The Express.
London, England, 1866-07-21 00:00:00

OUR CONTEMPORARD2L

(rrus DAY.)

TIM FORUM! POLICY OF YRS BRITISH 00'
The Times thinks that, as was the case in the
Polish ineunestion sad the Danish quarrel, and even in the
Italian war seven years ago, Lord Stanley may in the
present esse exercise a beneficial influence on the cow
tinent without any departure from the principal. of
neutrality. He has only to maintain firmly the
convictions which the progress of the war has
wrought in the great body of his comitrynien. The 1
public opinion of England now regards every success of
the Prussians as a step to the union of Germany, the most
inestimable benefit which sea be greeted to Europe, and
the beet pledge of general and enduring peace. If, then,
this government be solicited to join in any mediation, or
to acquiesce in any terms of peace, the Times thinks it
can have no difficulty in advising Austria to complete the
cession of Venetia and to retire from the German Confede'
ration. But the most important point fs that these three
belligerent powers should be left to fight their battles
among themselves.
The Times ems a hitch somewhere in the negotiations
for peace, and says it is a pity Prussia, Austria, and Italy
cannot be closeted with France for only five minutes, for
negotiations of this nature cannot well be carried on by
telegraph, and it takes three days for a courier to carry
despatches between Paris ►nd King William's head-
quarters, and not much leas for M. Benedetti to pass from
the Prussian to the Austrian outposts.
The Doily News is not at all sure that Lard Stanley, who
last night not may affirmed the principle of non-interven-
tion in its broadest and strictest sense, sad explicitly pro-
mised to apply it in practice, but suggested its ap-
plication to public speaking, did not on the latter
point offer a hint worth taking. At any rate, of
the two extreme* of saying nothing about trans-
actions with which we have neither the right nor the
wish to meddle or talking mischievous nonsense about
them, there can be no doubt which is to preferred. How-
ever, Mr. Gladstone's magnificent vindication of Italy
and Germany will be hailed with gratitude and admiration
in those countries, while Austria has the best rearm to
complain in Sir G. Bowyer's speech of an ad-
vocacy which identifies her career with all that is most
repugnant to liberal Europe and to modern civilisation.
On the whole, this discussion on foreign affairs was emi-
nently creditable and satisfactory. Mr. Laing showed a
profound and comprehensive study of the great questions
of the time. The whole spirit of Mr. Horernan's argument
was eminently statesmanlike sad soundly liberal, and
Lord Stanley's emphatic and explicit declaration that
England stands absolutely unpledged and uncommitted to
any proposals of moral intervention or mediation will be
accepted by the country with great satisfaction, and with
all the confidence justly claimed by the Foreign Secretary.
The Post has reason to know that Prussia has accepted
the bases of a pacific arrangement by which a Bund would 1
be constructed excluding Austria ; Prussia would annex
the Elbe Duchies excepting North Schleswig, which is to
revert to Denmark ; Venetia to be ceded to the King of
Italy, Prussia to have the entire control of the military
forces of Germany north of the Main, and to conclude mili-
tary conventions to that end with the various States whose
Sovereigns will be restored. While Prussia has accepted
these bases Austria, awarding to the Post, has expressed
her disposition to accede to them.
The Herald accuses Mr. Laing and Mr. Harman of
asking for non-intervention, not so much because non-in.
tervention is right in itself, as because they believe that
if the belligerents are left to themselves, the side with
which they sympathise will win. Lord Stanley says there
is no danger, as far as any human foresight can go, of
any complications which would involve this country in
war ; and with that assurance the country, which desire.
pease and nen-intervention for their own sake, and not
because it wants to have the war thoroughly well fought
out, will rest perfectly content.