The Express.
London, England, 1866-08-07 00:00:00

ITALY AND GIIIIIANY.

The war-clouds, obser►es the Times, which are
rapidly clearing on the side of Bohemia hang dill omin-
ously on the southern slopes of the Alps. Between Austria
and Italy no armistice has yet been signed, but simply
trace of eight dam which expired on the 2nd, and has
been prolonged till the 10th. Negotiations are at this
moment being carried on, but should their endeavours
prove fruitless, there is nothing to prevent a fresh out-
break of hostilities. Austria will sign no armistice until
the Italians withdraw from all Austrian territory not
comprehended within the boundaries of Venetia.
The wish for a prolongation of the contest in
this instance is evidently on the part of Austria.
The Times considers that it would be a wise policy on
the part of Austria to rid herself of this last subject of
dispute between herself and Italy. The occup►tion by a
foreign power of the valley of the Adige down to the Lake
of Garda, that key to the great gate of Italy thus left in
the hands of a hostile neighbour, constitutes • perpetual
menace to the new Italian kingdom. It is a certain source
of future wan. The recent victories of Garibaldi and
Medici in the Tyrol, far from smoothing the difficulty,
have only added to it, by encouraging, on the one side, the
hopes of the Italians, and, on the other, by arousing the
wrath of Austria, who, anxious to retrieve in the south
the losses sustained in the north, has lately poured no less
than 90,000 of her very best troops into the valley of the
Adige, and is unlikely to listen to a word either of peace or
armistice till she has driven the intruders out of the dis-
puted district. The " rectification of frontiers," se stipu-
lated in the preliminaries now under discussion in Paris,
lends itself to a twofold interpretation. The Italians
hope to draw their line in Tyrol at that point between
Trent and Botzen where the two nationalities come into
contact near two villages bearing the significant names of
Mezzo Lombardo and Mezzo Tedecioo—the point through
which Lord Palmerston proposed to draw the frontier line
during the pourpariers of 1848 ; but Austria insists not
only on the whole Tyrol down to Rive, but even on • part
of the Friuli on the side of the Isonzo frontier. It is clear
that if any dispute arises on these grounds the Italians
will be left alone to settle it, for Prussia will hack the
Italians in no other claim than that on Venetia, and
Italy most assuredly cannot count on any sympathy on the
part of either the government or the people of Francs.

The recal of Baron von Kubeck, the representative of
Austria and the president of the late German Diet, from
Augsburg is, says the Daily News, all the notice which
the visible dissolution of the once famous Germanic Bund
is held to require. As long as the band lasted there was
an excuse for the foreigner to interfere in the affairs of
Germany. France and Russia have in turn affected to
fear the power of the band, and have arrogantly forbidden
Germany to seek a more efficient organisation of
its political and military force than the consti-
tution of the confederation supplied. That is
all changed by the rapid victories of Prussia.
The states south of the Maine are now little better than so
many molecules in the neighbourhood of a mighty mass
which will act upon them with the whole force of its at-
traction. Count Bismarck is, after all, acting wisely in
using his military advantages for the purpose, before all
things, of building up the power of the Prussian state,
treating the introduction of the southern governments
into the new confederation as a. matter which belongs to
the second order of political interests. In the opinion of
the Daily News, the Emperor of Austria will have enough
to do to retain the allegiance of his German subjects, and
is not likely to interfere with the new order of things
established in Germany. The speech of the King of
Prussia will greatly strengthen his position. It is con.
ciliatory to the constitutional party, which gains from the
crown at the moment of its triumph an acknowledgment
that its past policy is not legally defensible, and that the
government meet seek from the representatives of the
people an act of indemnity for its trespasses. This will be
granted, and constitutional government will be restored.
The contrast just now exhibited in the attitude of the
three powers so lately engaged in active hostilities is, in
the view of the Telegraph, • striking one. Austria,
vanquished by one of her antagonists but not by
the other, is reduced to sullen acquiescence in
the will of the oonquerer, but would feel no re-
luctance in avenging her defeats in the north on
the heads of her enemies in the south. Italy, unsuccessful

in securing the end she desired by her own arms, chafes at
her toms& inaction, and is more than willing to recipro.
cote Austria's inclination for a renewed struggle. Prussia
alone of the three has gained her objects, and now retires
to consolidate at home the material gains which the cam-
paign has procured for her, The Telegraph apprehends a
renewal of hostilities between the two former powers, but
thinks the true interests of both states should bid them
pause, and not allow envenomed grudges or unsatisfied
desires to mar the prospect of peace.
The mere doubt, observes the Star, th►t Italy may still
be exposed to the possibility of war against Austria aingle-
ksnded almost forces to the conclusion that the allianee
with Prussia is practically at en end. If Prus-
sia should, after all, desert her chivalrous and
magnanimous ally it would be the worst spectacle of per-
fidy which the civilised world has ever witnessed, and
one which would completely obscure the glary of am
rapid career of victory. In Italy, the Star regrets to tor
there are actually hopes that the negotiations will
had to no result, and require a reopening of
the campaign. The nation is in the worst of
all moods for accepting reasonable terms—she mourns over
defeats without being convinced that they were other than
mere accidents common to all warfare, and not at all con-
clusive as the relative strength of herself and her mortal
foe. Should hostilities be renewed,theStor believes that the