The Express.
London, England, 1866-06-19 00:00:00

THE WAR.

The vigour of the Berlin government, remarks the
Times, has had up to the present its reward. Within
forty-eight hours after the vote at Frankfort the Hano-
verian territory is occupied, and the isolation and sub-
jection of Hanover are completed by the occupation of
Hesse CasseL Whatever may be the issue of the war, the
Northern States of Germany will probably be so welded
together as almost to demand a single government.
With equal promptitude the Prussians have obtained
the two important cities of Dresden and Leipsic, with
all the advantages they can give to an army, and they
are likely to endeavour to treat the Darmstadt govern-
ment as they have done those of Hanover and Electoral
Hesse. But despite these early successes they have no light
work before them. Wurtemburg and Bavaria will throw
their weight into the scales, and with Saxony will give to
the Austrians 100,000 men. On the other hand, Italy is
preparing a very important diversion. An army of 300,000,
including volunteers, is ready to be directed against the
Austrian forces in Venetia. A navy of considerable
strength will co-operate against Venice. The Italian de-
claration of hostilities may be expected eves y hour, if, in.
deed, it has not been made. In another week Central
Europe will be wrapped in a war extending from the
ocean to the Adriatic--a war which will change the
boundaries of states, and finally destroy all that remains
of the treaties of Vienna.
The Herald notices the absence of telegrams from the
Austrian headquarters. All that we know for certain is
that Benedek is in enormous force, with a quarter of a
million, or 300,000 men along the frontier line, which
stretches from Cracow to Toplitz, on the Elbe, and know-
ing that the Prussians cannot turn his right without pass.
ing through Poland, and cannot threaten his left without
meeting with the Bavarian army, he will choose his own
time to push forward with irresistible force through Silesia
and Saxony. If in either of these countries the Prussian
army should fail to stand against him, the result will be
the same—one battle won, the road to Berlin will be open.
The Telegraph dwells upon the sympathy of the English
people with the Italians, wishing them complete success
in their struggle. The only men among us who do not
thus regard the cause of nationality in Italy are them who
are hostile to the cause of progress in Great Britain.
Our government, for the present, must perforce be silent ;
but the voice of the nation speaks in no uncertain accents
when it wishes Italy godspeed.
The Star thinks it a prudent policy which guides the
Austrians now in waiting calmly for their enemy behind
the range of the Erz-gebirge, the hills which wall in
Saxony from Bohemia. Prussia has begun the aggressive
movement, and must go on. Her entering Bohemia is
indeed hourly expected, and may, before these lines
are printed, be an accomplished fact. There, if the
Austrians do not previously decide on invading Silesia,
the Prussians will have to meet the whole strength of
Benedek and his army, and it may be that in a single day
their aggressive march will be changed into a disastrous
retreat.