seems a prize, for the sake of avoiding apprehended
inconvenience. However various may have been
the circumstances and considerations which have
facilitated this resolution, the arrangement is such
an one as a wise regard for the interests of Europe
would dictate, and for political purposes this is
enough.

It is said, however, that the Three Powers have
not limited themselves to imposing disabilities on
the children of their reigning houses, but have been
deliberating on the selection of a Prince whom they
could recommend to the Greek people as worthy
of their suffrages. If this is a correct account of
what they have been doing, they have certainly
intruded where they have no business. It is for the
Greeks, and for no others, to say who is worthy of
the Greek throne. We prefer to believe that the
Governments mentioned have made no such mis-
take. It is possible that the three Courts, ob
serving the inconvenience which the Greeks suffer
from not knowing what Princes are free to accept
their crown, have agreed upon one or more names
to which they would not object ; but further than
this they can hardly have gone. There can
be no question this time of nominating a King to
the vacant throne of Greece, and Europe has suf-
fered too much for thirty years from a folly of
that kind to permit its repetition. The people
of Europe have a right not only to counsel,
but to require the Greeks to choose such a I
ruler as they want and no other. We are told
that it is necessary that the King of Greece
should possess the confidence of Europe, mean-
ing that of the diplomatic busybodies who are
always ready at a moment's notice to take the
business of the world in hand. European diplo-
macy, however, must learn that its senile fears are
not to be the measure of the liberties of
peoples, and that if, at this time of day, it
cannot trust a nation to choose its own ruler, it is
likely to have a good deal to try its nerves.
G.reeco must not this time be protocolled. While
it seeks to make arrangements for its future wel-
fare, its independence must be as much respected
as if it were able to march armies over Europe.
Moreover this is not a case where a nation is
likely to choose for its King an unprincipled
adventurer whom all Europe has banded itself
for its own safety to exclude from a throne.
The Prince named as about to be recommended
to the Greeks is FERDINAND of Saxe-Coburg, first
cousin of the reigning Duke, and father of the
present King of Portugal. This Prince, who as
consort of Queen MARIA DA GLORIA received the
title of King, governed Portugal for a couple of
years as Regent during the minority of his son,
Dom PEDRO V., without displaying any of the
more showy qualifications of a ruler. In justice
to him it must be said—and it is no light praise, in
these days—that he did not overturn the constitu-
tion, and that at the time appo;-ited by law he
restored his limited trust entire. He was never
popular in Portugal, but he had the reputation of
a good hanarater. If the Greeks want a good
steward of their estate they probably could not do
better than elect him. Two drawbacks are men-
tioned. He is said to be a Catholic ; and the
Greeks have an intense dislike to Catholics. The
Prince, however, was born and educate d as aLuthe-
ran, and if it is true that he renounced the faith of
his youth for Catholicism, it may not be so very
difficult to convince him by the argument& for
Orthodoxy. Probably it will be a more serious
objection to him that he is, like King Onto, a
German, for tho Greeks say they have had enough
of Germans.

We presume that Prince FERDINAND has been
consulted as to the use of his name in connexion
with this business. If so, he is what neither Prince
ALFRED nor the Duke of LEUCHTENBERG has been,
a candidate for the throne of Greece. But he is only
a candidate as any other individual of royal, noble,
or common blood may become so. The Greeks are
not to be limited to saying " yes " or " no " to any
individual that may be proposed. The Prince of
their choice being withheld from them, they are
as free as they were before Prince ALFRID
was mentioned. By turning Orno out they
have asserted that the Crown of Greece
is their own absolutely, all protocols, agree-
ments, or treaties made without their concurrence

notwithstanding. They are about to use the expe-
rience they have acquired, and if they are foolish
we cannot make them wise. They must be very
ingenious if they choose a King of merit
below the average of the Kings of Europe.
We have done our part in declaring that no am-
bition shall tempt us to consent to an arrange.